What could be more than a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals , antioxidants, polyphenols, including plant fibre, with zero or minimal calories, and still taste good? In the Spring and Summertime, we get spoiled with a rich array of fruits – apples, grapes, pears, cherries, ripe berries. Fruits are a great gift of Mother Nature, delicious and refreshing. But not all fruits were created equal! Some are more special than others, because eating some may reduce your risk of chronic disease, prolong your life, improve your metabolism… I was very fortunate to grow up consuming fresh amla berries. And it still remains my most favorite fruit. My father, Vaidya Kameshwar Mishra, loved amla as well and placed it in the highest regard as an ingredient in several of his ayurvedic preparations to heal the sick and to maintain the health of the healthy. In her kitchen, my mom used amla extensively as well, creating delicious ayurvedic chutney and preserve recipes.
Growing up eating fresh or freshly prepared amla fruit was a blessing. I personally experienced the amazing health benefits of this light-green berry-size fruit. When I started my Ayurvedic practice in the West in 1996, I was very eager to bring the healing properties of amla to my clients as soon as possible. In 2003, I used wild harvested amla berries for one of my very first SVA formulations – the Wild Amla Tablets. I used only the amla fruit growing “in the wild,” in un-harvested lands and forests, vs the hybridized, high-yield variety extensively used in commercial applications.
It’s a Divyaushadhi
The Amla fruit, also called amalaki, Indian Gooseberry (Emblica Officinalis in the Latin), grows on a moderate-size deciduous trees primarily in India. Arguably, it is the most important medicinal plant in Ayurveda – and for good reason. The fruit is used either alone or in combination with other plants to treat many ailments: for the common cold and fever; as a diuretic; a laxative; a liver tonic; to pacify stomach colics; its considered a restorative; a highly prized anti-inflammatory; a hair tonic whether used internally or transdermally; it has also been shown to prevent peptic ulcer and dyspepsia. The ancient Puranic texts go so far as to glorify amla as belonging to the realm of divyaushadhi – a divinely conceived plant that carries unsurpassed healing restorative powers. Of course the Guduchi plant and
Turmeric root are also part of this family of divine plants. However, the Amla berry stands unparalleled. Did you know that it is the only fruit that has a special day assigned it for ritual worship? It’s called the day of Amla Naumi, observed in the month of November. On this day, people offer flowers, and all arrays of desirable gifts – kumkum or sandalwood powder, tying beautiful mantra-charged sacred threads around the trunk of the amla tree, reciting its life-bestowing properties with gratitude, and asking its permission, with heartfelt gratitude, for the use of its fruit and all other parts for human consumption. This festival is observed throughout India.
But what really are these “divyaushadhi plants?” It’s something to call them divine and healing; but what does that mean? All things, everything, under the sun, is made of its own vibrational blueprint. The ancient sages of India knew this, they described and categorized the innermost vibrational make-up of all things in creation by creating a specific language to match this knowledge, a language where words vibrationally reflect the very properties they are describing. Our bodies are also highly complex and organized packets of vibrational energy. We can support our individual body’s innate vibrational make-up, or disrupt it. Through activities, sound, food, etc. So it is that some fruits re-align, nourish, nurture, and balance our bodies through their vibrational properties and frequencies; while others drag it down, disrupt it, undo it. These properties can be extreme: life-saving or destructive. So it is that some fruits such as the amla berry, can help the body recover from great dis-ease, such as cancer, or auto-immune diseases, when used in conjuction with full dietary and other life-style protocols.
My Father used to say that if a healthy person adopts and regularly consumes amla and turmeric in their daily diet, they will be bestowed a great armor against any life-threatening diseases, nowadays so prevalent in modern society – of course, no one ingredient alone can work any magic unless one also maintains a good diet and healthy routine as you know by now.
For me, personally, the most amazing vibrational property, as described in the shastras, of the amla is that it cleans the sattva guna – the light or aura of our soul. The Upanishads say that along with a clean diet and balanced lifestyle, taking amla regularly can wipe-out the karmic residues, I like to call them, i n my father’s terms, ‘dark bugs’ that cast a shadow on the light radiating from our souls. Amla is one of the most sattvic foods that can take care of one’s karmic load, silently and surely.
Medical Science is researching and validating the ancient wisdom found in the shastras, including these divyaushadhi plants – turmeric, amla, etc. With regards to amla, research has found that amla modulates the behavior of the cellular system to destroy cancerous cells without damaging healthy cells through ‘selective nutrition.’ Amla also makes the normal cells even more intelligent so that they do not themselves become cancerous.
Selective nutrition is not a new concept. In my Pulse & Marma Course (2014-2016), I talk extensively about understanding this biological process using the ‘nyayas.’ Nyayas are a structured system of reasoning in Vedic wisdom used to facilitate the understanding of a particularly complex issue. For understanding selective nutrition, we use the “khale kapothan nyaya.”
It works like this: Rasa dhatu (the clear part of plasma) carries all ingested materials – the fats, proteins, minerals, salt, etc. It’s the first bodily tissue that gets formed directly after we eat. The physiology has a system whereby all these nutrients are guided to nourish the targeted tissues or organs. The khale kapothan nyaya helps us understand how the body does this. Khale means intelligent or smart; kapota means pigeon. We use the image of ‘pigeons’ – seven pigeons for seven tissues. These ‘pigeons’ directly deliver nutrients to the tissues according to the needs of that tissue. For example, there is a pigeon to select and deliver calcium molecules to the bone tissues. Pigeons are smart energy which help amla perform many functions in physiology – like nurturing the good cells and eliminating or dismantling erratic cells. Theirs is a symbiotic relationship. Amla makes the pigeons more intelligent in their ability to select and deliver the appropriate nutrients to a specific dhatu or bodily tissue. Look at the extensive list of scientific properties the amla berry has been known to carry:
• Amla is a chemo-protective: it empowers normal cells to become more intelligent to fight against the damage of chemotherapy selectively protecting the normal cells against the deleterious effects of chemotherapy.
• Amla is an immuno-modulator: its actions serve as an effective protective shield against emerging infectious diseases and certain cancers. Amla enhances natural killer (NK) cell activity and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in BALB/c mice bearing Dalton’s lymphoma ascites tumor.
• Amla is chemo-preventative: it is reported to be effective in stopping initiation, promotion, and progression of cancer.
• Amla is radio-protective: studies have shown that administering (50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg b.wt./day) amla once daily for 7 consecutive days before exposure to sub-lethal dose of γ-radiation (9 Gy) protected mice against the radiation-induced sickness and mortality.
• Amla is anti-mutagenic: studies carried out in the last two decades have conclusively shown that amla supports the repair of DNA damage brought about by different carcinogens and mutagens.
[Source: European Journal of Cancer Prevention and in the Nutrition Facts Amla vs Cancer Video]
Interestingly, cancer research has also found that animal protein feeds cancer cells and may also complicate auto-immune conditions. In SVA we know that the micro molecules of animal protein have a tendency towards rapid oxidization and consequent damage to the cells. If your body needs daily protein but you would like to avoid consuming animal flesh, you can try my Easy-to-digest Green Protein Recipe – I have specially formulated this to supply easily available nourishing protein molecules. Daily consuming my Maha Wild Amla Tablets can also help by protecting the protein molecules during synthesis – if you do need to stay on an animal protein diet. But there’s more!
The Amla Berry further Empowered through Advanced Processing with 14 Bhavanas
The divinity of amalaki has inspired me so much that whenever I think about its properties and benefits, I find divine guidance to make new amla formulations! After formulating Wild Amla Tablets 13 years ago, I added several new amla rich products in my SVA pharmacoepeia, such as:
• SVA Tamarind Wild Amla Preserve
• Wild Amla HMN (Herbal-Memory Nectar)
• Chyawanprash Herbal Tonic Paste
• Chyawanprash Sugar-Free Fat-Free Syrup
In Ayurveda, there is a specific method of boosting the power of an already powerful plant of ingredient, it is called “bhavana.” We take the fresh amla fruit and remove the seeds and fiber. Next we dehydrate and then pulverize the amla fruit into a fine powder. The next step is to add freshly extracted amla juice to this pulverized amla, in order to get a thick paste. This mixture is then further dried and ground into a powder and mixed with more fresh juice of the amla fruit. Usually, this procedure is repeated for 7 ties. I have put together a new tablet, the Maha Wild Amla Tablets, where this procedure is meticulously repeated for a total of 14 times! My new Maha Wild Amla Tablets are made with this specific SVA handling methods to further protect the divinity of the amalaki berry from being disrupted or lost during the preparation. Besides selecting the best quality of wild harvested amla, I take extreme care in processing it, as amla is more delicate and complex than many other plants grown in the wild. Consequently, amla must be handled carefully to maintain is purity and divine qualities. All these multiple bhavanas and special handling steps make my new Maha Wild Amla Tablets many times more powerful than the simple fruit or powder and enhances its rasayana qualities many times over.
Super Anti-Oxidant Power: Amla is a super anti-oxidant. Its anti-oxidant power goes deeper into the tissues. However, the anti-oxidant action and other health-bestowing benefits, especially the vibrational powers, are only retained through strict adherence to the following points:
1. The amla must be the smaller ‘wild’ variety, grown in pure clean energy of the dense forest. My amla berries are sourced from remote, dense forests in Madhya Pradesh.
2. Amla should be picked seasonally and fully mature and used to produce the product right away (not stored) – so as not to lose its lively pranic divine properties.
3. The heat of the drying process should be minimal and moderate so as not to damage the bio-availability of the fruit’s properties. I use actual solar energy (not solar electric) to gently dehydrate the fruit during the bhavana process.
4. In the final product, there must not be any ingredient which brings in disruptive elements, such as any chemical additives, preservatives, bad binders, etc.
All of my amalaki products are made only with the wild amla variety, gently processed, and free from any unnatural additives, bases, or preservatives.
If you are still wondering whether or not Wild Amla is for you, in one of its many forms – drops, tablets, or paste – then hear my video talk about the Top 25 Benefits of Wild Amla! here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1JRT_ekL7E
Top 25 Benefits of Wild Amla!
1. Protein syntheses: Amla is the known and confirmed number one ingredient for protein synthesis. It nourishes and maintains the muscle tissue and tones it by enhancing the absorption and digestion of proteins.
2. Vitamin C Super-source: Amla is a super-source of Vit C. It contains a particular molecule of Vit C that does not decompose in heat. Most forms of Vit C are heat sensitive and become damaged in hot areas of the body like the acidic environment of the stomach. Amla’s Vita C molecules are bound with heat-resistant tannins. They do not decompose under heat like regular ascorbic acid. Amla does not create acidity in the body, but alkalizes the body by its sweet post-digestive effect. In addition, it has been shown to have 60 times the regular content of Vit C in citrus fruits.
3. No Malas – toxins: ‘A-mala-ki’ means no mala or toxins ‒ it supports the digestive system, strengthening pachaka agni so the body makes less or zero ama or toxic build-up ‒ the number one cause for disease. As a result of correct digestion and assimilation, amla facilitates optimal elimination as well.
4. Vyastha: Amla is said to bestow everlasting youth because it is balancing to all body types, and highly alkalizing.
5. Skin Beauty and Health: Amla is the best nurturing fruit for the skin. Highly nourishing for rasa dhatu, the first layer of the skin, and rakta or blood which is the second layer. Healthy first and second tissues give the skin its glow. No malas or toxins stand a chance of accumulating in and affecting the skin, giving it all kinds of associated problems of discoloration, sagging, fudginess. The collagen or protein of the skin is supported by increased protein synthesis supplied by the amla berry.
6. Liver Health: Amla helps produce clean rasa so the liver’s job of detox is made easier. Due to its alkalizing effect, it further supports the liver to detoxify the blood.
7. Balancing for all Body types: did you know that the amla berry contains 5 out of the 6 possible tastes – all tastes except for salt? It is sweet, sour, bitter, astringent, and even slightly pungent. This makes the amla berry a most perfect fully balanced fruit ideal for daily consumption by all body types and all constitutions. Ayurveda recommends daily consuming all 6 tastes not just for physical but for emotional and mental balance as well.
8. Hormonal Modulator: For both men and women – amla maintains optimal hormonal health and enhances fertility via support for the seven tissues and support for the shukra dhatu or reproductive tissue.
9. Medhya: Highly nourishing for the brain and its 3 functions of mental activity “dhi, dhriti, and smriti” ‒ gathering storing and recalling information. Thus, amla is especially beneficial for students and the growing intellect of children.
10. Rasayana: amla berry is famed for being a rasayana of choice – a rejuvenative substance. Many herbs have wonderful life-supporting properties, but not all carry the property of rasayana or rejuvenation as well.
11. Amrita: A means no; mrita means death. The amla berry is a known “amrita” – its regular consumption promotes and extends one’s life span.
12. Dhatri: the amla berry is known to be as pure and divine and nourishing as Mother’s milk! Freely giving, or dhatri, in its health and life sustaining properties.
13: Tishyaphala: did you know that the amla fruit eliminates misaligned vibrations from the body? It connects the mano-buddhi (mental intellect) to the satya-buddhi (spiritual
intellect) to make all thoughts and actions auspicious and integrated and thus powerful.
14: Three Dosha Pacifying: pacifies vata dosha because it is amla (sour) and madhura (sweet), and through its nourishing properties. It pacifies kapha due to its kashaya rasa or astringent taste, and ruksha guna or drying property. It pacifies pitta dosha due to its seeta guna or cooling properties, and sweet taste and vipak, or post-digestive effect.
15. Enhances Food Absorption: balances and enhances all 13 agnis and all the deha agnis, or cellular agnis, for maximum nutrient absorption and assimilation. Amla’s astringent rasa supports the absorption of food in the colon.
16. Balances Stomach Acid: The sour taste supports normal levels of acid in the stomach. The sweet post-digestive action ensures no excess acidity.
17. Hridya: Supports the physical heart. Regular use of the amla berry reduces cholesterol. Amla will alkalize the body, hindering inflammation, and prohibiting the production of C-reactive proteins.
18. Lung Support: the Chyawanprash paste where the primary ingredient is amla, is known to be the best rasayana for the lungs. Amla supports oxygen exchange in the lungs through supporting normal pH levels of the blood. It facilitates the lungs’ functioning by boosting oxygen levels in the blood.
19. Elimination Support: the amla berry works with the brain centers that are connected to colon functioning, simultaneously addressing and nourishing both. An ingredient of the classical formula called triphala, or three fruits (phala), amla is balanced in that it promotes neither too much absorption nor too much elimination. It is thus ideal for daily use for bowel regulation.
20. Urinary System: Balances the blood and urinary ph and the coordination between the kidneys and the brain. A pro-diuretic, especially combined with coriander seeds as in the SVA Tamarind Wild Amla Preserve.
21. Hair Beauty and Health: the amla berry nurtures all aspects of hair – its luster, strength, glow, and color.
22. Eyes and Visual Support: the Ayurvedic shastras state that amla is best for the eyes, as it balances the ranjaka pitta of the liver and alochaka pitta that governs the eyes.
23. Chelating Agent: amla can bind garvisha (environmental toxins) facilitating their safe removal through the srotas or physical channels.
24. Glucose Intolerance: the bitter rasa or taste, and the agni enhancing qualities of amla can support/maintain normal sugar levels.
25. Shodhana: it’s bitter rasa detoxifies the body, opening and awakening the micro-channels of the cellular system, to help flush out toxins.
You can choose from any/all of my available formulations, keeping in mind that my most recent Maha Wild Amla Suppl will supply you the most potent dose of this divine rasayana. To sum it all up: if you are looking for that one-size-fits-all daily nutritional supplement for overall physical, mental, and emotional health support, the Amla berry is your best bet!
Maha Wild Amla will nurture your eyes; calm and nourish your nerves; boost your appetite; build your healthy muscle tissue; clean your fat tissue; act as a brain tonix; detoxify your colon and bodily tissues; it is also great for lactating mothers and during pregnancy. It is not recommended for children 12 years and below.
All my other formulations, including Chyawanprash Syrup for children starting age 3 and above. The SVA Tamarind and Wild Amla Preserve is also a childrens’ favorite as it passes for having the look and taste of Ketchup, minus the side-effects, plus with side-benefits!
Precautions: Maha Wild Amla Tablets possess a strong tonic effect on the heart. DO NOT take if you are currently on medical prescription drugs containing beta blockers, or if you have any established heart condition.
This product and statements have not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and are not intended to be used to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. All of the information above is intended to be used for educational purposes only and may not be used to replace or compliment medical advice.
