The Indian gooseberry or Amla holds an integral importance for your overall health. It proves beneficial in a variety of ways. The Amla is often referred as a ‘superfuit’, which is been used for remedies since 1000 years. It is widely found on the flowering Amla trees in India and nearby countries. It can be consumed raw which gives a sour taste. But you can have it tasty too – in the form of juice, candies, as a powder or even preserved as a pickle. You will be surprised to know that mere 100gms of the Amla fruit contains as much Vitamin C as 20 oranges could give.

The fruit is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Iron and calcium. They are fibrous and less sugary. So better make sure, you necessarily intake Amla this winter season. Here are some potential benefits of the fruit:

Rich in antioxidants-

The Amla has rich antioxidant properties. Due to which it decreases the risk of chronic health conditions like heart related problems, diabetes and cancer as well. It causes a good effect on blood glucose and the lipid counts. Amla has soluble fiber which is easy to dissolve, it lowers the rate of sugar absorption in the body.

Eases digestion-

Amla fiber regulates the bowel movements in the body. It contains high levels of Vitamin C which easily absorbs nutrients. It is advantageous if you take iron and rest of the supplements. It is even helpful with conditions like irritable bowel syndrome.

Healthy eyes and black hair-

Well this, you might have grown up hearing from your mother and grandmother. They often advise you to have Amla for the eyes and black shiny hair. The Amla berries contain Vitamin A which is vital for a healthy eyesight. The Vitamin A also reduces the risk of age related muscular degeneration.

Moreover, the Vitamin C in Amla fights bacteria which protects the eyes from conjunctivitis and other infections related to eyes.

Boosts immunity-

As mentioned above, Amla helps in digestion, thus it has inflammatory properties. Plus, it has got antioxidant and inflammatory properties too. A 100gm Amla (half a cup) gives 300mg of Vitamin C. This is twice of the daily value recommendation to an adult. The Amla also has amounts of polyphenols, alkaloids and flavonoids.

Helps in the memory and brain-

The phytonutrients and antioxidants present in Amla fight against free radicals which attack and damage the brain cells. This benefits the memory. The high content of Vitamin C in the fruit helps body in producing norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter which can improve brain function in people suffering with dementia.

The best ways to consume Amla:

Pickle the fresh amla fruits just you do with the other seasonal fruits. The pickle is made with raw amla or you can also boil and add the fruit.

Prepare Amla berries the way you do with grapes. The berries can be added in chutneys and even curries.

Amla in fruit salad. With all the fruits you use in a salad, combine Amla to it. It can be eaten raw easily as the rest of the fruits will taste sweet.

Amla jam or jelly. Now the fruit turns sweet. In India, it is also prepared in the form of Chyawanprash, believed in improving the immunity in winters.

The stored Amla juice which can be given a sweet, tangy or any kind of taste that you wish to savor.

You can also prepare fresh Amla juice. Remove the seeds and blend it in a juicer. Or soak the berries at night. Remove the seeds along with the pulp and drink the juice.

So now you know why Amla is known as the superfruit that can save you and benefit you in a plenty of ways. Thus, do not miss a chance to have enough of Amla in winter.