Amla delivers dense vitamin C, modest calories, and helpful fiber; exact numbers vary by serving and processing.
Small Bite
Standard 100 g
Dry Basis
Raw & Fresh
- Slice and salt; snack
- Grate into salads
- Blend quick chutney
Max C
Quick Heat
- Add late to stir-fries
- Toss off-heat in dal
- Brief pickle, cool fast
Good retention
Powder & Candy
- 2–5 g in yogurt or water
- Check added sugar on packs
- Sip water after sticky candy
Convenience
Nutrition Value Of Amla: Serving-By-Serving
Think of this fruit as a sour, crunchy booster. Energy stays low, fiber shows up, and the standout is ascorbic acid. Reported lab values vary by cultivar, ripeness, and processing, so a range makes sense.
| Serving | Calories (kcal) | Vitamin C (mg) |
|---|---|---|
| One fruit (≈35 g) | ≈20 | ≈210 |
| 100 g fresh pulp | ≈58 | ≈600 (200–900 range) |
| 10 g dehydrated powder | ≈30 | ≈170 |
| 150 ml fresh juice | ≈45 | variable; processing lowers C |
Why does the range appear so wide? The fruit’s polyphenols and tannins help stabilize ascorbic acid, yet heat, storage, and soaking still trim totals. Reviews and Indian lab datasets report 200–900 mg per 100 g fresh pulp, while dry pulp can exceed 1,600 mg per 100 g on a dry basis. Those spans come from measured samples, not marketing claims.
What The Numbers Mean Day To Day
A single piece already covers the daily ascorbic acid target for most adults. The NIH sets 90 mg for men and 75 mg for women, with 120 mg in lactation. Smokers need 35 mg more. That’s why cooks grate a little into kachumber or stir a spoon of powder into lassi; small amounts go a long way.
Calories stay low. A 100 g bowl sits near the mid-50s, which suits light snacks. Carbs land mostly as natural sugars with some organic acids. Fiber sits in the 3–5 g band, helpful for fullness and gut comfort.
Minerals show up in modest traces: calcium near 50 mg per 100 g, iron around 1.2 mg, plus tiny bits of magnesium and phosphorus. Carotenoids and B-vitamins appear in small amounts. None of these justify megadoses; the halo here is still vitamin C.
Forms, Prep, And Practical Uses
Fresh Fruit
Peak intensity and crunch. Slice, salt, and eat. Grate into salads. Blitz with coriander, green chilli, and ginger for a fast chutney. If the bite feels too sharp, blanch for 30 seconds and chill; snap stays, sting softens.
Powder
Drying concentrates nutrients by removing water, which raises ascorbic acid per gram. Check labels for added sugar or anti-caking agents. Start with 2–5 g at a time in water, smoothies, or yogurt. If you take iron, space your powder dose with meals that carry legumes or greens for better absorption.
Juice And Candy
Pressed juice brings speed, but heat and storage can trim C. Sweet candies travel well, yet sugar climbs fast. Pick plain dry candy when possible and sip water after sticky bites to protect teeth.
Cooking And Retention Tips
Keep Heat Short
Ascorbic acid is water-soluble and sensitive to long cooks. Short stir-fries or late-stage add-ins help. Pickle with a brief simmer, then pack in clean jars.
Mind The Water
Soaking pulls vitamin C into the liquid. If you soak or blanch, use the liquid in dals or soups so the good stuff stays on the plate.
Store With Care
Chill fresh fruit and use inside a few days. Keep powder sealed, dark, and dry. Air and light nudge losses over time.
Trusted Ranges And Why Labels Differ
Not every sample reads the same. Values swing with cultivar, soil, ripeness, and handling. Indian composition tables place this fruit near the top for ascorbic acid, and peer-reviewed work tracks high readings in dehydrated pulp as well. A modern paper on the polyphenol profile describes how tannins and acids can help preserve C in the matrix during short heat, which explains why quick pickles still test well.
When you see brand labels with lower numbers, two things tend to be at play: longer heat or long storage. Juice that sits warm loses C each day. Freeze-dried powder in a sealed pouch holds up better. If a pack lists only a percent daily value, you can back-solve to milligrams using the adult RDA listed by the NIH.
How Amla Compares To Everyday Fruits
Most common fruits land far lower on ascorbic acid per 100 g. Oranges sit near 53 mg, guava around 228 mg, while this tart berry often clocks several times higher in lab tests. That gap explains why small amounts change a meal’s nutrition profile fast.
| Fruit | Typical Vitamin C (mg/100 g) | Quick Note |
|---|---|---|
| Amla (fresh pulp) | 200–900 | wide span across samples |
| Guava | ≈228 | sweet-tart and dense |
| Orange | ≈53 | common reference point |
If you track daily intake, anchor plans to the RDA from a trusted source. See the NIH reference for age- and condition-based targets and the tolerable upper level at 2,000 mg per day for adults. Those numbers help set smart portion sizes.
Polyphenols, Fiber, And The Feel Factor
This berry isn’t just about one vitamin. It carries tannins, gallic acid, ellagic acid, and flavonols that pair with fiber. That mix shapes the sour-astringent bite and the light fullness you feel after a small serving. Review papers also track antioxidant assays in pulp and skin; high scores show up alongside the vitamin.
Who Might Take It Easy
Large doses can upset a sensitive gut. Start small. People on warfarin or diabetes drugs should check with a clinician before using concentrated powders or extracts. If you have kidney stones, ask about total vitamin C from food, powders, and tablets across the day.
Buying Smart
Fresh
Pick firm, bright green fruit without dark patches. Smaller fruit often tastes sharper. Seasonal peaks arrive in late autumn and winter in South Asia.
Powders And Packaged Goods
Scan the ingredient list. Single-ingredient powders keep things simple. If sugar shows up early on the list in candy or murabba, treat it like a dessert.
Portion Guide For Real Life
Breakfast: oats with yogurt and 2 g powder. Lunch: a handful of cucumber and onion kachumber with grated amla added at the end. Tea time: a few slices with chaat masala. Dinner: greens or dal finished with a spoon of chopped fruit after cooking. That layout spreads intake through the day and trims loss from heat.
Active days need steady antioxidants from meals, not megadoses. Pair small servings with meals that carry beans, lentils, and greens. The mix brings iron, folate, and plant protein alongside your C source.
Methods And Sources
Numbers in this guide come from Indian food composition datasets and peer-reviewed papers. The IFCT release describes the sampling and measurement approach for national values, while modern reviews summarize ranges measured across cultivars and processing states. For daily targets and safe upper limits, the NIH fact sheet is the easiest starting point. Links appear above and below.
To double-check a target, you can cross-reference the vitamin C RDA on the NIH fact sheet, then match your plans to servings listed earlier. That simple pairing keeps intake steady without chasing pills.