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Herb library · Herb · Phyllanthus emblica (syn. Emblica officinalis)

Amla

The sour green fruit of an Indian tree, eaten fresh, pickled and dried, and one of the three fruits of triphala. Small trials suggest it may improve cholesterol and blood sugar numbers; reviewers say the results need confirming.

Traditional use

A tree of tropical India whose fruit, called Amalaka in Sanskrit, has long been used fresh and dried in Ayurveda and eaten as food. Charaka's Samhita names Āmalaka the foremost of all medicines against the marks of age and says it holds every taste but salt; Dutt's 1877 compilation from Sanskrit medical works records that Hindu physicians used it alone and with the other two myrobalans, and that a sugar preserve of the ripe fruit was eaten as a wholesome food. It is one of the three fruits of triphala, the Ayurvedic formula of amla, haritaki and bibhitaki. Today amla is sold as powder, juice and capsules for heart health, blood sugar and digestion.

Traditional energetics

What studies show

  • Limited

    Cholesterol and inflammation: two 2023 meta-analyses (5 and 9 small randomized trials, 2 to 12 weeks long) found lower LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and C-reactive protein with amla than with placebo. Both say the trials were few and varied, and that the results should be read with caution until larger studies confirm them.

  • Limited

    Blood sugar: one of those meta-analyses found lower fasting blood sugar with amla; the same caution about few, short trials applies.

  • Limited

    As part of triphala: a 2021 review of 12 trials found triphala might improve cholesterol, blood sugar in people with diabetes, and weight in people with obesity, and says large, well-designed trials are needed.

Be careful of

Cautions

  • NoteIn triphala trials no serious side effects were reported; one study noted loose stools, constipation, changed taste, nausea, skin effects and tiredness in a few people. Safety data for amla supplements alone are sparse.
  • ConditionIt has been studied for lowering blood sugar and cholesterol. If you take medicine for either, talk with your clinician before adding a supplement.
  • PregnancyNCCIH advises talking with your clinician before using Ayurvedic products while pregnant or nursing.
  • NoteSome Ayurvedic preparations include metals. The FDA warns that this makes some Ayurvedic products potentially harmful, and a 2015 survey found high lead or mercury levels in some of the supplements tested.
  • Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.

From the old books

What herbals and dispensaries of the past printed. History, in their words.

“Of all medicines for preventing the (appearance of) marks of age, the foremost is Āmalaka (Phyllanthus Emblica, Linn ; syn. Emblica officinalis, Gaert).”
Avinash Chandra Kaviratna (translator), Charaka-Samhita (1890), Sutrasthanam, Lesson XXV, p. 279. See the page of Charaka-Samhita, Sutrasthanam, Lesson XXV, p. 279 (opens in a new tab) · Read the full passage from Charaka-Samhita, Sutrasthanam, Lesson XXV, p. 279
“A preserve of the ripe fruits made with sugar, is considered a wholesome article of diet and a preservative of health.”
Udoy Chand Dutt, The Materia Medica of the Hindus (1877), p. 226. See the page of The Materia Medica of the Hindus, p. 226 (opens in a new tab) · Read the full passage from The Materia Medica of the Hindus, p. 226
“The fruit of this tree is the Dhátriphala, Amritaphala, Ámalaka or Sriphala of the Nighantas, and is described as having all the properties of the chebulic myrobalan. It is used both fresh and dried; in the former condition it is considered to be refrigerant, diuretic and laxative; in the latter, astringent.”
William Dymock, C. J. H. Warden and David Hooper, Pharmacographia Indica (1892), vol. 3, p. 262. See the page of Pharmacographia Indica, vol. 3, p. 262 (opens in a new tab) · Read the full passage from Pharmacographia Indica, vol. 3, p. 262

Sources

  1. The impact of Emblica Officinalis (Amla) on lipid profile, glucose, and C-reactive protein: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (2023) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  2. Clinical effects of Emblica officinalis fruit consumption on cardiovascular disease risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2023) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  3. Effects of Triphala on Lipid and Glucose Profiles and Anthropometric Parameters: A Systematic Review (2021) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  4. Ayurvedic Medicine: In Depth (opens in a new tab) · NCCIH · read September 25, 2026

Reviewed September 25, 2026.