The Godly Physician Tree - Amla or Phyllanthus emblica

Indian Gooseberry

Perhaps of all trees, one that qualifies to be named as the godly physician tree is the Amla tree. It is also known as the Indian Gooseberry and its botanical name is Phyllanthus emblica. It is a pretty tree with its delicate foliage that grows well on the warm plains of South Asia. It is a truly precious gift of mother earth to mankind. This tree may not fruit well if grown as a single tree in a garden (some do though) or as several together in an orchard. However it will fruit very well if a grown in an orchard with about one fifth other trees spaced through the orchard or another fruit planted as every third row for ease of picking.  One may plant other fruit trees of a similar height for that.

Several parts of this tree including leaves have medicinal value but the most beneficial part are the fruits. It is a difficult fruit to eat raw because of its strong taste; however its taste improves in salted or sweet preserves. It is especially useful for conditions related with aging and it has been a component of many ancient Ayurvedic formulations designed to keep kings and sages active and alert even at an advanced age. However, in the modern age this author prefers to consume medicinal herbs individually rather than in mixed formulations because almighty greed of modern commercial interests may be a factor in the formula aside from beneficial medicinal value.

The best way to consume it as a medicine seems to be to dry it and use it’s powdered form dissolved in a little warm water.  A tea spoon a day appears sufficient although this author does not have full information on the best dosage. The fruit has been a subject of many modern medical studies that have verified many of the ancient Ayurvedic claims about this fruit. One reference is cited at the end of this note. Many more can be found on a google search. This is what wikipedia has to say about it:

“Indian gooseberry has undergone preliminary research, demonstrating in vitro antiviral and antimicrobial properties. There is preliminary evidence in vitro that its extracts induce apoptosis and modify gene expression in osteoclasts involved in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. It may prove to have potential activity against some cancers. One recent animal study found treatment with E. officinalis reduced severity of acute pancreatitis (induced by L-arginine in rats). It also promoted the spontaneous repair and regeneration process of the pancreas occurring after an acute attack. Experimental preparations of leaves, bark or fruit have shown potential efficacy against laboratory models of disease, such as for inflammation, cancer, age-related renal disease, and diabetes. A human pilot study demonstrated a reduction of blood cholesterol levels in both normal and hypercholesterolemic men with treatment. Another recent study with alloxan-induced diabetic rats given an aqueous amla fruit extract has shown significant decrease of the blood glucose, as well as triglyceridemic levels and an improvement of the liver function caused by a normalization of the liver-specific enzyme alanine transaminase activity.”

The original text includes several references and an interested researcher may wish to look up.

Sample Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25491539

Image from: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fruits_of_Phyllanthus_emblica_L._-_Flickr_-_lalithamba.jpg , this file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.



Comments

The information you are putting out for the world is really very useful and a great service to the world. Thank you for the same. May I ask what makes you go on when most of us spend most time pursuing our own self interests.
Ashok said…
Thank you Colonel. your words are appreciated. God has given me so much and met all my needs, and the time to do this therefore it is a real honor and pleasure if I can give something to the world to make it better for a few at least if not many. However, some of this information helps me too and I am the biggest gainer really. Thanks again.

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