Amla (Amalaki) Fruit Powder – Organic

Amla Fruit Powder comes from the small, yellow-green fruit native to the Indian subcontinent. Known for its tangy, sweet-and-sour flavor, amla has long been a part of traditional diets and is often used in cooking or as a snack. Today, it is widely incorporated into teas, juices, and functional food products for its distinctive taste and naturally occurring plant compounds.

Organic Amla Fruit Powder

Z Natural Foods takes pride in bringing our customers a wide range of foods from around the globe in their most versatile form, and our Organic Amla Powder is no exception.

Our Organic Amla Powder is created by carefully picking the finest berries and utilizing the perfect drying method to preserve all the nourishing and healing compounds in this tonic berry. Amla’s unique flavor profile of sour, bitter, and slightly astringent allows this medicinal tonic food to be used limitlessly and gives a unique kick to any recipe used for nourishing and healing.

Creating an ideal powdered tonic food provides you with a shelf-stable end product with exceptional versatility, limitless product development applications, and a more convenient way to use a powerful medicinal food on the go, wherever you are. Our mission is to provide the customer with great-tasting, highly functional foods with limitless application in their most versatile form to support a variety of lifestyles.

So, we proudly introduce this fantastic member of our diverse functional food line, Z Natural Foods’ Organic Amla powder.

Fun and exciting facts about Alma Berries

1. Amla fruit is known to stimulate the salivary glands.
2. In rural India, it is believed that if you take a sip of water after eating Amla, the water tastes very sweet.
3. During World War II, Amla powder, candy, and tablets were given to Indian soldiers as a vitamin C supplement.
4. Amla also goes by the name Indian Gooseberry. However, there are differences between Amla and gooseberries.
5. Amla is often green or yellow with light-colored stripes. Gooseberries are typically red or green but can also be black or purple.
6. Amla has a sour and astringent flavor profile, whereas gooseberries have a sweet and tart flavor profile.
7. Amla is a tonic food in Indian cooking, whereas gooseberries are often used to make jams, jellies, and pies.
8. One hundred grams of Amla has as much vitamin C as 20 oranges. 
9. The Amla tree is sacred in India.
10. Amla means sour in Hindi.
11. Worshiping under an amla tree on Amlaki Ekadashi is believed to expel sin and fulfill desires.

Amla: An Ayurvedic medicine Perspective

Ayurvedic medicine works on three primary doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha), comprising elements(water, earth, air, fire, and ether).

1. Vata: Movement of blood, oxygen, and neurotransmitters
2. Pitta: The fire that deals with physical digestion and mentally digesting life experiences.
3. Kapha: The structure of grounding and stability governing nourishment and growth.

“One of the unique principles of Ayurveda is the understanding of health as a result of the coordinated functioning of the soul, mind, and body in an intimate relationship with everything else in the cosmos- material and non­material. It believes the constituent factors of the human body and the cosmos are the same.” 

Amla is known to calm all three doshas, although it is especially calming to Pitta. In Ayurveda, digestion begins with the experience of taste. Amla is said to have a sour taste with strong notes of sweet, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Because amla contains five of the six tastes, it is said to stimulate digestion, improve appetite, and kindle the digestive fire, aka Agni. Because amla has a cooling energy, it can be especially supportive for those with pitta-type digestion during the summer months when digestive fire tends to accumulate in the body. Amla is also well known as a Rasayana herb due to its ability to nourish and rejuvenate on a deep level, making it an influential contributor to the formation of Ojas, an Ayurveda reserve of youth and immunity.  While amla powder can be simply mixed with warm water, it is traditionally mixed with a carrier like milk, honey, or ghee.      

Amla: A Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective

Bitter and sour in taste and cooling in nature, Amla, according to TCM, has an infinity for the stomach (responsible for receiving and ripening ingested foods) and lung channels (a crucial part in the production chain for Qi and fluids that nourish the body).

With its primary action of expelling heat, Amla is said to strengthen the stomach, smooth digestion, and generate body fluids. According to TCM, Amla or Yu Gan Zi belongs to a category of herbs traditionally known for “cooling the blood.” Most of the herbs in this category are said to have antibacterial and antiviral properties and are specifically used to clear inflammation and infectious conditions, aka internal heat. According to TCM principles, too much internal heat results from a Yin deficiency because Yin is cooling and Yang is warming. Therefore, it is not suggested for those with a cold spleen and stomach energy.

Because Amla is bitter and sour, TCM believes it is the critical determinant explaining its action within the body. Bitter ingredients tend to have a more eliminating action of clearing heat and dampness through the bowels and urine. However, sour ingredients have also been known to help with digestion and restraining abnormal discharge like sweating and diarrhea.

Amla: A Vitamin C Superstar

You may notice a wide array of Vitamin C products as you search online or in the isles of a health store. Most of them will present as an isolated version of this nutrient, with other added compounds (like a buffered version containing ascorbic acid and the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium) with the purpose of making it more tolerable by the digestive system.

There is a lot of confusion and misinformation about all the various forms presented in Vitamin C supplements (Ascorbic Acid, Buffered, Liposomal, and Ascorbyl palmitate) regarding absorption, plasma levels, and bioavailability. So, let’s get some clarity on this topic.

1. All Vitamin C, aka L Ascorbic Acid, derived from a whole food matrix or synthetic sources, are chemically identical with no known differences in biological activity. 
2. Buffered(with minerals), liposomal (encased in fat), and ascorbyl palmitate(both fat and water soluble components) provide no extra benefit specifically to the utilization of Vitamin C other than being slightly less acidic in the digestive system. 
3. Ascorbyl Palmitate contains water and fat-soluble components, but the digestive system essentially strips away the fat-soluble part to derive the pure ascorbic acid.   

The research on this specific topic shows proof on both ends of the spectrum.

A review titled Synthetic or Food-Derived Vitamin C- Are they equally Bioavailable? It was stated,  “All steady-state comparative bioavailability studies in humans have shown no differences between synthetic and natural vitamin C, regardless of the subject population, study design, or intervention used. 

Some human pharmacokinetic studies have shown transient and small comparative differences between synthetic and natural vitamin C, although these differences will likely have minimal physiological impact. Study design issues and future research directions are discussed.”

A small human study showed that one gram of ascorbic acid was equally well absorbed in solutions, tablets, and chewable, but the absorption of a time-released capsule was 50% lower.

A larger study of 59 male smokers that supplemented 500 mg daily for two months of either ascorbic acid or a time-released version showed no significant difference in plasma levels between the two groups.

However, one small study did show that Vitamin C given in a natural citrus extract containing bioflavonoids, protein, and carbohydrates was more slowly absorbed and 35% more bioavailable.

Wholesome vs. Partsome

Modern research confirms the importance of eating foods in their whole state (as an individual entity or combined with other foods within the same category) to obtain a well-balanced wide range of potent polyphenolic compounds. Eating in this manner has been shown to support the repair process from the damage caused by stress, helping to create a more balanced internal environment. This concept is known as synergy. When eaten as a whole food matrix, no individual compound works alone. Therefore, eating these foods in their whole form or combining them provides more potent nourishment than consuming multiple isolated compounds.

When applying this concept to seeking foods that provide us with the entire Vitamin C food matrix, it should be no surprise that Amla berry is a top pick. Amla’s Vitamin C content can range from 300 to 700 mg per 100 grams.

While many factors like soil, environment, and the drying process being used to create an amla powder may change the total amount of vitamin C in the end product, it is safe to say that the results are very impressive, and amla is an outstanding source of the whole food matrix vitamin c complex.  

Research on Amla Berries

The following was stated in a review of Amla’s phytochemistry, ethnomedicinal uses, medicinal potentials, and molecular mechanisms of action.

1. The extracts from various parts of E. officinalis, especially fruit, contain numerous phytoconstituents viz. higher amount of polyphenols like gallic acid, ellagic acid, different tannins, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, fixed oils, and flavonoids like rutin and quercetin.
2. The extract or plant is identified to be efficacious against diversified ailments like inflammation, cancer, osteoporosis, neurological disorders, hypertension, and lifestyle diseases, as well as parasitic and other infectious disorders.
3. Amla’s actions are attributed to either the regulation of various molecular pathways involved in several pathophysiologies or antioxidant properties, which prevent the damage of cellular compartments from oxidative stress.

However, serious efforts are required in systemic research to identify, isolate, and evaluate the chemical constituents for nutritional and therapeutic potentials.

The following was stated in a study regarding the effects of Amla extract on endothelial dysfunction and biomarkers of oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

1. The treatment with amla at 250 mg, 500 mg, or atorvastatin produced significant reductions in the reflection index, suggesting improvement in endothelial function after 12 weeks of treatment.
2. There were substantial improvements in oxidative stress and systemic inflammation biomarkers compared with baseline and placebo.
3. Further treatments significantly improved the lipid profile and HbA1c levels compared to baseline and placebo.

It was concluded that atorvastatin and P. emblica significantly improved endothelial function and reduced oxidative stress and systemic inflammation biomarkers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without any significant changes in laboratory safety parameters.

Summary of Important Information

Z Natural Foods hand-picks specific ingredients for our customers based on three concepts to provide the best quality product possible to support optimal well-being.

1. Versatility
2. History of safe and effective usage
3. Strong evidence of positive research outcomes in humans

Amla: An Ayurvedic medicine Perspective

1. Ayurvedic medicine operates on the principle of three primary doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) composed of five elements, with Amla known for its ability to calm all three, particularly Pitta.
2. Amla’s unique combination of five out of six tastes in Ayurveda stimulates digestion, improves appetite, and kindles Agni (digestive fire), making it especially beneficial for pitta-type digestion during summer.
3. As a Rasayana herb, Amla is renowned for its deep nourishing and rejuvenating properties, contributing significantly to the formation of Ojas, the Ayurvedic reserve of youth and immunity.

Amla: A Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective

1. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Amla (Yu Gan Zi) is recognized for its affinity to the stomach and lung channels, with a primary action of expelling heat and strengthening digestion.
2. As a “blood-cooling” herb, Amla is believed to have antibacterial and antiviral properties, making it effective in clearing inflammation and infectious conditions.
3. TCM attributes Amla’s actions to its bitter and sour tastes, which contribute to its heat-clearing and digestive-supporting properties, although it is not recommended for those with cold spleen and stomach energy.

Wholesome vs. Partsome

1. Amla berry stands out as a top choice for obtaining the complete Vitamin C food matrix.
2. Its Vitamin C content is impressive, ranging from 300 to 700 mg per 100 grams, although factors like soil, environment, and processing methods can affect the final concentration.
3. Despite potential variations, amla remains an exceptional source of the whole food matrix vitamin C complex.    

Some research suggests that Amla may contain the following constituents:

Phytochemicals: terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, hydrolyzable tannins (emblicanin A, emblicanin B, pedunculagin), gallic acid, ellagic acid, 1-Ogalloyl-beta-D-glucose, 3, 6-di-O–D-glucose, acid, quercetin, corilagin, lupeol

1. Fatty Acids: linoleic, linolenic, oleic, stearic, palmitic.
2. Vitamins: Vitamin C

Taste, smell, texture, and color vary from batch to batch. Due to its nature, this powder tends to clump. If clumping occurs, lay the bag on a flat surface and place a towel over the bag. Then pound on the bag until the clumps break up. The towel will help protect the bag from damage.

Suggested Use: Mix 1 teaspoon with juice and yogurt, or add to your favorite smoothie.

Mixing Suggestion: To increase the flavor and nutritional profile, combined with our organic Acerola cherry and Rosehip powders.

Miscellaneous Facts about our Organic Amla Powder

Certifications: Certified USDA Organic.

Ingredients: Raw Amla Fruit.

Parts Used: Whole Amla, no seed.

Botanical Name: Emblica Officinalis.

Other Names: Amalaki, Indian Gooseberry.

Origin: Grown and dried in India and packaged with care in Florida, USA.