Amla health benefits, in home remedies, in recipe, traditional importance
Phyllanthus emblica with common names amla, Indian gooseberry, emblic, amlika, usirikai, amalakamu, called amalaki or dhathri in Sanskrit, avla in Hindi, nellikai in Kannada.
Amla tree is deciduous tree in which fruits are edible. All the tree parts including bark, seed, leaves, fruits, root and flowers are used in Ayurvedic medicine and in home remedies.
Amla tree is small tree in which small light green leaves are closely arranged in branchlets and it bears light green fruits with a seed in it. Fruits ripen in autumn season, during October to November. Amla is widely grown India.
Indian gooseberry tree has medicinal and traditional value in India. It is worshipped as God and used in medicine for ages.
Amla tastes sour, bitter, sweet and astringent and it is used in preparing many dishes. Amla juice is taken for immunity and to cure many other ailments. Amla makes cooling effect on our body.
Amla is used as raw or cooked form. It is used in preparing many dishes like chutney, thambuli, rasam, pickle or amla ka achaar, jam and sweets.
A sweet called amla ka murabba is famous which is prepared soaking amla fruits in sugar syrup and candies are prepared. This candy is consumed after meals.
Amla is main ingredient in Ayurvedic preparation called chyavanaprash or leha which is consumed for immunity and get relief from respiratory disorders.
Amla contains high amount of vitamin C and calcium, fibre and other nutrients. It improves immunity, fights infections and improves digestion and it is a natural blood purifier.
Amla can be taken raw or dried form. You can chew amla fruit everyday.
Amla in home remedies
Immunity
Amla contains rich amount of vitamin C which helps removing unwanted radicals from the body. It improves body immunity to fight bacteria and virus. It improves our skin and eye health. Eye sight is improved.
Respiratory disorders
Vitamin C content in amla helps to avoid cold and cough when its juice is consumed or dry powder is taken with honey. It also removes mucus from the respiratory tract and avoids congestion.
Improves haemoglobin
Amla powder with honey or jaggery increases the production of red blood cells. It improves haemoglobin and treats anaemia. Fresh amla grated and cooked in jaggery syrup can be taken daily.
Digestion
Amla helps in secretion of digestive juices and helps in digestion. High fibre content in it helps in easy bowel movement and avoids constipation. It also avoids other problems like piles and irritable bowel syndrome. Amla powder taken two times a day treats dysentery.
Healthy skin
Amla powder is mixed with honey and curd is the best herbal face pack. These are mixed and paste is applied on face and washed after half an hour which removes dead cells from the skin. Improves skin glow and avoids acne, blackheads and whiteheads.
Healthy hair
Amla juice is applied on scalp and washed after half an hour removes dandruff and itching. This nourishes hair follicles and avoids hair fall, greying of hair at young age. It also makes hair shiny and black.
Diabetes
Regular taking of amla juice helps to maintain the blood sugar levels in the body. It aids in managing diabetes.
Heart health
Amla juice strengthens blood vessels and improves blood circulation in our body. It enhances oxygen supply throughout our body and it improves heart health.
Acidity
Amla powder is added to water at night. This water is taken next morning with rock sugar. This treats acidity condition in stomach. It also prevents and treats stomach ulcer and infection as amla is anti inflammatory. It also cleans the stomach.
Cooling effect
In summer, due to severe heat sweating is more and it causes bad smell from body and rashes on skin. To avoid this amla powder is taken two times a day in summer. It brings cooling effect on body.
Urinary problems
Amla tree bark and leaves decoction is prepared taken two times a day treats urinary problems.
Vomiting
Amla powder with honey is licked avoids vomiting sensation. You can also take amla juice to avoid vomiting.
Amla herbal juice
When fresh amla is available in harvesting season, amla juice can be prepared and stored for a long time. This juice can be taken regularly benefits a lot. It improves the health of stomach, heart, kidney, skin and eye. It also treats diabetes and other metabolic syndromes. It improves the immunity of our body and aids in weight loss.
Preparation
Amla fruits are washed and it is ground in a blender. This is strained and juice is collected in glass bottles. This is kept in sun light for 4-5 days till moisture content vaporizes from it. After this you can drink this juice 1-2 tsp with water and rock sugar.
Amla hair oil
Amla hair oil can be prepared in home easily which nourishes hair and treats, prevents dandruff. It prevents hair falling and makes hair shiny. It also avoids greying of hair at young age.
Preparation
Take fresh amla fruits and wash and remove the seeds from it.
Then grind it in a mixer without adding water.
Strain the amla juice.
Then take coconut oil in a pan and add amla juice to it.
Cook this until water content in it evaporates and sizzling sound stops.
Allow this to cool and strain to separate oil, from some paste collected at the bottom of the pan.
Store this oil in a glass jar.
Chyavanprash
Traditional and religious importance of amla tree
In Hinduism, amla tree is considered one of the sacred tree and it is worshipped on many auspicious occasions. Amla tree stimulates spiritual purity in us. It is believed that Lord Vishnu resides in amla tree.
Amalaki Ekadashi is a holy day, celebrated in India in lunar month of phalgun, which falls between February and March. Amla tree is worshipped with offering garlands of flowers. Naivedya is offered to God.
Amla Navami is celebrated in Odisha in lunar month of karthika. Ladies gather to worship amla tree. They chant vishnu sahasranama on that day. They lit earthen lamps in front of the tree. They cook festival dishes under the tree and offer naivedya to Lord Vishnu.
Uthana dwadashi or ksheerabdi dwadashi is celebrated on 12th day of lunar month karthika shukla paksha where Tulsi plant and amla plant are together worshipped. This tradition is found in karnataka.
Religious books mentions that a poor brahmin lady offered an amla fruit as alms to Adi shankaracharya. He composed and recited kanakadhara sthothra in praise of Goddess Lakshmi who pleased and gave wealth to poor lady. This day is celebrated as uthana dwadashi.
People bring small cuttings of amla tree branches with fruit and they place it beside Tulsi plant and worship by offering garland of flowers, special naivedya. They lit earthen lamps in front of the Tulsi plant. Some also perform Tulsi vivaha on that day. They worship tulsi and amla to get prosperous life and get rid of all sins.
In Karnataka it is a tradition to grow a peepal tree in the fields. They construct a mantapa around ashwattha tree or peepal tree and they grow an amla tree beside it. They worship trees as God.
Cultivation
Amla tree grows well in tropical regions. Amla tree is grown from seeds. The plant needs good amount of sunlight with fertile soil. Regular watering and much care is needed for the young plant. As it grows regular maintenance is not needed. It takes 6-7 years for the tree to bear fruits. Fruits are to be hand picked.
Amla in recipe
Amla Murabba
Amla murabba is sweet dish prepared using amla and sugar are the main ingredients. This sweet is richest source of vitamin C. This can be taken regularly, improves immunity and overall health of the body.
Preparation
Wash the 500 gm of amlas cleanly and prick them with a fork at regular intervals.
Cook amla for 8-10 minutes in water and drain the water after it is cooked.
Take 3 cups of water in a pan and add 250 gm of sugar in it. As sugar syrup is ready, add amla and cook it about half an hour.
Then allow it cool for a day. The next day again take out all the amlas from the syrup and boil syrup so that it is thickened and then add cardamom powder to it.
Then add amlas to it and cook for 2-3 minutes.
When murabba cools completely store it in a glass jar.
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The opinions expressed herein are authors personal opinions and do not represent any one's view in anyway, do not use this information to diagnose or treat your problem without consulting your physician. Remedies here mentioned are used for ages may not be clinically proven.
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Click here for commentsThis is a great article for anyone looking for more natural and organic remedies.
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