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Amla

Supplement botanical immuneskin & hair
Aka: Indian gooseberry, Emblica officinalis, amalaki
Brands seen in Singapore: California Gold Nutrition, Organic India, Himalaya, Organic Traditions, Paradise Herbs
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
One small hair trial; most trials measured blood markers
Studied for
The pooled trials ran 14 to 84 days
Pros & cons
Pros
  • 9-RCT meta-analysis pooled 535 adults on 500-1,500 mg
  • A 12-week RCT raised the anagen-to-telogen hair ratio
  • Adverse events across four RCTS were all mild
Cons
  • Brown 2023: heterogeneous trials — read with caution
  • Acampado 2023: low certainty of evidence
  • NCCIH: some ayurvedic products carry lead or mercury
Sources
  1. Clinical effects of Emblica officinalis fruit consumption on cardiovascular disease risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Brown et al., BMC Complement Med Ther 2023) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “A total of nine RCTs (n = 535 participants) were included for review … with EO dosage ranging from 500 mg/day to 1500 mg/day, and treatment duration ranging from 14 to 84 days. … Due to statistical and clinical heterogeneity … should be interpreted with caution.”
  2. The Efficacy and Safety of Emblica officinalis Aqueous Fruit Extract among Adult Patients with Dyslipidemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (Acta Medica Philippina 2023) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “A total of four randomized trials (N = 227) were included … The intervention was well tolerated and adverse events reported in the three of four studies were all mild … based on low certainty of evidence.”
  3. The effect of an oral product containing Amla fruit (Phyllanthus emblica L.) on female androgenetic alopecia: a randomized controlled trial (Akhbari et al., J Ethnopharmacol 2024) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The intervention group received ten cc Amla syrup thrice a day for 12 weeks … the anagen-to-telogen ratio increased significantly in the intervention group compared with the group who received placebo … Further studies are needed”
  4. NCCIH — Ayurvedic Medicine: In Depth (What the Science Says About Safety) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Some Ayurvedic preparations may contain lead, mercury, or arsenic in amounts that can be toxic. … A 2015 published survey of people who use Ayurvedic preparations showed that 40 percent had elevated blood levels of lead”
  5. NCCIH — Ayurvedic Medicine: In Depth (If You Are Considering Ayurvedic Medicine) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “If you're pregnant or nursing, be sure to consult your (or your child's) health care provider as some Ayurvedic products may contain products that could be harmful.”
  6. HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines, Version 1 (Oct 2025), Annex A (72 rows) and Annex B (4 rows: caffeine, green tea extract, St John's wort, L-tryptophan) — read from the cached PDF text on disk · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list.”
  7. HSA — Health Supplements Guidelines, Rev. No. 020 (January 2026), Table 6: diseases/conditions not allowed for health supplements · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “HS must not be labelled, advertised or promoted for any specific medicinal purpose, i.e. treatment or prevention, implied or otherwise, of any disease or disorder, including its related conditions.”
  8. iHerb Singapore — Amla category (default order, 1 - 18 of 18 results) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “California Gold Nutrition, Total C Complex with … Amla Extract … Organic India, Amla Fruit Powder … Organic India, Amla, 90 Vegetarian Caps (500 mg per Capsule) … Himalaya, Organic Amla, 60 Caplets … Organic Traditions, Superfoods, Amla Berry Powder … Paradise Herbs, Amla (250 mg per Capsule)”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.