In today's age when health is paramount, there is also an increasing focus on the gifts of nature that can have a profound effect on our health. Among these natural treasures, Amla, also known as Indian Gooseberry, holds a special place, especially in improving heart health. For centuries, this tiny fruit has been an important part of Ayurvedic medicine (traditional Indian medicine), where it has many benefits, including its ability to strengthen the heart. has been appreciated for its healing benefits (Kumar et al., 2012). Modern science is now coming to terms with these age-old claims, and research has shown that amla can play an important role in keeping the heart strong and energetic (Gopa et al., 2021; Kapoor et al., 2020).
What is Amla (Indian Gooseberry)?
The fruit we are talking about is called “Indian gooseberry” in English. It has two names in the scientific world: Phyllanthus emblica and Emblica officinalis. You may come across both names in research, as they are the names of the same plant (Dasaroju & Krishna, 2014). These berries are small and round, and their taste is sour, bitter, and slightly astringent. In fact, the Hindi name “amla” means “sour” (Baliga & Dsouza, 2011).
Apart from its unique taste, Amla has been given the status of a "superfruit", as it is rich in nutrients. It is a treasure trove of vitamin C—according to some sources, it contains 20 times more vitamin C than oranges (Majeed et al., 2009). This vitamin C is a major reason for its health benefits. But that's not all: Amla also contains vitamin A, vitamin E, iron, calcium, and fiber (Baliga & Dsouza, 2011). In addition, it is loaded with antioxidants such as polyphenols and flavonoids (Gopa et al., 2021). Due to the abundance of these healthy components, amla is very beneficial for overall health and especially heart health (Kapoor et al., 2020).
The Science-Backed Benefits of Amla for Your Heart:
The traditional use of amla for heart health is increasingly supported by modern scientific investigations, revealing several key mechanisms through which this fruit can benefit the cardiovascular system.
Lowering Cholesterol Levels
One of the great benefits of amla is that it can help keep cholesterol levels maintain. Many studies have shown that amla can help reduce total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), commonly called "bad" cholesterol (Gopa et al., 2021).
For example, in a 12-week clinical trial conducted on patients with abnormal amounts of blood fats, it was observed that taking 500 mg of amla extract twice a day led to a clear reduction in total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) (Khanna et al., 2012). Another study also confirmed these findings and highlighted the effect of amla extract in the treatment of high cholesterol (Baliga and Dsouza, 2011). In addition, a preliminary study on cigarette smokers found that their cholesterol-related blood tests improved after adding amla fruit to their diet for just two months, which included a reduction in both total cholesterol and LDL (Bhattacharya et al., 2010)
Interestingly, research also suggests that amla may offer the same benefit as some cholesterol-lowering drugs. People who have problems with sugar and heart arteries, and that too possibly without any side effects (Patel et al., 2011). In a large analysis of lots of research, called a meta-analysis, which included nine randomised controlled trials and data from 535 people, it was confirmed that eating amla fruit plays a very important role in lowering both LDL-C and VLDL-C (Gopa et al., 2021). All this evidence suggests that amla may be helpful in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.
Boosting Good Cholesterol
Reducing bad LDL cholesterol is not the only way to maintain a healthy cholesterol balance. It is also important to ensure adequate levels of "good" HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, cholesterol. Research shows that amla can also have a positive effect on HDL levels. For example, an early study on smokers found that individuals who consumed amla extract for two months had an important rise in HDL cholesterol (Bhattacharya et al., 2010). Similarly, a clinical trial on those suffering from dyslipidaemia found that the extract of amla taken group had the best levels of HDL cholesterol, or good cholesterol, while the placebo group did not (Khanna et al., 2012). Furthermore, a study on people in good health showed a significant improvement in their levels of HDL cholesterol after consuming amla for 18 weeks (Kapoor et al., 2020), These results suggest that the effect of amla on lipid profiles is additionally contributing to increasing healthy levels of beneficial cholesterol (Gopa et al., 2021).
Managing Triglycerides
Triglycerides are another type of fat in the blood, and too much of it can increase the risk of heart disease. Several studies have shown that amla can be helpful in reducing triglycerides levels. In the 12-week clinical trial mentioned above, which was conducted on patients with abnormal amounts of fat in the blood, it was seen that those who took amla extract had a significantly lower amount of triglycerides than those who took a placebo (Khanna et al., 2012). This indicates that the beneficial effects of amla on blood fats are not limited to cholesterol alone. But also extends to triglycerides, which further increase its ability to protect the heart (Gopa et al., 2021; Baliga & Dsouza, 2011).
Supporting Healthy Blood Pressure
Maintaining healthy blood pressure is very important for heart health, and amla can be helpful in this case as well. According to some research, amla acts as a blood vessel opener (vasodilator), one of the reasons for which could be the presence of potassium in it (Mishra et al., 2020; Patel & Verma, 2019). This effect helps to reduce high blood pressure. A review of scientific research has shown that Indian gooseberry (amla) is very effective in controlling high blood pressure. It keeps the upper (systolic) and lower (diastolic) blood pressure at normal levels and reduces the elevated levels (Jaiswal et al., 2021). These results demonstrate amla's ability to play an important role in keeping blood pressure healthy.
Improving Endothelial Function
The endothelium is the inner layer of blood vessels, and its healthy functioning is vital to prevent atherosclerosis, a major cause of heart disease. Research has shown that amla can have a good effect on endothelial function. A study conducted on people with type 2 diabetes found that consuming 1,000 mg of amla per day improves endothelial function just as much. Just like the drug atorvastatin (Kumar et al., 2018). In another clinical trial conducted in 2019 on people with metabolic syndrome, it was shown that twice-daily doses of 250 mg and 500 mg of Phyllanthus emblica (amla) watery extract significantly improved endothelial function, as indicated by a decrease in the reflection index (Rana et al., 2021). In addition, a study on healthy adults showed a significant improvement in blood flow after amla treatment, which is an important indicator of the functioning of healthy blood vessels (Sharma et al., 2020). These results demonstrate the potential of amla in improving the health and function of blood vessels.
Acting as a Powerful Antioxidant
The reason why Amla is so popular for its health benefits is because it is rich in antioxidants. It also contains vitamin C, polyphenols such as gallic acid and ellagic acid, and flavonoids and tannins (Joshi et al., 2021). These antioxidants protect the body from oxidative stress caused by free radicals. These free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage cells and also contribute to heart disease (Singh & Mishra, 2022). Amla also has a very high ORAC value, which means that it has a lot of power to eliminate these harmful free radicals (Sharma et al., 2019). To be honest, just one spoon of Amla powder provides as much antioxidant power as an average person would not eat in a whole week (Gupta et al., 2020). This powerful antioxidant action is the main reason for the heart-protecting properties of amla (Khan et al., 2021).
Conclusion
All the research that has been done, it seems that Amla, meaning Indian gooseberry, is a wonderful fruit for heart health. It helps in regulating cholesterol and the fats in the blood, triglycerides, it also keeps blood pressure under control, and it also improves the functioning of the blood vessels. Then it is also an antioxidant and reduces inflammation, so it is a good thing to add to your lifestyle to keep your heart healthy. And the best thing is that there are many recipes and easy ways to eat this fruit.
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Nice research
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