Amla fruit, also known as Indian
gooseberry or amalaki, is a powerful and rejuvenating superfood for better
health and more energy. This page will look at how to take amla, how much to
have and the best times and dosage.
Fresh
amla fruit has an interesting flavor. I’d already been using the powdered
version for a while when I found some in an Indian grocery store and bought a
bag.
Cutting
open the first amla the taste is quite sour and tart and my initial thought was
that I might struggle to eat them all. I’d read though about a couple of tricks
to try when eating amla.
The
first was to taste a little salt before you bite into them. I tried this with a
little Himalayan pink salt and it definitely improves the flavor. There was
much more depth, less sourness and more of a combination of flavors, but hard
to describe.
The
next was to have a sip of water with it. Even stranger. The taste of the amla
was suddenly sharply sweet.
I
had a few more of these of these Indian gooseberries for the novelty value, but
ended up using the rest of them, one a day, in both freshly made juice with
amla and a delicious smoothie recipe I’ll share ahead.
If
you do live near an Indian grocer who can get amla fresh and want to try some
unique and unusual flavors then this would be the best way to have them. Just a
single fruit a day can have some amazing health benefits.
If
not, powdered amla is inexpensive, easy to use and full to bursting with antioxidants.
It’s a mainstay of my daily health regime.
Amla Uses – 6
Different Ways to Take Amalaki
1. Fresh Amla Fruit
Fresh
is great if you can get it, even occasionally. Some Indian specialty grocers
online have weekly deliveries from India and will send out orders the same day.
If you live near an Indian market they may also sell them. Look for firm fruit
as apparently the older ones can shrivel a little.
Not
all of us have access to fresh amalaki fruit though, so let’s look at some
other options to get the benefits of amla into your diet.
2. Amla Juice
Amla
juice is popular in India, but unfortunately most of the commercial products
have added sugar or, even worse, glucose syrup.
It’s
fairly pointless to pay for a health food that is full of sugar in my opinion.
The preservative sodium benzoate is also often used, which is best avoided
where possible.
Local
Indian grocers may stock a good version of amla juice, but based on what I’ve
found online, I wouldn’t currently recommend it. If anyone does know of a high
quality, reasonably priced source of amla juice please share it in the comments
below.
3. Amla Candy
Obviously
if supermarket amla juice is full of sugar then amla candy will be even worse.
In fact, it’s even more likely to be made with glucose syrup, an ingredient
strongly linked to diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
It’s
a common trick of food manufacturers to use a small amount of something
healthy, while simultaneously adding lots of very unhealthy ingredients like
sugar syrup. Amla candy looks to me to be a classic case of this kind of
deceptive marketing.
If
you can’t get the fresh fruit, I’d strongly suggest using the powdered fruit or
these high potency capsules available for $4 international delivery. Amla candy
is unlikely to do anything positive for your health.
If
you really do want to have it then try something like this homemade amla candy
recipe which looks healthier than anything you’d find in a packet.
4. Amla Chutney
Amla
chutney is an interesting way to get the health benefits of amla into your
diet. The chutney can add a spicy kick to steamed vegetables and rice and
should be available from specialist Indian stores. Once again though, if your
health is more important than the taste, try to avoid brands with excessive
sugar, salt, preservatives or flavor enhancers.
If
you do have access to fresh Indian gooseberries, here’s a simple recipe for
amla chutney:
Take
300 grams of amla fruit, 200 grams of cilantro, 50 grams of green chilies, a
small piece of ginger and sea salt to taste. Blend them all up well in a good
food processor. Store in a jar and cover with olive oil or avocado oil to
prevent oxidization. It should keep for at least a month in the fridge.
5. Powdered Amla
Whole
fruit amla powder like this organic version is, in my opinion, the best and
most inexpensive option for adding Indian gooseberries to your daily diet.
Due
to amla’s positive effects on your digestion, some practitioners recommend
taking a small amount of it before each meal. Personally, I find I really feel
it first thing in the morning and mostly use it then, often in the afternoon
before gym as well.
Suggested
dosage for amla powder is 1 teaspoon, or around 4 grams. While there are no
commonly reported side effects of amla, as with any new health supplement it’s
best to begin slowly and see how your body tolerates it.
You
could start with just a quarter of a teaspoon, approximately 1 gram, building
up to half a teaspoon or 2 grams over the course of week. If this is well
tolerated, the following week you could increase your amla dosage to a
maintenance dose of 4 grams.
I’ve
read of some Ayurvedic practitioners recommending taking a teaspoon of powdered
amla after each meal to help treat digestive problems and acidity in the body.
This would likely be a temporary dosage though and it would be advisable to
seek the advice of someone knowledgeable in Ayurveda if you intend to use it in
these larger amounts.
Some
sites recommend taking amla powder with a teaspoon of sugar or honey. Once
again, that seems like unneeded sugars when so many of us are already
overloaded with stuff (antibacterial manuka honey with all of its beneficial
properties could be a good exception).
While
the powder isn’t sweet, there’s no reason why it couldn’t be mixed up in a
small glass of water, perhaps with some fresh lemon juice for cleansing the
digestive system first thing.
In
the past, I’ve sprinkled it on soft fruit like bananas and papaya, mash it up
with a fork and barely tasted it. It can also be mixed in with a small amount
of good quality fruit juice (but be aware that large glasses of commercial
juice can really spike your blood sugar, often leading to a tiring crash after
that brief sugar high). Generally it’s much better to make your own.
These
days, the best way to have amla that I’ve found is to mix it into a superfood
smoothie like this. Amla powder is also a key ingredient of one of the most
famous Ayurvedic preparations – Triphala. I’ll be covering this amazing superfood
in detail ahead.
6. Amla C Capsules
The
simplest way of all to use Indian gooseberries is in the very popular amla
capsules. While I personally prefer the powder as I use it so often, these amla
capsules are good value and easy to take to work or with you when travelling
for extra antioxidant protection.
Amla
capsule suggested dosage is usually to have them both morning and evening at
the recommended amount on the bottle. They are generally best taken just before
a meal to help improve digestion and are a convenient way to get the extensive
nutritional properties of amla wherever you are.
I’d
be interested to hear of any other ways you know of to use amla. While it is
still relatively unknown outside of the Indian community in the United States,
I don’t think a superfood this good will stay that way for much longer.
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