CLAIM:

Amla (Indian Gooseberry) is Ayurveda’s most powerful medicine against Diabetes

FACT:

Multiple studies have shown that Amla can in fact help control one's blood sugar levels

A First Check reader recently shared an Instagram reel with us on our WhatsApp tipline, where the user is seen promoting the Indian Gooseberry (Amla Berry) as a potent medicine for Diabetes.

The video was shared by a user named salila.ayurveda, who has about 185,000 followers on Instagram and regularly shares "ayurveda healing tips."

 

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“This little unassuming berry is Ayurveda’s most powerful medicine against Diabetes," says the woman who identifies herself as Salila, an Ayurveda practitioner based in California who is currently studying in India.

"In Sanskrit, amla is Amrita Phala. Amrita means the elixir of immortality. Another interesting synonym is Dhatri; Dhatri means mother. The medicine that heals us with the love of a mother. Amla is Ayurveda’s, perhaps most researched. Ah, one of the best ways to take Amla is raw first thing in the morning. Simply chew on an entire Amla berry. Be careful though this might cause a sudden drop in your sugar levels,” she says in the video that has close to a million views and over 22,000 likes.

Social media is rife with similar claims made by advocates of alternative medicine, about how simple household products can be used to treat illnesses and diseases; however, not all these are evidence-based and clinically proven to be effective. Team First Check therefore undertook an investigation of the medicinal claims around the Indian Gooseberry, especially those pertaining to Diabetes.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by increased blood glucose levels before and after meals. Individuals with both Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes are afflicted by the presence of excessive glucose (hyperglycemia) in their blood. Insulin-resistant or Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) occurs when Insulin is available in the body but its action is insufficient i.e. the cells exhibit insulin resistance (IR).

So does Amla help controlling diabetes?

Amla is widely used in Ayurveda to treat a myriad of illnesses and diseases. The health benefits of consuming Amla have so far been attributed to certain bioactive compounds called phytochemicals and to the Vitamin C content of the fruit. Together, these offer protection to those that consume it against oxidative damage caused by environmental toxins and by the body’s metabolic processes.

Further, multiple studies have shown that Amla can in fact help control one's blood sugar levels. According to a research study titled, 'Effect of Amla, an Approach towards the Control of Diabetes Mellitus,' Amla's Vitamin C rich composition has led to it being used in the treatment of diabetes.

"[Amla] is rich in chromium, which makes it very beneficial for diabetes... It is also known to stimulate the isolated group of cells that secrete the hormone insulin. This decreases the blood sugar," it added.

Also read: FACT CHECK: What are the health benefits of consuming Amla? - First Check