Perhaps no fruit has been valued throughout time as much as amla, or Indian gooseberry.
Resembling yellowish-green round, fleshy grapes, amla or amalaki “berries” have played a role in many of the world’s ancient religions and belief systems.
According to Hinduism, the amla tree was the first tree to appear on Earth. A heavenly nectar known as Amrita, or the elixir of life, fell from the gods to the earth, from which amla trees grew.
A vital part of Hindu religious ceremonies and rites, the amla tree is considered sacred because it’s believed that it is home to the god Vishnu.
To this day, a Hindu festival takes place in the fall to celebrate the tree’s physical, mental and spiritual benefits.
In Buddhism, the amla tree was a gift to the Buddha’s students from the Emperor Ashoka, and was believed to help students attain enlightenment.
A longtime go-to botanical, amla has been used in Ayurveda and other Asia medicinal practices for thousands of years.
Amla is referred to as “The Mother” in Ayurveda because it supports so many systems, including your immune, cardiovascular, digestive and elimination processes.
It’s thought that amla contributes to the formation of ojas, the body’s essential reserve of immunity and youthfulness.
Part of three-fruit Triphala – the most widely used formula in Ayurveda for supporting digestive and normal detoxification processes – amla is deeply nourishing and supports the body’s natural cleansing processes.*
Why Amla Is Sometimes Called the ‘Wonder Fruit’
Ayurveda considers amla to be a “magical” divine remedy as it contains all five tastes of sweet, sour, bitter, astringent and pungent to aid and protect your body.
However, of all its wondrous qualities, amla is best known to researchers for its high antioxidant and vitamin C content.
In fact, amla is one of the most antioxidant-rich foods on the planet. Its many naturally-occurring phytochemicals increase your antioxidant levels to help protect against damaging free radicals.*
And, after Barbados cherry, amla is the second richest natural source of vitamin C, yielding about 600 to 700 mg per golf ball-sized fruit. That’s at least eight times more vitamin C than the same amount of orange.
Here’s how its oxidant value compares with that of other fruits:
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75 times more than goji berries
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60 times more than pomegranate
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50 times more than blueberries
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13 times more than black raspberries
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2.5 times more than acai berries
With a nutritional profile like this, it’s no surprise researchers have taken notice of amla.
7 Ways Amla Contributes to Your Well-Being
Together, amla’s high levels of vitamin C and plant-based phenolic acids, anthocyanins, tannins, flavonoids and organic acids support your immune, heart, brain and blood sugar health.*
It also contains pectin, a valuable source of fiber to promote regularity and support blood sugar and lung health.*
Here’s a summary of some of amla’s most valuable potential benefits:
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Immune and cell health – Because a single amla berry provides 600% to 800% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin C, it supports a healthy, normal inflammatory response and promotes the production of specialized immune cells in your body to help protect against threats.*
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Heart health – By helping to protect against oxidative damage to heart cells, the antioxidants and potassium in amla support normal endothelial function and healthy, normal blood fat levels,.*
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Blood pressure – Amla supports healthy blood pressure levels already in the normal range by, promoting normal widening of your blood vessels for optimal blood flow.*
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Mood, cognition and brain health– Amla supports mood, memory and mental sharpness. Its naturally occurring organic acids supports the normal, healthy accumulation of iron in cells to promote brain health.*
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Blood sugar – Amla supports healthy fasting and post-meal blood sugar levels already in the normal range. Plus, its fiber content may help slow the absorption of carbs and sugar into your bloodstream.*
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Vision – Studies show that the carotene and vitamin A in amla support healthy vision as well as overall eye health.*
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Skin health – Amla’s antioxidant properties help neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals in your skin cells.*
Why You Need Vitamin C Every Day
Vitamin C is water-soluble, which means it dissolves in water. When you take in vitamin C, it circulates throughout your body to your cells for them to use. Whatever is left over is excreted in your urine.
Because it is water-soluble – and not fat-soluble like vitamin D – vitamin C cannot be stored in your body. Nor can your body make its own supply. That’s why you need to get vitamin C in your diet every day.
Considered the “grandfather” of antioxidants, vitamin C is a major player in your body’s battle against oxidation. While oxidation may be a normal process, oxidative stress occurs when your antioxidants can’t keep up with the actions of free radicals. This can lead to damage to your fatty tissues, proteins and DNA, as well as disease.*
Here are just some of the functions that vitamin C supports in your body:
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Immune system – Vitamin C is highly concentrated in your immune cells, such as your leukocytes and neutrophils, which help protect them against reactive oxygen species, or damaging free radicals, so they can function properly. Vitamin C also promotes the normal production of T cells.*
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Collagen synthesis – Vitamin C helps your body form collagen, an important structural component of your bones, blood vessels, tendons, ligaments and skin.*
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Heart and vascular health – Vitamin C can potentially raise plasma levels, offering support for your heart and vascular health.*
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Blood pressure – Vitamin C promotes blood pressure levels already within the normal range.*
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Metabolism – Vitamin C is needed to produce carnitine, which your body uses to burn fatty acids as energy. Low vitamin C levels may lead to increased fat storage.*
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Brain health – Vitamin C is found in high concentrations in the hippocampus and frontal cortex regions in your brain (areas associated with memory and learning), and helps protect brain cells against reactive oxygen species. It is also needed for many key brain functions, including neural circuits and neurotransmitters.*
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Respiratory health – Vitamin C may help protect your lungs from inhaled threats by supporting healthy, normal immune cell function and reducing oxidative stress.*
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Exercise performance – Vitamin C helps protect against damaging free radicals produced during normal metabolic processes and exercise.*
Are You Running Low in Vitamin C?
While severe vitamin C deficiencies may be uncommon, many people have low levels.
Severe vitamin C deficiency is known as scurvy, and is characterized by joint pain, bruising, bleeding and swollen gums, and poor wound healing. Features of scurvy can appear in as little as three months when you get less than 10 mg of vitamin C each day.
Left untreated, weakness, fatigue, depression, dry eyes, joint swelling and shortness of breath can develop with scurvy.
In a cross-sectional study of about 150 patients admitted to a large Canadian hospital, 60% were found to have low (below the optimal level) vitamin C levels and 19% were actually deficient – with levels near those associated with scurvy. That’s nearly four in five individuals with low or deficient levels.
While anyone can end up with low levels, certain groups may be at greater risk and require more vitamin C in their diets:
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Older individuals, as the concentration of vitamin C in plasma decreases with age, perhaps due to absorption challenges
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People of any age who eat too few fruits and vegetables (good sources of vitamin C)
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Overweight individuals, as vitamin C levels tend to be lower in those who are overweight or obese
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Regular or heavy drinkers, as alcohol consumption can increase urinary vitamin C losses as much as 50%
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Smokers, due to increased oxidative stress, which increases the need for antioxidants, such as vitamin C
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Pregnant and breastfeeding moms, due to an increased requirement for vitamin C
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Anyone with an impaired ability to digest and absorb food
What Form of Vitamin C Is Best?
I always recommend getting nutrients from food whenever possible. The best sources of vitamin C are fruits and vegetables, such as cherries, berries, citrus, kiwi, melons, peppers, tomatoes and cabbage. Raw is better than cooked, as heat can destroy vitamin C.
If you are unable to get as much vitamin C as you need from foods, you can supplement vitamin C either intravenously or orally.
Intravenous, or IV, vitamin C is the most effective way to supply your body with very large doses of vitamin C. However, cost, availability and practicality prevent many people from exploring this option.
For oral supplementation, vitamin C comes in two different forms …
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Whole food vitamin C, which contains important micronutrients found in the whole food source
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Synthetic ascorbic acid, with the best type being in the liposomal form
Both forms of vitamin C play key roles in your health.
The liposomal form, such as our Liposomal Vitamin C, can more easily penetrate your cell membranes, making it an ideal choice for times when you want to take larger than normal doses.
Liposomes encapsulate, or surround, the vitamin C to help protect it from the harsh environment of your digestive tract. This also helps your body absorb more to raise your blood levels of vitamin C.
For daily use, I prefer a whole food vitamin C, ideally made from fruits high in vitamin C, because this form also contains valuable, synergistic micronutrients found in the whole food.
Introducing Dr. Mercola® Biodynamic® Organic Vitamin C Amla Extract
My team not only wanted to bring you another choice for a whole food Vitamin C supplement – in addition to our Organic Vitamin C Acerola Cherry – we also wanted to provide you with one of the finest amla extracts in the world.
I’m excited to announce that we have gone the extra mile to provide you with something even better – a Certified USDA Organic and Demeter Certified Biodynamic® Amla Fruit Extract.
Dr. Mercola® Biodynamic® Organic Vitamin C Amla Extract offers you the best of Vitamin C and Amla Fruit Extract (not crushed powder like many other amla products).
Each two-tablet serving provides a standardized dose of 500 mg of Vitamin C from 1,000 mg of Biodynamic Organic Amla Fruit Extract so you can experience the potential benefits of both in this whole-food source.
With our Biodynamic® Organic Vitamin C Amla Extract, you don’t have to choose between Vitamin C and Amla Extract – you get both in one supplement.
And where it comes from – and how it is produced – is what really sets our Vitamin C Amla Extract apart…
Why Biodynamic® Organic?
Simply put, Biodynamic is as good as it gets.
Biodynamic is the world’s oldest system of organic farming. What distinguishes it from all other farming methods is it focuses on the regeneration of depleted soils using methods such as crop rotation and cover crops, as well as the integration of livestock to create a balanced ecosystem.
While Certified Organic is a high-quality standard that helps you avoid harmful synthetic pesticides, fertilizers and genetically engineered ingredients (GMOs), the plant may still lack important nutrients if the soil where it was grown is deficient in those nutrients.
A step above organic, Certified Biodynamic® farming utilizes regenerative farming methods with a spiritual-ethical-ecological approach, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem.
Striving for a higher standard, we’re working exclusively with Demeter Certified Biodynamic® farmers in India to bring you our vitamin C-rich amla extract.
Once barren land, these 700 hectares currently being farmed according to Biodynamic principles is now teeming with rich fertile soil and a biologically diverse habitat.
Through this partnership, we are contributing to providing jobs to local workers, but that’s not all. We are also supporting a primary community health care center, which provides free treatment and medicines, as well as free food, for approximately 12 surrounding villages.
Certified by the platinum standard for high-quality nutritional supplements, our Biodynamic® Organic Vitamin C Amla Extract represents one of the world’s finest amla extracts.
Our product was inspired not only by the traditional uses of botanicals in health practices, such as Ayurveda, but also the latest scientific discoveries happening in the company’s state-of-the-art research and development center in Bangalore, India.
To summarize, let’s take a closer look at how Demeter Certified Biodynamic® compares to the National Organic Program’s (NOP’s) Certified Organic standards:
| Allows imported organic fertilizers |
Reduces imported materials by utilizing nutrient-rich humus created within the farming system |
| Allows imported organic pesticides |
Creates a biologically diverse habitat that encourages balanced predator-prey relationships |
| Does not require the use of livestock |
Integrates livestock to improve soils |
| Does not address the rotation of crops |
Promotes crop rotation and intensive use of cover crops (green manure) to add nutrients to the soil |
| Organic feed for livestock can come from anywhere in the world |
50% of livestock feed must be grown on the farm |
| Does not require biodiversity |
10% of total farm acreage must be set aside for biodiversity |
| Focuses on crops and allows for only one section of a farm to be certified |
Focuses on farms as a whole and requires that the entire farm be certified |
| Product certification focuses mainly on ingredients used |
Product certification uses 12 Biodynamic® processing standards so the agricultural ingredients used define the product |
We’re proud that our Biodynamic® Organic Vitamin C Amla Extract is among the first of our Dr. Mercola’s health products to bear the Demeter Certified Biodynamic® distinctive symbol on its label.
Take a Proactive, Holistic Approach to Wellness with Biodynamic® Organic Vitamin C Amla Extract
Better health doesn’t have to be complicated. From optimal immune function, to your heart and vascular health, to healthy brain function and mood – vitamin C and amla fruit extract work as powerful antioxidants and essential nutrients to support your overall well-being.*
There’s no reason to risk low levels – especially since it’s never been so easy to give yourself an extra measure of support with Biodynamic® Organic Vitamin C Amla Extract.*
We recommend taking 500 mg, or two tablets a day – one 250 mg tablet taken twice daily (with or without food) – as that’s how your body best uses vitamin C.
A first on the market - Biodynamic® Organic Vitamin C Amla Extract – represents the finest quality Biodynamic amla fruit extract available anywhere.
With this unique whole-food formula, you receive Amla Fruit Extract and a standardized dose of Vitamin C from Amla Fruit Extract – all grown and produced according to Demeter Certified Biodynamic® and Certified Organic standards.
Let us support you on your journey to better health. Get started with the brand you can trust – Dr. Mercola® Biodynamic® Organic Vitamin C Amla Extract – and order your supply today.