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Amla: a rich source of Vitamin C |
The culprits:
Highly nutritious, the Amla fruit is rich in Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), is a source of invaluable minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper and more, as well as a source of some amino acids (alanine, arginine, aspartic acid and others) (Dweck et al.). Additionally, it is abundant in polyphenols, particularly tannins that are derived from gallic acid and ellagic acid, including emblicanin A and B, punigluconin and pedunculagin. It also contains other useful compounds such as rutin, an example of a flavanoid (Dharmananda, 2003).
Individual or team work?
Initially, the therapeutic properties of Amla were accounted for by the high vitamin C content. Studies are now revealing that it is in fact a combination of all the active ingredients that confers disease treatment, disease prevention and health promotion (Dharmananda, 2003). However, ongoing research is also shedding light onto the individual therapeutic benefits of isolated active compounds of Amla (Kumaran et al., 2003).
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4 active constituents of Amla: Clockwise starting from the top left-- Emblicanin A, Emblicanin B, Punigluconin, Pedunculagin. Figure Source: Dweck et. al (2003). |
Administration:
Amla is usually administered orally as an extract (in a capsule or tonic) or as a fresh/dried/powdered/juice form of the fruit. It may also be applied topically.
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Amla taken orally in the form of fresh fruit or juice. Figure source: ehealthyland.com |
