As winters arrive, you'd often find your local vegetable and fruit vendors stalking up on Amla or Indian gooseberry. While it looks like a simple seasonal food on the surface, you might not know how healthy it can be. Amla is probably the richest source of Vitamin C, suggest multiple reports. Amla, or Indian gooseberry as it is widely known, is mentioned in Ayurvedic texts for treating many ailments. In fact, the ancient physician Charaka referred to amla as a medicine that delays ageing, due to its high Vitamin C content.
Not just health-wise, but Amla is also good for healthy hair and skin. "It is one of the most powerful and inexpensive ways to maintain healthy hair, radiant skin, and shining nails. It is responsible for creating and maintaining collagen-i.e., the 'glue that holds the body together", IANS quoted beauty expert, Shahnaz Hussain as saying. Here are some healthy ways to consume Amla in your diet daily:
Pickle/Murraba
There are multiple ways to eat Amla -- it is pickled, made into a fruit preserve called as Murraba or even eaten by sprinkling salt over it.
Chutney
One of the tastier versions to consume Amla is by adding it to your regular coriander chutney. When you are grinding coriander to make it into a thin paste, add a small amla to it. Not only will it enhance the taste of the chutney but will also add nutrient value to it.
Raw Amla
Vitamin C is our best bet to boost immunity and keep flu, cold and a myriad of other viruses at bay. And Amla (Indian berry) is the most concentrated plant source of Vitamin C. This makes it a potent antioxidant food and a great immunity booster, besides helping improve the absorption of iron and calcium from food. Amla also packs in a trace mineral chromium that has a therapeutic value for diabetics as it helps in boosting the secretion of insulin and thus keeps fasting blood sugar levels in check and is a liver detoxer too.
Juice
A cooling drink like Ashguard juice with a few drops of lime and Amla juice is highly recommended. This is highly beneficial to health in keeping the blood glucose in check and also to regularising your weight.
As Triphala
Three fruits - Haritaki, Amla, and Bibhitaki make Triphala which balances the energies in the body and is a good source of antioxidants and Vitamin C, which reverses the signs of inflammation and oxidative stress.
Disclaimer: The article is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute as medical advice. Please consult a doctor before starting any treatment.
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