7 Health Benefits of Gooseberry
Indian Gooseberries, otherwise known as Amla is a small, sour yet nutritious fruit. Not many people are fans of this sour fruit but the benefits that this little sour friend provides will definitely make you change your opinion.
A Nutrition Fact- Do you know? Amla contains nearly 20 times more vitamin C than oranges. While 100 gms of amla provide 600 mg of vitamin C, 100 gms of oranges provide only 30 mg. The vitamin C of one tiny amla is equivalent to about two oranges.
#1 Anti-Aging
That’s right, amla has anti-aging properties. Amla is very rich in vitamin c which is also known as ascorbic acid. It is necessary to our body for the growth and repair of all body tissue. It is also involved in some important body functions such as collagen formation, proper function of the immune system, absorption of iron, Maintaining cartilage, teeth, bones, and wound healing.
Now onto anti-aging properties. Vitamin C in amla acts as an effective antioxidant. Whenever your body accumulates dead cells in your skins. It leads to cell damage thus occurs aging. That’s where anti-oxidants kick in. Anti-oxidants are compounds that fight off free radicals and flush out the toxins from your body and vitamin c also aids in glowing skin. Daily intake of amla juice will prevent premature aging, dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles.
#2 Controls Your Blood Sugar Level
High blood sugar levels are liked to diabetes, dementia, heart disease which can lead to stroke.
Gooseberries may help in controlling your blood sugar levels as they are rich in fiber. Fiber slows the digestion process and due to the slow digestion, and rapid spikes in blood sugar levels will be avoided.
Many fruits and vegetables contain fibers but amla has more to it when comes to controlling blood sugar levels. Amla contains a compound called chlorogenic acid.
Chlorogenic acid was effective in preventing weight gain, inhibiting the development of liver steatosis, and blocking insulin resistance. Furthermore, chlorogenic acid treatment in obese mice did not yield weight loss, but improved insulin sensitivity and reduced lipid accumulation in the liver.
Also, some studies show a compound in gooseberry can prevent the movement of the sugar from your gut into your bloodstream. But further studies are needed to confirm this effect.
#3 Aids In Weight Loss
Amla may aid you in weight loss as it contains fiber. Fiber helps in flushing the wastes from the body, it slows digestion and keeps us feel full for long period, and thus controls our cravings.
Amla also aids in burning cholesterol from your body and enhances the confinement of protein and nitrogen in the body and thus leading you to build muscles and burn fats.
You can either have one whole amla in the morning to kickstart your day or drink a glass of freshly prepared amla juice mid-morning to lose weight.
A Nutrition Fact- Do you know? Amla is packed with antioxidants. But do you know the difference in level between amla and pomegranate? amla has 17times more antioxidant power than a pomegranate.
#4 Aids In Hair Problems
Everyone has some kind of hair problems such as dandruff, greying, dryness of hair, and hair fall due to iron deficiency. These all can be treated in a natural and effective way by eating gooseberry or by applying it to the scalp directly.
Amla is well-known as a natural hair conditioner and its antimicrobial properties prevent and cure an infection of the scalp, thus helping you to get rid of dandruff.
Amla juice acts as a great conditioner for your hair and gives help in giving a smooth and shiny finish.
Also, premature greying of hair is also a serious problem nowadays. If your body doesn’t have enough vitamin B, zinc, or copper then it could lead to the early appearance of grey hair. These free radicals cause oxidative stress, leading to decreased melanin, which promotes greying of hair. Hypertension, stress, and anxiety are the leading causes of premature greying of hair.
To overcome all these problems. All you have to do is take amla juice and mix it with some oil. Coconut oil and almond oil will be best for hairs. Apply the mixture to your scalp gently and let it be for 30 minutes to an hour before you take the shower.
#5 Promotes Good Skin Tone
Indian Gooseberries can boost the production of collagen. Collagen, a protein naturally produced in the body, is also a popular supplement and beauty product ingredient that claims to improve the health of your skin. The marketing for collagen products claims they can improve skin elasticity, reduce visible wrinkles, and increase blood flow to the skin.
Regular intake of amla or amla juice can increase the vitamin C compounds in your body which leads to the production of collagen in your skin. This will make your skin soft and youthful.
#6 Strengthens Your Bones
Some people may have leg pain, back pain, neck pain, etc., Even though they eat calcium-rich foods some people won’t see any changes in their body because their body won’t have proper vitamin D compounds in them thus the calcium absorption from the bones may be reduced, which leads to serious bone diseases.
Regular intake of amla or amla juice will promote calcium absorption in your bones.
For best results, try to walk or sit under the sun for at least 30 minutes per day so your body can absorb vitamin D from the sun. Add amla to your calcium-rich diet, which will increase the absorption of calcium in your bones more efficiently.
#7 May Help You To Cool
According to Ayurveda, amla has cooling properties which can help you in regulating your body temperature. Moreover, the Ayurveda believes that amla can help you to bring balance to your Pitha(Pitta is bodily energy that is fluid since it combines elements of fire and water. This Dosha governs digestion, metabolism, and transformation in the body)by neutralizing the stomach acids and reducing inflammation in the body.
Amla can be effective against fevers as they tend to regulate the body temperature as it also promotes immunity in the body, and the rich anti-oxidants present in amla will remove the wastes and cleanses the body.
