Traditional use
A primary rasayana in Ayurveda and the principal ingredient of chyawanprash. Used as a daily tonic rather than for a specific complaint, and traditionally associated with hair, digestion and general vitality.
Why brands use it
Amla has close to universal recognition in India and needs no category education whatsoever. It is also the cheapest juice and churna to produce, which makes it a reliable entry SKU, though for the same reason it is a commodity sold on price, so it works better as an acquisition product than a margin one.
Quality and specification
Shade-dried material retains more vitamin C than heat-dried, and the processing method is one of very few checkable differentiators in a single-ingredient product. For juices, whether the product is pressed or reconstituted from concentrate is the other.
Safety and cautions
Very well tolerated. Its sourness may aggravate acidity in some people when taken on an empty stomach. High vitamin C intake can affect some laboratory tests.
