Ayurvedic Herbs available at Maharishi Ayurveda

Amalaki, Amla Berry

• Latin: Emblica officinalis Gaertn., Phyllanthus emblica, Terminalia emblica
• Sanskrit: Amalaki
• Hindi: Amla
• English: Emblic Myrobalan, Indian Gooseberry, Amla-Berry

Parts Used:
Dried fruit, ripe fruit, seed, leaves, root, bark and flowers. Each part has a different therapeutic value and must be prepared in its own way for maximum benefits. Amalaki fruit requires a meticulous 21-step process at low heat to maintain potency of the vitamins and minerals as well as the biological intelligence of this remarkable plant.

Traditional Ayurvedic Uses:

• Balances all three Doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha), especially Pitta.
• It contains five of the six tastes, which a very rare and valuable property because it indicates how this one herb balances all the laws of nature operating in the mind and body.
• Because of its well-known rejuvenative and revitalizing properties, Amalaki is a powerful Rasayana (longevity enhancer) all by itself. It therefore is often used by itself even in the Maharishi Ayurveda health system, which usually recommends using herbs only in expert combinations. As a Rasayana, Amalaki helps to culture the full potential of the mind and body.
• It is the most concentrated source of vitamin C in the plant kingdom, and the C has a special form that makes it very easy for the human body to assimilate. In addition to this, the vitamin C in Amalaki fruit is precisely bonded with tannins that protect it from degradation from heat and light.
• Amalaki is well-known for its ability to boost bioavailaibity and absorption of calcium for healthier bones, teeth, hair and nails.
• It also improves assimilation of iron for healthy blood.
• It is especially nourishing for the eyes, heart and digestion.
• Amalaki is also extremely effective for balancing stomach acids.
• Amalaki has a special action to promote strength and lean muscle mass when used with a diet rich in protein and quality nutrients.
• It is most commonly seen along with Bibhitaki and Haritaki as an ingredient in the popular Ayurvedic formula known as Digest Tone , which aids digestion and nourishes all the bodily tissues (the Dhatus). Triphala also acts as a laxative, helps scrub the colon, and supports the action of other ingredients in any well-balanced formula.

Processing for Potency
It is the processing method that makes the Amalaki/Amla Berry rasayana many times more powerful than the simple fruit or fruit powder. The traditional ayurvedic processing enhances its potency and increases the natural intelligence of the fruit. We do this without destroying or disturbing any of its delicate qualities.

To start with, we make certain that the processing area is extremely sanitary and pure. It's a very sophisticated process, especially when you are handling large batches of these very delicate fruits in a tropical climate such as India, where the chances of bacterial contamination is greater. That is why we place great importance on keeping the processing area absolutely sterile. It requires a dedicated team of saatvic (pure-minded), hygiene-conscious workers. Because of these challenges, the high level of purity of Maharishi Ayurveda's Amla products is truly unique.

For more information on Alalaki / Amla-Berry please see:

Amla-Berry: A "Divine" Ayurvedic Supplement

Amla-Berry: A "Divine" Ayurvedic Supplement found in Maharishi Ayurveda ReGen Vitality (interview)
"One of the properties that makes it divine is that it contains five of the six tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, astringent and pungent. The only taste missing is salty. This gives it a holistic, balancing effect on the doshas. Very few fruits have this quality. Vata is pacified by the heavy quality (guna) of Amalaki. Initially, when you taste Amalaki it is sour, which also pacifies Vata. But its vipaka, or post-digestive taste, is sweet, and the virya, or potency is cool, and both of these characteristics pacify Pitta. Kapha is pacified because the Amalaki's other predominant quality (guna) is dry, and it also contains the astringent, pungent and bitter tastes. So that is the beauty of this fruit: it is tridoshic, which means that it is pacifying to all three doshas. It is good for all seasons, all weather conditions, and all body types. This is what makes it a divine plant."

Combinations are Best
The ayurvedic physicians of Maharishi Ayurveda do not recommend the use of single herbs for self-care due to several important reasons.

One of the specialties of ayurveda is the science of herb combining that has been perfected over thousands of years of clinical practice. From this ayurvedic perspective, the study of herbs from scientific research which is based on single ingredient formulas is not very practical. This is because an herb can give a number of different effects depending on the other herbs it is combined with as well as a number of other factors such as dosage, how the herb was processed, etc. If one focuses just on the results of a study based on one ingredient, while it may be interesting, it does not give the full insight into the complete range of effects available from that particular herb.