Does amla (Indian gooseberry) juice is good for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis? Every other day I would come across this question, particularly from the Indian readers. In the recent times, more and more people are adopting alternative health approach to manage their psoriasis as they are becoming aware about the serious consequences of the steroidal pharma medicines when consumed in the long run. As the name of our blog suggests- we also believe in self healing of psoriasis in a holistic (natural) way with the help of a healthy, clean diet, positive lifestyle, regular physical workout (or yoga), dietary supplements, herbs and of course, stress management techniques.
In India, amla juice is available at almost every herbal (Ayurveda) store- certainly the most popular natural health beverage after aloe vera juice. Let us find out how worthy it is for psoriasis.
Amla is a natural Superfood
Amla is a sour fruit that grows throughout India and tropical areas of Southeast Asia. It is extensively used in Ayurveda, Naturopathy and other alternative health disciplines to treat various ailments and improve the general well-being.
Other names of Amla– Amalaki (Sanskrit), Indian gooseberry (English), Emblica officinalis (Latin)
It is the chief ingredient of chyavanprash, the nutritive Ayurvedic jam that supports body immunity, sharpens memory and improves vigor and vitality. Also, amla is one of the three fruits in triphala, an Ayurveda preparation that promotes body detoxification, maintains a healthy digestive tract and benefits eyes.
Read more: Body Detox for Psoriasis
Amla is a low-calorie natural superfood that is made up of more than 80% water. Amla is among the richest natural dietary source of vitamin C, a potent antioxidant- it contains almost 10 times more vitamin C than oranges when consumed in the same amounts. Most importantly, the vitamin C in amla is quite stable to heat or aging. For example, amla hardly loses any vitamins C during the preparation of chyavanprash that involves high temperature heating.
Among other nutrients, it contains fiber, protein, B complex vitamins, minerals (iron, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, copper) and phyto-nutrients (antioxidants).
Health benefits of Amla
According to Dr. John Douillard, a renowned health expert in the field of natural health and Ayurveda, amla has antioxidant, anticancer, anti-diabetic, body detoxifying, liver protective, immunomodulating and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Amla improves the whole body metabolism to improve overall body functioning.
- Being a natural antioxidant, it slows down the aging process. Dr Raj Kanodia, a prominent plastic surgeon in Hollywood rates amla as one of the most potent natural remedy to fight aging.
- Improves digestion
- Relieves constipation
- Reduces inflammation
- Nourishes eyes, hairs and nails.
- Beneficial for diabetic patients
- Possesses anti-cancer activity
- Helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels
Research Studies
- A review published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, May 2011 discussed amla as a “wonder berry” that can be used in the prevention and treatment of cancer.
- A case study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Nov 1988 observed that regular consumption of amla helped reduce serum cholesterol levels in adult men.
- Another case study published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, Sept 2011 observed that 3 grams per day of amla powder consumed for 21 days lowered the blood sugar levels significantly in both normal as well as diabetic people.
Amla Juice for Psoriasis
The holistic approach to manage psoriasis refers to an Inside-out approach where you focus on the inner body matters and your skin condition improves as a byproduct.
Psoriasis is often linked to a compromised gut health (including liver) and an overload of acidic body toxins. Poor digestion and elimination can pile up the acidic boxy toxins (undigested food, disease causing microbes, heavy metals and pesticides) in your gut. Over a period of time, these undesired body wastes can damage the walls of your intestine to enter the blood stream and lymphatic system. This condition is known as leaky gut aka leakage in the gut. Your immune system considers these toxins as a threat and triggers an autoimmune reaction to cause inflammation and unusual growth of skin cells to develop psoriasis patches on various parts of the body.
Read more: Leaky gut and Psoriasis
How Amla juice is going to help here?
- Amla is a well know body detoxifying food. It relieves constipation, improves circulation and aids in digestion. When consumed in relatively higher dosage, it supports smooth elimination of body toxins without irritating the digestive tract. In Ayurveda, it is widely prescribed as a non habit forming mild laxative for constipation.
- Amla awakens the digestive fire and improves appetite.
- Psoriasis leads to a weakened and congested liver. Amla has a protecting and cleansing effect on liver. It has proven liver and blood cleansing actions. A research study reported in the Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry, Oct 2010 observed the protective action of amla extract against the alcohol induced liver damage.
- Amla is cooling in nature and hence, calms down the gut inflammation.
- Amla can help treat leaky gut. A research study conducted at the L. M. College of Pharmacy, Gujarat, India evaluated the healing effect of triphala on the methotrexate induced gut damage (leaky gut) in rats. Triphala is an Ayurveda preparation containing three fruits (amla, bibhitaki and haritaki) in equal proportions- 1:1:1. In this case study, it was observed that increasing the composition of amla (4:2:1) further improved the healing power of this mixture to heal leaky gut.
- Obesity is a universal trigger for psoriasis. Amla can be used in a weight loss program when clubbed with proper diet and physical workout because it stimulates the fat metabolism to disintegrate the accumulated body fat. The mild laxative and diuretic properties of amla also helps in shedding a few pounds of excess body weight.
Read more: Obesity and Psoriasis
- Amla is a natural superfood with stress relieving properties. According to ancient Ayurveda text manuals, it is a brain tonic that promotes mental clarity, emotional balance and calmness.
- Amla is anti-inflammatory in nature. A research study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, Dec 2013 observed that amla fruit extract has anti-inflammatory properties. Hence, it can be pretty useful in case of psoriatic arthritis related joint pain.
Read more: Natural Anti-inflammatory herb for Psoriasis
Read more: Vegetable Juicing for Psoriasis
Precautionary measures
- Amla is an edible fruit, hence, amla juice extracted from fresh amla fruits is quite safe for people of all ages. However, pregnant ladies, breastfeeding women and people with serious health issues should consult their doctors before consuming amla juice.
- For some people, Amla juice in large amounts can cause diarrhea or abdominal pain. To avoid such a scenario, always start with small amounts and gradually increase it to the optimum level. For example, you may start with 30 ml once a day and then gradually make it twice or thrice a day as per your convenience.
- Here, I would again repeat the same warning- never drink pure, concentrated amla juice alone, always mix it in water or juice. Concentrated amla juice can cause so many health issues- erosion of tooth enamel, throat irritation, vomiting, diarrhea and many more.
From where to buy
Always buy pure, organic amla juice extracted from fresh, organically grown amla fruits. Apart from juice, you can consume this wonderful health supplement in the form of powder and capsules also.
Get amla juice and related products from an herbal store near to you or buy it online at Amazon: –
| USA readers | India readers | UK readers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amla Powder | Click here | Click here | Click here |
| Amla Juice | Click here | Click here | Click here |
| Amla capsules | Click here | Click here | Click here |
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21317655
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3250870
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16226416
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2994578/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23742702
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21495900
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19170156
It’s really benificial, thanks for sharing this. I used to thought that amla is acidic may be we should not consume it or we should consume it may be it has same effect as lemon & i was totally confused , so thanks for your this article , it made me clear about this, now i know how to consume it.