The amla fruit, also known as the Indian gooseberry, comes from a small tree that grows throughout India. The tree is worshipped as "Mother Nature" due to its nourishing fruit. The fruit is one of the highest natural sources of vitamin C, and it yields oil that has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine to treat the hair and scalp. Amla is one of the most often used herb in Indian ayurveda. It has a reputation as a powerful rejuvenating herb. Amla possesses the highest level of heat and storage stable vitamin C known to man. Amla is worshipped as an auspicious fruit from the ancient time and respected as a symbol of good health. The festival Amla Navami is celebrated at the beginning of winter season of Hindu calendar, where Amla tree are socially and religiously propagated among people and cultivated for promotion of good health. Amla is highly nutritious and is an important dietary source of Vitamin C, minerals and amino acids. The edible fruit tissue contains protein concentration 3-fold and ascorbic acid concentration 160-fold compared to that of the apple. The fruit also contains considerably higher concentration of most minerals and amino acids than apples. Glutamic, lysine, alanine acid, proline, and aspartic acid are 30%, 5.3% 15.6%, 5.3% and 9.1%, respectively of the whole amino acids.
