Amla (Phyllanthus emblica), a traditional Ayurvedic herb whose name comes from the Sanskrit word Amalaka, is also known as Indian gooseberry. This tropical tree grows from 3-26ft high and produces small fruit that are light greenish-yellow, smooth and hard, with six vertical stripes. Amla fruit tastes sour, bitter and astringent.

Amla is highly nutritious and contains one of the most concentrated forms of vitamin C found in the plant kingdom. It also has high levels of iron, chromium, zinc and copper, and is high in dietary fiber and low in fat. Amla contains a high amount of ellagitannins as well as other polyphenols such as flavonoids, kaempferol, ellagic acid and gallic acid. Amla’s naturally-occurring tannins help to retain most of its nutritional content after drying.