Amla

Indian Gooseberry · Emblica officinalis · Phyllanthus emblica · Amalaki

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Lipid profile^1–11 Fasting glucose¹ Endothelial function⁵ Systemic inflammation⁵ Oral hygiene^12–15 Female androgenetic alopecia¹⁶	Pregnancy or nursing¹⁷ Sedative medication use¹⁷

Amla (Indian gooseberry, Phyllanthus emblica) is a tannin-rich fruit central to Ayurveda, with antioxidant activity thought to drive its effects¹⁸. It is taken for cardiometabolic risk markers, including lipids, glucose, and vascular function, and for oral hygiene^{5, 6, 12}. Typical users are adults with metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes^{5, 6}.

An add-on trial in essential hypertension found no further blood pressure or lipid improvement³. Oral and hair findings come from single small randomized trials. In a 2026 salt-fed rat study, amla extract attenuated the rise in blood pressure and shifted gut microbiota; no human trial has tested the gut mechanism. Many products listing amla are sold as capsules, powders, and tea bags; see Form comparison.

Cautions center on additive antiplatelet effects: a 2014 crossover study found the extract lowered platelet aggregation and prolonged bleeding time alone and with clopidogrel or aspirin¹⁹. United States product labels carry pregnancy and nursing precautions that direct users to a physician first¹⁷.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

65 sources, 53 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources