Amla The Indian Gooseberry Nutritional Value | Bright Bite Facts

Raw Indian gooseberry packs high vitamin C with light calories, and nutrient density shifts with ripeness and preparation.

Why This Tart Fruit Punches Above Its Weight

Amla is tough and sour, yet packed with water-soluble antioxidants and tannins that stand up better than many fruits during storage. The standout is ascorbic acid. Multiple lab datasets report wide swings across varieties and post-harvest handling, which is why you’ll see ranges rather than a single fixed figure. The upshot: even at the low end, one modest serving can meet a day’s vitamin C needs.

Calories stay light. Most raw samples sit in the low-to-mid double digits per 100 grams, while fiber runs a few grams thanks to pectin and cell-wall roughage. Carbohydrates skew toward simple sugars balanced by organic acids, so the taste reads sharp, not cloying. Sodium stays minimal unless pickled. Protein and fat are trace.

Indian Gooseberry Nutrition Facts And Values

This section pulls together credible ranges per 100 grams and what those numbers mean in day-to-day meals. Values vary by cultivar, soil, season, and processing. Where data diverge, the span is cited and the driver is noted.

Nutrient	Typical Range	What It Means
Energy	36–60 kcal	Light for fruit; easy to add to meals without pushing daily energy up.
Carbohydrate	8–14 g	Mostly sugars plus organic acids; sweetness feels muted.
Dietary Fiber	3–5 g	Roughage from skin and pulp supports regularity.
Protein	0.5–1.0 g	Trace amounts; not a protein source.
Total Fat	0.1–0.6 g	Negligible fat.
Vitamin C	370–1300 mg	High enough that even 20–30 g can meet daily targets.
Vitamin A (Carotenoids)	Low	Present in small amounts; color stays pale-green.
B-Vitamins	Trace	Thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin appear at low levels.
Potassium	150–200 mg	Mild contribution toward daily needs.
Calcium	20–50 mg	Pickled versions may add more from brine.
Polyphenols	Rich	Gallotannins add the drying finish and stable antioxidant capacity.

How Portion Size Translates To Real Plates

One fruit weighs roughly 40–60 grams after trimming seeds. Two fruits land close to a small “half-cup” serving. In chutney or pickle, a tablespoon or two can flavor a plate. Dried strips and candies shrink the weight and push sugars up if sweetened.

Vitamin C needs in adults land near 75–90 mg per day, with higher needs in smokers. That’s why even a few raw wedges can be enough on a typical day (NIH ODS vitamin C RDA). Heat, slicing, and soaking chip away at ascorbic acid, so quick handling helps when that’s your goal.

Where The Numbers Come From And Why They Shift

Published datasets don’t agree on one fixed line for this fruit. Field collections, storage time, altitude, and the cultivar list—Krishna, Banarasi, Chakaiya, NA-7, and NA-10 among others—change the profile. Peer-reviewed work reports a wide span for ascorbic acid, from the high-300s up to more than a gram per 100 grams in certain samples. Energy ranges cluster low because water makes up most of the fresh weight.

That variation isn’t a problem for daily eating. When the goal is a reliable hit of vitamin C, use fresh wedges or quick chutneys. When you’re chasing flavor, pickles and candies shine, with the trade-off of extra salt or sugar.

Smart Ways To Prep For Nutrition

Raw Wedges

Wash, slice around the seed, and fan the wedges. A quick toss with salt, red chile, and a drop of mustard oil turns it into a bright side. This route keeps the most heat-sensitive nutrients intact.

Quick Chutney

Pulse raw wedges with green chile, coriander, and ginger. Temper with a splash of hot oil and mustard seeds. Short contact with heat keeps more ascorbic acid compared with long simmering.

Lightly Cooked Curry

Sweat onion, add tomato, then fold in sliced fruit near the end. A few minutes is enough. Longer simmering softens the edges and trims vitamin C.

Pickles, Powders, And Sweets

Pickles bring the bite down and add shelf life. Brines add sodium. Oils add calories. Sun-drying or warm-air dehydration can keep much of the acid content if temperatures stay modest. Candies and murabba lean sweet, so watch portion sizes when you’re tracking sugars.

How This Fruit Supports Daily Eating

Immune Function And Collagen

Ascorbic acid helps build collagen and supports normal immune function. It also increases iron uptake from plant foods when you pair it with pulses and greens. That’s a practical way to nudge non-heme iron absorption at lunch or dinner.

Antioxidant Compounds Beyond Vitamin C

Tannins and other polyphenols survive storage better than many labile vitamins. They’re part of the puckery feel and may explain why dried powder still tastes sharp. You get flavor, not just numbers.

Digestive Friendliness

The fruit’s fiber isn’t high, yet it’s enough to add texture. Pickles can spark appetite, which is why small servings often sit beside dal, sabzi, and rice.

Shopping And Storage Tips

What To Buy

Choose firm, pale-green fruits without bruises. If you’re buying powder, pick sealed pouches from a brand that lists batch numbers and dates. Skip sticky, clumped bags.

How To Store

Fresh fruit lasts a week in the fridge crisper. Keep it dry. For wedges, a squeeze of lime slows browning. Powder keeps months in a cool, dark cabinet with the zipper closed tight.

Table Of Common Forms And Approximate Nutrition

Form	Typical Vitamin C	Notes
Raw wedges, 50 g	180–300 mg	Fast prep; pair with lentils for better iron uptake.
Quick chutney, 2 tbsp	60–120 mg	Short heat keeps more ascorbic acid than long cooking.
Pickle, 1 tbsp	20–80 mg	Sodium rises; flavor pops.
Dried strips, 15 g	150–250 mg	Check labels; sugar varies widely.
Powder, 5 g	200–400 mg	Stir into lassi or smoothies after blending.

Safety, Sensitivities, And Practical Limits

Whole fruit is food, not a supplement. Most healthy adults can enjoy it freely in typical portions. If you’re prone to kidney stones, large supplemental doses of vitamin C aren’t a great bet. Food servings are small compared with megadose pills. For context on daily needs, see the NIH ODS overview. For broader meal patterns, India’s nutrition agency lays out balance in the Dietary Guidelines for Indians.

Method Notes And Sources

Ranges above synthesize peer-reviewed lab work on Phyllanthus emblica and national guidance. A recent pharmacology review places vitamin C between 600 and 1300 mg per 100 g across cultivars and processing. Variety studies from Indian labs often land in the 370–630 mg per 100 g band. Energy and fiber cluster low compared with many fruits, so a few bites go a long way without loading extra calories.

When you need more precision for a specific package or brand, defer to the label on your product. For market fruit, batch testing explains the spread. Gentle prep helps preserve labile nutrients. Salt and sugar change the profile more than anything else you’ll do in the kitchen.