Amla
Summary
Amla is the fruit of Phyllanthus emblica. In nine small trials, 500–1,500 mg/day of fruit or extract modestly lowered LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and CRP (grade C), and one add-on trial lowered blood pressure. Most trials were short and small and used different products. Amla also reduced platelet aggregation.
Key facts
- LDL about 15 mg/dL lower than placebo across 9 RCTs (535 people), with high heterogeneity[1]
- As an add-on to medicines, 1,500 mg/day lowered systolic pressure 15.6% vs 6.3% with placebo over 8 weeks[5]
- 500 mg reduced platelet aggregation alone and with clopidogrel or aspirin in a 10-person crossover[7][8]
- 500–1,500 mg/day of fruit or extract for 2–12 weeks[1]
- Five RCTs pooled showed lower CRP, fasting glucose, LDL, total cholesterol and triglycerides and higher HDL[2]
- 5 graded human outcomes on this page
- October 13, 2026
How it works
ProposedAmla is rich in hydrolyzable tannins (such as emblicanins) and vitamin C. Trial authors propose antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on blood vessels and lipid metabolism; the mechanism in people is not established.[6][7]
What the human research says
Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form column shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
At a glance: strongest evidence per outcome
| Outcome | Grade | Effect | Strongest evidence | Rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cholesterol | Grade C | Improved | Meta-analysis of 9 trials · n = 535 · 2023 | 2 rows |
| Blood pressure | Grade C | Improved | RCT · n = 81 · 2020 | 1 row |
| Endothelial function | Grade D | Improved | RCT · n = 80 · 2013 | 2 rows |
Every graded row
| Outcome | Effect | Grade | Best evidence | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and hsCRP | Improved | Grade C | Meta-analysis · n = 535 · 2023 Adults in 9 RCTs (healthy, dyslipidemia, diabetes and other groups) Form: Amla fruit or fruit extract · Dose: 500–1,500 mg/day · Duration: 14–84 days LDL fell 15.1 mg/dL, triglycerides 22.4 mg/dL and hsCRP 1.7 mg/L vs placebo. Heterogeneity was high and prediction intervals crossed zero for LDL and triglycerides. | 37296402 (opens PubMed)Source [1] |
| Lipids in dyslipidemia | Improved | Grade C | RCT · n = 98 · 2019 Adults with dyslipidemia (India, multicenter) Form: Amla fruit extract · Dose: 500 mg twice daily (1,000 mg/day) · Duration: 12 weeks Total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and VLDL were significantly lower than placebo; the atherogenic index fell 39%. CoQ10 did not change. | 30670010 (opens PubMed)Source [3] |
| Blood pressure as add-on to blood pressure medicines | Improved | Grade C | RCT · n = 81 · 2020 Adults with uncontrolled hypertension on standard drugs (Iran) Form: Amla (Emblica officinalis) · Dose: 500 mg three times daily (1,500 mg/day) · Duration: 8 weeks Systolic pressure fell 15.6% vs 6.3% with placebo and diastolic 12.3% vs 3.9% (both P<0.001). No side effects were reported. | 33082832 (opens PubMed)Source [5] |
| Endothelial function and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 80 · 2013 Adults with type 2 diabetes (India) Form: Aqueous amla extract standardized to hydrolyzable tannins · Dose: 250 mg or 500 mg twice daily · Duration: 12 weeks Both amla doses improved the reflection index (endothelial function) from baseline, similar to atorvastatin 10 mg; oxidative stress markers, hsCRP, lipids and HbA1c improved versus baseline and placebo. | 23935377 (opens PubMed)Source [6] |
| Blood fluidity, endothelial markers and lipids in healthy adults | Improved | Grade D | Crossover RCT · n = 15 · 2020 Healthy adults (Japan) Form: Amla extract · Dose: 500 mg/day · Duration: 18-week crossover study Blood fluidity improved, von Willebrand factor and an oxidative DNA marker fell, HDL rose and LDL fell. No adverse events or liver changes. | 31890983 (opens PubMed)Source [4] |
Forms
| Form | Elemental % | Absorption (human data) | GI tolerance | Studied for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standardized amla fruit extract capsules | Varies[1] | No head-to-head human absorption data.[1] | Well tolerated in the cited trials; no liver, kidney or blood-count changes in a 12-week diabetes trial or an 18-week crossover.[4][6] | Lipid, blood pressure and endothelial trials (500–1,500 mg/day) |
| Dried amla fruit powder | Varies[1] | No head-to-head human absorption data.[1] | Included among the fruit preparations in the 9-trial meta-analysis; tolerance was not summarized in its abstract.[1] | Cardiovascular risk-factor trials |
Studied doses
Doses studied in human trials ranged from 500 mg/day to 1,500 mg/day of amla fruit or extract, for 14 days up to 12 weeks in most trials and 18 weeks in one crossover.[1][3][4][5]
Interactions
Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.
Who should be careful
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.
How to read the label
- Label dose vs studied doseTrials used 500 mg once to three times daily of fruit or extract; extracts were standardized differently, so mg are not directly comparable between products.[1][3][5][6]
- StandardizationOne diabetes trial used an extract standardized to hydrolyzable tannins (emblicanin A and B, pedunculagin, punigluconin).[6]
Cost per studied dose, without the sales pitch
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Cost per studied dose
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Frequently asked questions
Does amla lower cholesterol?
Modestly in small trials. Pooled across 9 RCTs, LDL fell about 15 mg/dL and triglycerides about 22 mg/dL versus placebo, but results varied widely.[1]
Does amla lower blood pressure?
One 8-week trial in 81 people with uncontrolled hypertension found 1,500 mg/day added to medicines lowered systolic pressure 15.6% vs 6.3% with placebo.[5]
Does amla help blood sugar?
In a 12-week trial in type 2 diabetes, 250–500 mg twice daily improved HbA1c and lipids versus placebo and endothelial function from baseline; a 5-trial meta-analysis also found lower fasting glucose.[2][6]
Is amla safe with blood thinners?
Amla extract reduced platelet aggregation and lengthened bleeding time, including when combined with clopidogrel or aspirin, in a 10-person study.[7]
How much amla was used in studies?
Trials used 500–1,500 mg/day of fruit or extract, usually for 2–12 weeks.[1]
Sources
- [1]Clinical effects of Emblica officinalis fruit consumption on cardiovascular disease risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.. BMC Complement Med Ther, 2023. meta-analysis
- [2]The impact of Emblica Officinalis (Amla) on lipid profile, glucose, and C-reactive protein: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.. Diabetes Metab Syndr, 2023. meta-analysis
- [3]A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, multicenter clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of Emblica officinalis extract in patients with dyslipidemia.. BMC Complement Altern Med, 2019. RCT
- [4]Clinical evaluation of Emblica Officinalis Gatertn (Amla) in healthy human subjects: Health benefits and safety results from a randomized, double-blind, crossover placebo-controlled study.. Contemp Clin Trials Commun, 2020. crossover-RCT
- [5]A Randomized, Triple-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Add-On Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of Emblica officinalis in Uncontrolled Hypertension.. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2020. RCT
- [6]Effects of Phyllanthus emblica extract on endothelial dysfunction and biomarkers of oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, double-blind, controlled study.. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes, 2013. RCT
- [7]Study of pharmacodynamic interaction of Phyllanthus emblica extract with clopidogrel and ecosprin in patients with type II diabetes mellitus.. Phytomedicine, 2014. crossover-RCT
- [8]Supplementation of a standardized extract from Phyllanthus emblica improves cardiovascular risk factors and platelet aggregation in overweight/class-1 obese adults.. J Med Food, 2015. open-label
What changed
- First draft. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title and year taken from the record) and abstracts read for the cited rows. Abstracts read for all 8 PMIDs. Page set indexable.