Plant Remedies  Indian Gooseberry

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Indian Gooseberry
Latin name : Emblica officinalis Gaertn
Sanskrit / Indian name: Amalaki

Emblica officinalis is a deciduous tree with exfoliating bark. It's fruit is cooling, refrigerant, acrid and laxative. It also contains the highest quantity of Vitamin C in natural form as well as cytokine like substances identified as zeatin, z.riboside, z.nucleotide.

When dried the fruit can be used for diarrhea, dysentery and hemorrhage. It is used to relieve constipation in piles as a laxative as well as in the treatment of leucorrhea and artherosclerosis. It can help to heal ulcers and prevent infection due to it's antibacterial properties.

Due to the Vitamin C content, the juice from the fruit as well as it's sediment and residue have been found to have anti-oxidant properties. Indian Gooseberry is a carminative and stomachic. Cardiac glycogen levels increase due to the aqueous extract but decreases serum GPT, GOT and LDL in rats having induced myocardial necrosis. In Ayurveda it is used as an antidiabetic, cardiotonic, aphrodisiac, antipyretic, cerebral and gastrointestinal tonic. It increases total protein level and raises the body weight due to positive nitrogen balance. It can have an anabolic result.

References:

• Tariq, M. et. al. Protective effects of fruit extracts of E. officinalis and T. belerica in experimental myocardial necrosis in rats. Indian J. Exp. Biol. 1977, 15, 485.
• Tewari, A., Sen, S.P. and Guru, L.V. The effect of Amalaki rasayana on the biological system. J. Res. Indian Med. 1968, 2, 189.