Emblica officinalis the Indian gooseberry, or Amla from Sanskrit ‘Amalaki’, is the fruit of a deciduous tree of belonging to family Phyllanthaceae. The tree is small to medium in size, with a crooked trunk and spreading branches, the leaves are simple, subsessile and closely set along branchlets, light green, resembling pinnate leaves. The flowers are greenish-yellow. The fruit is nearly spherical, light greenish yellow, quite smooth and hard on appearance, with six vertical stripes or furrows. It is also one of the best anti-oxidants and free radical scavenger among the herbs described in Ayurveda. It falls under the Rasayana category which means the herbs for general well being and maintenance of the physiology. It is used as a single herb and in numerous combinations of Ayurvedic medicines including the Brahma Rasayana and the Chavanprash. It is also given the Sanskrit name ‘Amrita’ and ‘Dhatri’ meaning immortal and maintainer of life, for its rejuvenating properties.
