If there is one homemade juice that keeps both our hair and skin in peak health both when consumed internally and applied externally, it is amla juice also called as gooseberry juice. We call amla juice nellikai juice in Tamil and it really is a wonder juice that offers us a lot of health benefits.
Though you can buy amla juice from the markets, it is best when made freshly at home. Amla juice is nothing short of a miracle in treating all skin problems as it is full of antioxidants and has amazing health, hair and skin benefits if consumed regularly.
Amla Juice Health Benefits:
1. Amla Juice For Weight Loss:
Amla juice is very good in detoxing the body and since it is rich in vitamins especially vitamin c, taking a cup of amla juice during weight loss prevents deficiencies. We usually don’t bother getting enough of our daily vitamin and mineral requirements during weight loss as we are very keen only in seeing the number (weight) go down. It very important to include natural juices that are packed with vitamins but at the same time that are low in calories and amla juice is perfect for that.
2. Amla Juice For Hair:
Amla juice is very beneficial for hair both when consumed internally and applied on the scalp. To apply on the scalp, mix equal quantities of amla juice and
lemon juice and apply it all over the scalp. This treatment prevents dandruff, itchy scalp and other minor scalp infections. Amla juice when consumed internally promotes hair growth, and regular hair massage with
amla hair oil made with amla juice helps to regrow hair and prevents split ends.
3. Amla Juice For Skin:
Amla juice prevents the youthfulness of the skin as amla juice fights off the free radicals which are the main cause of aging. Amla juice when applied topically treats pigmentation and acne. To use it on face, pound
fresh amla, remove the inner seed and grind the flesh without adding any water. This concentrated juice can be used to massage the face and it will lighten the blemishes well. You can also mix the juice with besan and apply as a face pack.
4. Amla Juice For Cough, Cold & Acidity:
Amla juice when had regularly prevents cold. Since it is rich in vitamin c, drinking amla juice is one sure way to prevent the cold during the cold and flu season. Amla juice is also very good for treating acidity. Amla juice is also great for people suffering from anemia, consuming amla juice even weekly thrice has been
proven to help with anemia.
5. Amla Juice For General Health:
Amla juice is good for treating all metabolic diseases, it helps lower high cholesterol, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. It also helps improve immunity and helps reduce stress. If you are suffering from any of the three metabolic diseases or nervous problems like anxiety or depression consider including amla juice in your diet regularly as it helps keep both our body and mind healthy.
Side Effects of Amla Juice:
There are rarely any side effects of drinking amla juice. Even pregnant women and diabetic patients can consume amla juice safely, but never take preserved juice. Consume only freshly made juice preferably made at home.
Amla juice is not tasty like other fruit juices, so I like to spice it up a bit like in the recipe below. Amla juice is best made with fresh amlas and should be had as soon as possible for best results.
How To Make Amla Juice:
1. Take 1/8 tsp of cumin seeds and a small piece of ginger in a mortar and pestle and crush coarsely. This makes it easier to grind.
2. Pound 5 fresh amlas and remove the seeds from them.
3. Grind pounded amlas and crushed cumin seed mixture along with a pinch of salt in a mixer as finely as you can.
4. Add required amount of water and grind everything together.
5. Strain and sweeten with pure honey. Your delicious homemade amla juice is ready!
NOTES:
- Amlas store well in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
- Ginger and cumin seeds also help in digestion. This amla juice is perfect for serving after heavy meals as it aids in digestion.
- Don’t add too much of ginger, it will not taste good.
- Diabetic patients can avoid the honey in the recipe.
- Make this juice fresh and have it immediately and try to buy organic amlas.
why you say never take preserved juice and to consume immediately? does it turn bitter quickly or spoil quickly due to bacteria?
Any bottled juice, even though it is minimally processed can never match the freshly squeezed juice in both taste and nutrients. It is better to drink the juice immediately because the juice starts losing certain nutrients immediately after juicing and the longer you store it, the more nutrients are lost….
Hi Ramya, Thanks for the info as anybody can understand the goodness of Amla when they read it. Pl continue doing such service. Can u suggest some herbal remedy for Pitta body.NA
Anything that cools the body is good for pitta body type, try oil bath (method in the blog) regularly to keep the body cool….
Hi Ramya, we dont get fresh amlas in US. We get only frozen ones. They have a lot of water content in them. I read somewhere that in whichever form amla is, the nutrients are not lost. Is this true? Any tips for using frozen amlas?
Yes that is true, amla don't lose their nutrients when dried or frozen. I haven't tried frozen amlas but I think you can use it for any recipe that calls for fresh amlas after thawing and removing the seeds…..
Hi Ramya, for my husband almost all the hair is turned white and he colors his hair, does the curry leaf oil helps at this point of time?
Hi Chithra, This oil works best when the greying is in the starting stages but ask your husband to use the oil for a few weeks and see if he sees any results. Even if it does not reverse the greying for him, it will strengthen and condition his hair….
Hi ramya my hair is falling for 9 years now i can see my skin on head. They are turning grey as well. I have concerned every skin specialist used every medicine and oils but they keep on falling. But tell me wat shud i do for baldness and thin hair. I am 28 years old now.
I would suggest applying fenugreek hair mask (recipe in the blog) whenever you have hair wash as it greatly controls hair fall (I have been using this mask for so many years now). Also try using curry leaf oil regularly for treating premature greying. If the problem is genetic (baldness), it is due to the hormone DHT, try consuming natural DHT blockers like green tea saw palmetto and pumpkin seed oil…
Hii…This is swatisweta from Pune.Actually my hair has become thin…which was thicker before…can I try homemade amla hair oil to get back my thicker hair????
Hi Swati, using amla oil is a good idea, try using it regularly. Along with it check for deficiencies, especially iron and try applying homemade hair packs like egg and olive oil (recipe in the blog) hair mask weekly twice to see good results…
Amla is a great source of vitmin C and great anti oxidant . at the same time people use it for hair growth also, so is it DHT blocker???? if yes then can you please suggest if Men can consume it regularly as DHT is the most and ultimate male hormone . can amla prevent converting testosterone into DHT ?
As far as I know amla is not a natural DHT blocker…
Hi ramya this is prati i am allergy to cold mean. As i cold come my sneezing start at it continue over an hour did u have remedy for this
Hi Prati, I would suggest taking thrikadugam mixture from the blog when you have a cold, it will greatly prevent sneezing….
Hello Mam Any Gud remedy for pigmentation plz …. It's all over face ..
For pigmentation, try this face pack: Mix besan, kasthuri turmeric powder, yogurt and few drops of lime juice and apply as a face pack….
Hello Ramya,Is it OK to juice the Amla fruit with its seed or will the seed cause any problems? I know that most fruit seeds contain cyanides e.g. Apricot seeds that can be both beneficial and/or problematic to health.
Use only the flesh for making amla juice and discard the seeds…
Hello mam ! I have dark elbows how to lighten them?
Rub fresh Aloe Vera gel on the area every day
Hello mam can v use coconut oil with curry leaves on face for pigmentation n other face problems like dullness n chronic white heads.
I have not used curry leaves oil for the face at all so I don't know how effective it will be but I would suggest using Aloe Vera face mask for pigmentation, it does work well. You can find the link for making it here
Is fenugreek seed DHT blocker?Can we take it orally to reduce hair fall?
Fenugreek seed is a natural DHT blocker and we can take it both orally and apply externally to arrest hair fall…
hi ramya,my hair is falling from the root i had my ceserian 4 years before can u pls say me the food to be intake for hairfall i mean diet chart with proper timing in between
hi ramya,i am feeling so much happy by seeing your blog. wow what a great knowledge that u have and thanks for sharing all these things with us. Ramya i have blackness around my mouth. how to solve this problem and now a days i am getting small white dots near by mouth also. i am getting tension. i consulted a doctor she said its not a problem and she gave some creams but those are not at all solved my problem . so can you suggest me any precaution to solve this problem plz
Hi. Is the amla powder from ” Dr Gitanjali’s organic bliss ” a good one ? Fresh amla is not available where I live. How much powder should I take and how to take it plz?