amla juice benefits

8 Reasons for drinking Amla juice

Priya Nair,

Known for its extremely high nutritional value and numerous medicinal properties, amla or the Indian Gooseberry holds an important position in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. Indian Gooseberry juice is an ingredient that is used in most of the ayurvedic medicines. Although quite small in size, the fruit is a reservoir of various nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and powerful antioxidants. Amla is used to make a variety of products such as juice, amla powder, jam, pickles and oil, all of which provide amazing benefits to human beings in one way or another.

If you are looking for an easy, natural and inexpensive way to boost your immune system, maintain beautiful skin and hair and have a healthy body, then drinking amla juice regularly is probably the best solution.

What is Amla juice? What is nutritional value of amla juice?

Amla juice, extracted from the Indian gooseberry is a rich source of essential nutrients and a natural remedy for hundreds of ailments. The fiber content in the fruit provides for 26 percent of the daily recommended value, which means amla juice can help prevent constipation, reduce cholesterol and even lower the risks of colon cancer.

Rich in antioxidant compounds such as flavones and anthocyanins, amla juice is found to have the power to neutralize the negative effects of free radicals and protect your body against health conditions like cancer, premature aging, cardiovascular diseases inflammation and neurological diseases.

Amla contains nearly 20 times the vitamins C found in oranges. Besides being a strong antioxidant, vitamin C helps prevent early aging, improve immune health, heal wounds, assists in the growth and repair of tissues and supports a lot of other bodily functions.

The other nutrients that can be found in amla juice include vitamins such as vitamin A, folates,thiamin (vitamin B1), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, copper and manganese.

How to Make Amla Juice at Home?

To make a liter of amla juice, you’ll need about 30 to 35 amla fruits.

  • Get rid of any dirt or debris on the fruits by washingthem thoroughly under running water.
  • Cut each fruit into pieces to remove the seeds.
  • Add the amla pieces into a blender and into a smooth paste.
  • Strain the amla juice into a large pitcher. Try to extract as much of the juice as possible by pressing the pulp with a spoon. To take in the dietary fiber, drink amla juice along with the pulp.
  • Serve amla juice with sugar or honey.
  • Store the juice in the refrigerator and use within two weeks. If you want to store it for a longer time, then keep it in the freezer.

Health Benefits of Amla Juice

Rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidant polyphenols and many other beneficial nutrients, amla juice is exceptionally beneficial for your body and can provide protection against several health problems. Here are some of the benefits of drinking amla juice:

1. Amla Juice is a Great Anti-Aging Tonic

Like it or not, your body is getting older, day by day. While aging of the skin usually starts by the time you are 40 years old, there are cases where younger people develop aging signs on their skin. This is mostly due to the lack of a proper skin care regime and the intake of unhealthy foods. One way in which you can reverse the skin damage is to consume foods rich in antioxidants.

Amla oil has a high concentration of powerful antioxidants that help prevent premature aging of the skin by scavenging the free radicals that cause oxidative stress to cells and damage them. The high vitamin C content in the juice is helpful in stimulating the production of collagen that improves the smoothness and elasticity of the skin, thereby reducing the appearance of aging signs like wrinkles and fine lines.

Read more about health benefits of raw amla

2. Amla Juice Reduces Cholesterol

Although a certain amount of cholesterol is essential for your body to produce healthy cells, having high cholesterol can be dangerous as it increases your risk of heart disease.

Lack of exercise, being overweight, heredity and the intake of foods high in cholesterol and saturated fat are some of the factors that lead to an increase in cholesterol levels. Eating a healthy and well-balanced diet, and regular exercise can help lower your cholesterol.

Worried about high cholesterol? The good news is that with the help of amla juice, you can now control your rising cholesterol levels. Amla juice has been found to possess cholesterol lowering abilities and therefore adding it to your diet is a great way to avoid the dangers of high cholesterol.

According to various clinical studies, amla hinders the action of the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, whichis associated with the formation of cholesterol.  Amla juice not only reduces total cholesterol level, LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride level, it also increases the HDL or good cholesterol level.

3. Amla Juice strengthens the Immune System

Our immune system plays a key role in protecting us from diseases and infections and in maintaining proper health. So, it is imperative that we do everything possible to keep the immune system strong and healthy.

One of the many factors that contribute to the optimal health of the immune system is proper nutrition. The high amount of nutrients in amla juice, especially vitamin C can help boost your immune strength.

Studies have confirmed that vitamin C helps stimulate several very important functions of the immune system,including antibody production and increased function of white blood cells.

4. Amla juice benefits for Diabetes

All over the world, the number of people suffering from diabetes is on the rise. This increase has led to the need for finding home remedies and effective treatments for bringing the disease under control.

One of the best remedies for tackling high blood sugar levels is amla juice. The juice contains the mineral chromium, which regulates the metabolism of carbohydrate and make your body more responsive to insulin. As a result, your blood sugar stays at normal, healthy levels.

Read more about Health Benefits of coconut water

5. Amla Juice for Weight Loss

Looking for a way to shed some pounds? Amla juice can help! Obesity is one of the health problems that affects millions of people around the globe, children and adults alike. While some people become overweight due to genetic reasons, a majority of obese people owe their condition to unhealthy diet and lifestyle habits. No matter what the reason is, natural remedies like amla juice go a long way in helping people maintain a healthy weight.

Amla juice promotes weight loss mainly by improving your metabolism and detoxifying your body.Faster metabolic activities mean that you burn more fat. The fiber in amla juice keeps you full for a considerably longer time and thus prevents food cravings and overeating. Nutrient-rich amla juice is also capable of detoxifying your body and getting rid of the harmful toxins that may accumulate in the body.

How to take amla juice for weight loss? Make fresh amla juice at home for best effect. Grate raw amla, squeeze out juice from grated amla. Dilute this with equal amount of warm water. Add honey as per taste.

6. Amla juice benefits on Cancer

Oxidative stress on the cells due to free radicals can cause mutations, leading to cancer. Regular intake of amla juice supplies your body with plenty of antioxidants that fight off these free radicals. Amla juice is also beneficial in cancer treatment as it helps reduce the harmful effects of chemotherapy and radiation.

7. Amla Juice benefits for Skin

Amla juice is a magic potion that works wonders for your skin. If taken regularly, the drink can make your skin soft, smooth and glowing.

The nutrients in amla juice, such as vitamin C and antioxidants helps lighten your skin and imparts a natural glow. They also reduce aging signs on your skin and helps maintain a youthful appearance. Vitamin C in amla increases the production of collagen, which provides firmness and smoothness to your skin. It also helps repair damages skin tissues. Amla juice is a mild exfoliant and so applying it on the skin can provide a cleansing effect by getting rid of dirt and dead cells.

If you are suffering from acne and pimples, amla juice is the perfect remedy. While the antibacterial property of the juice prevents bacterial infections, the anti-inflammatory effects help reduce redness and swelling.

8. Amla Juice for Hair Growth

Amla juice functions as an excellent hair tonic as well. It can be used as a remedy for various hair-related problems such as hair fall, dandruff, split ends, and premature graying.

The nutrients in amla juice provide nourishment to your hair, strengthens the hair follicles and encourages the healthy growth of hair. The antioxidants in the juice lower the risk of free radical oxidative stress, thus preventing premature graying of hair. Fungal infection is one of the main reasons that cause dandruff. Applying amla juice on the scalp can help prevent dandruff because of its strong antimicrobial properties.

Read more about benefits of drinking neera

When to drink amla juice? While Amla juice can be taken anytime, it is best consumed before food. There are benefits of drinking amla juice in empty stomach. Amla stimulates digestive system. It also works to cleanse your digestive system and remove toxins from body. Drinking amla juice on an empty stomach could be the first thing in the morning. It works as energy drink over your morning laziness.

How to take amla juice? Raw amla provides 60-70% juice of its weight. So a kilo of amla fruit would give more than half liter of amla juice. Amla juice is extremely astringent taste. It can be taken diluted with equal amount of water. Amla juice can be mixed with honey or aloevera juice. Amla juice with honey and warm water benefits in reducing weight. Aloe vera and amla juice with honey benefits in reducing acid reflux and constipation. If you find it too bitter, you can always mix it with other fruit juices and then drink it.

How to use amla juice? Amla juice can be stored in refrigerator for few days. You can drink it regularly as a health drink. You can also use to make products of cosmetic use like skin mask, face pack or hair mask along with other ingredients. Try our various ways of how to make amla juice for hair growth in our other articles on amla.

Amla juice can be considered an elixir to almost all the ailments that affects people from time to time. Enjoy the benefits of amla juice and make sure that you share your knowledge about this magical remedy to others who are not aware of it.

References:

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