Amla berries contain twenty times the vitamin C in oranges, making them a true superfood

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 by: Donna Earnest Pravel
Tags: Amla berries, vitamin C, superfood

(NaturalNews) Amla berries, also known as Indian gooseberries, are a tart, light green to yellow fruit well known in Ayurvedic traditions to be a sacred fruit which heals both the physical and emotional heart. Scientists have confirmed the benefits of amla berries as an antioxidant, due to the fact that amla berries are a natural source of vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid, and are rich in flavanoids and polyphenols. Amla berries actually contain twenty to thirty times the vitamin C per pound than oranges, whichmakes amla berries an extremely effective superfood. Liver toxins, high blood cholesterol, and age-related kidney conditions have all been scientifically proven to be corrected with the antioxidant properties contained in amla berries.

Amla powder and extract lowers blood and liver cholesterol in rabbits and rats

In 1988, the International Journal of Cardiology published a study involving one hundred rabbits. Scientists wanted to know the effects of three different Indian botanicals on the rabbits' blood cholesterol levels. One of the botanicals was amla. The botanicals were offered in addition to a high cholesterol diet. Cholesterol levels were measured after sixteen weeks against a control group of rabbits who were only fed the high cholesterol diet. All three botanicals, including amla, significantly lowered blood, heart, and liver cholesterol levels compared to the control group.

A Japanese study conducted in 2005 confirmed this finding. The Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology (Tokyo) reported a study where an amla product was administered to rats which were induced to have high cholesterol levels. Twenty to forty mg of either amla powder or amla extract per kg of body weight was fed to the rats. The amla significantly reduced the total, free, and LDL blood cholesterol levels both in vitro and in the live rats.

Amla berries reduce age-related renal dysfunction via oxidative stress in rats

Because amla berries have such a high vitamin C content and are considered a superfood due totheir antioxidant properties, scientists from the Institute of Natural Medicine at the University of Toyama, Japan sought to investigate the effects of amla on kidney disease in rats. Specifically, the scientists targeted oxidative stress in the kidneys of older rats. The rats were given either amla powder or an alcohol-based amla extract (tincture) for one hundred days. The amla had a positive effect on both the creatinine and urea nitrogen levels in the aging rats. Also, the rats' blood pressure was reduced by taking amla. Other markers suggested that amla powder and extract reduced oxidative stress in due to aging in older rats. The researchers concluded that amla would be a very useful antioxidant for kidney disorders related to the aging process.

Sources for this article include:

Mountain Rose Herbs.com, "Amla Herb and Fruit Profile" http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/amla.php

Pubmed.gov, "The Ayurvedic medicines Haritaki, Amala, and Bahira reduce cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis in rabbits." C.P. Thakur, et al. International Journal of Cardiology November 1988; 21(2): 167-75. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3225068

Pubmed.gov, "Influence of amla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) on hypercholesterolemia and lipid peroxidation in cholesterol-fed rats." H.J. Kim, et al. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology (Tokyo). December 2005; 51(6): 413-8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16521700

About the author:
This article is provided courtesy of Donna Earnest Pravel, owner and senior copy editor of Heart of Texas Copywriting Solutions.com. Get free weekly tips on natural healing and herbs by visiting her blog, Bluebonnet Natural Healing Therapy.