Gooseberry (Amla) Benefits To Boost Kids Immunity: Amla or Indian gooseberry is native to India and Nepal. This ayurvedic wonder is a light green succulent fruit and derives its name from the Sanskrit word Amlaki meaning the ‘sustainer’. Gooseberry(Amla) is well-known for its unique health benefit due to the presence of Vitamin C. This fruit has antioxidant properties and is excellent for your child too. Adding Amla to your kids daily diet can help your child not only develop a strong immunity but it has various other benefits related digestion, skin and others which will help your child build a healthy body for years to come. One Amla contains 300 mg of vitamin C. That is ten times your child’s daily requirement of about 40mg per day.
1 cup (150 grams) of gooseberries contains :
Calories: 66
Protein: 1 gram
Fat: less than 1 gram
Carbs: 15 grams
Fibre: 7 grams
Vitamin C: 46%
Vitamin B5: 9%
Vitamin B6: 7%
Copper: 12%
Manganese: 9%
Potassium: 6%
Importance of Gooseberry (Amla) Benefits In your Kids Diet:
- Fights Against Infections: Amla is rich in Vitamin C and thus helps in improving the defence mechanism of the body to improve the body’s resistance to common infections like cold and flu. These tangy a natural source of Vitamin C, and when included in your child’s diet, they help in improving the body’s resistance.
- Helps to Ease Constipation: Amla has natural laxative properties to provide relief from constipation. It is an excellent source of fiber and promotes good digestion and healthy bowel movements. Regular consumption of Amla can help in making the intestinal tracts thoroughly clean
- Builds Immunity: Its antibacterial properties help to build better immunity and the astringent characteristics of the fruits help to build up the body’s immune system – making your child healthier
- Boosts Appetite: Have a child who does not wish to eat? Include just a few Indian gooseberries in your child’s diet, along with some butter or honey, and watch your child feel the urge to eat. Amla also helps in gaining weight in children
- Prevents Anaemia: To improve your child’s blood iron levels, make Amla a regular part of his diet. Amla is abundant in iron and can effectively fight anemia in children
- Fights-free Radicals: Its powerful anti-oxidant properties help to fight against free radicals that are responsible for the development of different types of cancers and cell degeneration
- Good for Skin: It is good for the skin too as it can help clear out pimples and acne caused due to impure blood. Amla juice with honey purifies the blood and makes the skin clear and glowing
- Good for the Brain & Improves Memory: Chyawanprash nourishes the brain cells and enhances co-ordination and memory power. The tonic is good for students as it increases retention and recall
- Helps in Getting Nutrients from Food: Amla enhances food absorption and thus helps to assimilate the nutrients of the food that one eats. This further helps in eliminating toxins from the body, keeping the child in optimum health
- Amla Is Great for The Hair: Amla oil nourishes the hair roots, promotes hair growth and is believed to prevent premature greying. Regular massage with Amla oil is also believed to help with dandruff and itchy scalp, two common conditions that plague a child’s hair
- Good for Liver Health: The liver assumes a lot of importance when it comes to our overall health. Amla improves liver functioning and is believed to improve the functions of the heart and strengthen the lungs, thereby making one healthier
Ways to include Gooseberry (Amla) Benefits in Kids Diet:
There are many ways to introduce this wonderful fruit in your child’s diet, and once your child develops a taste for it, you will notice a clear improvement in your child’s overall health :
- Use Amla to make chutneys.
- Grate and mix with honey to make a preserve. Or make the traditional Murrabba (grated Amla with jaggery). Spread it like jam on bread or Parantha.
- Include Amla in a fresh fruit juice.
- Add grated Amla to dips, sauces, raita, salad to add some zing.
- Toss finely chopped Amla with mild spices to make a tangy pickle.
- Add finely chopped Amla to dals to add a tangy flavour.