Modern research is now confirming that Amla can treat serious intestinal disorders.
Amla has already received clinical testing over the centuries. This comes in the form of documented clinical use among huge populations of people for thousands of years. Amla as a medicine dates back at least 5,000 years within Asia.
Now clinical research confirms the prescriptive use of this ancient use has been medically responsible.
Amla tested in clinical research
In a 2017 study, researchers from Malaysia’s University of Sains divided 30 gastrointestinal patients into three groups. One group was given a placebo. Another group was given 40 milligrams per day of the pharmaceutical omeprazole – often prescribed for gastrointestinal issues in conventional medicine.
The third group was given 500 milligrams a day of Amla. The patients were tested for 14 days.
At the beginning and the end of the two-week period, the researchers examined each of the patients. The doctors utilized endoscopic imaging to examine the intestinal health of each of the patients. They also gave each patient a questionnaire to record their symptoms and potential side effects. The questionnaires rated and gauged the pain and potential relief of intestinal pain.
The study results found the Amlaki significantly reduced pain and vomiting among the patients. The patients also reported improved sleep and improvements in other symptoms.
In addition, the endoscopic imaging found a dramatic improvement in the health of the intestinal wall mucosa for those taking the Amla. The researchers point out that the damage to the intestinal mucosal lining was significantly improved among the Amla group.
This is a critical point, because healing the intestinal mucosa means that Amla should provide protection against an issue called increased intestinal permeability – referred to by many as leaky gut syndrome.
The researchers confirmed this effect, as they concluded:
“Taken together these findings indicate that the ethanolic extract of P. emblica fruits has gastroprotective effects in humans and justifies its traditional use.”
The term gastroprotective means that it helps protect our intestinal wall mucosa.
A review of research from India’s Moti Lal Nehru Medical College found that Amla is anti-inflammatory and stimulates the immune system. They also found that Amla promotes wound healing, liver healing and inflammatory issues.
Triphala research confirms effects
Triphala is a combination of Amlaki together with Terminalia bellerica (Bibhitaki) and Terminalia chebula (Haritaki). These three medicinal fruits together contain a significant quantity of healing constituents. As a result, Triphala has been prescribed to millions of people over thousands of years of Ayurveda.
A 2006 clinical study tested 160 people with gastrointestinal difficulties. They were split into four groups. One group was given a placebo, and the other patients were given one of three slightly different Triphala formulations. All were tested over a 45-day period.
The researchers found those who were given the Triphala formulations had significantly better symptoms at the end of the 45-day period. The researchers found the Triphala patients had improvements in intestinal pain, appetite and hyperacidity.
The combination of these and other studies prove the effectiveness of this Ayurveda formula Triphala, as well as on of the pillars of this formula, Amla or Amlaki.
REFERENCES:
Zafar Iqbal, Muhammad Asif, Naveed Aslam, Naveed Akhtar, Mohd Zaini Asmawi, Yam Mun Fei, Qaiser Jabeen. Clinical investigations on gastroprotective effects of ethanolic extract of Phyllanthus emblica Linn fruits. In Journal of Herbal Medicine, Volume 7, 2017, Pages 11-17, ISSN 2210-8033.
Yadav SS, Singh MK, Singh PK, Kumar V. Traditional knowledge to clinical trials: A review on therapeutic actions of Emblica officinalis. Biomed Pharmacother. 2017 Sep;93:1292-1302. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.07.065.
Pulok K, Mukherjee SR, Bhattacharyya S, et al. Clinical study of ‘Triphala’—A well known phytomedicine from India. Iran J Pharmacol Ther 2005;5:51–54.