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Amalaki Rasayana

Amalaki Rasayana is a classical Ayurvedic rasayana, a rejuvenative preparation.

Key facts
Also known asAmalaki Rasayana, AmalakiRasayana
Pharmacopoeia statusAmalaki has a monograph in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API). Amalaki Rasayana is described in Charaka Samhita as an official Rasayana preparation. Pharmacognostic and phytochemical analyses of it have been published.

The evidence at a glance

10papers on this site for this drug, published 2015 to 2026, every one with a DOI.

  • 1Randomised controlled trials
  • 9Laboratory and animal studies

A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishAmalaki Rasayana

Key Ingredients

  • Amalaki (Phyllanthus emblica / Indian gooseberry) - primary ingredient
  • Ghrita (cow ghee)
  • Madhu (honey)
  • Ratio: Amalaki powder : Ghee : Honey = 2:1:4

Where is it described in the classical texts?

Charaka Samhita Chikitsa Sthana (Rasayana Adhyaya) - described as Vayasthapana Rasayana; Ashtanga Hridayam - designated as foremost among all Rasayana plants

How does it work?

  • High vitamin C content enhances neutrophil function and collagen synthesis, supporting immune defense and tissue repair
  • Tannin complexes slow reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, providing potent antioxidant cellular protection
  • Flavonoid glycosides influence cellular pathways related to inflammation, apoptosis, and cell proliferation
  • Telomerase activation prevents erosion of telomeres in aged individuals, potentially slowing cellular aging
  • DNA strand break repair maintained stably through enhanced nucleotide excision and base excision repair mechanisms

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.

  • Vayasthapana (anti-aging/rejuvenation): traditionally used for rejuvenation. A clinical study in humans reported telomerase activation and maintenance of telomere length.
  • Hridya (cardioprotective): traditionally used for the heart. A study in a hypertrophy model reported improved cardiac mitochondrial function and contractile performance.
  • Rasayana (comprehensive rejuvenation): used in classical practice for rejuvenation. A review has reported antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-aging activity.
  • DNA repair and cellular protection: a clinical study reported maintained DNA strand break repair in aged individuals.

What do recent studies show?

Only studies that could be traced to a published paper are listed here. Classical formulations are researched largely in journals that PubMed does not index, so an absence here reflects the reach of the index rather than the state of the evidence.

Recent safety updates

  • A clinical study of 720 participants (686 completed) reported good tolerability in an elderly population
  • Mild acidity or loose stools possible in Pitta-predominant individuals; take with milk to mitigate
  • Honey component should not be heated; classical preparation methods ensure honey is added after cooling

What is it made of?

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Rasayana/Avaleha (semi-solid), Churna (powder), Capsules (modern), Tablets (modern)

Standard Dosage: 3-6 g twice daily or 10-20 g as Avaleha.

Optimal Timing: Early morning on empty stomach and/or at bedtime

Storage: Store in airtight amber glass or HDPE containers in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Temperature not exceeding 25°C.

Marker Compounds: Ascorbic acid, Gallic acid, Ellagic acid, Emblicanin A, Emblicanin B

Vehicle (Anupana): Warm milk or honey

Synergistic Combinations

Published research

Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.

Randomised controlled trials1

  1. Vishwanatha U, Guruprasad KP, Gopinath PM and others. 2016. Effect of Amalaki rasayana on DNA damage and repair in randomized aged human individualsJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 27364038 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2016.06.062

Laboratory and animal studies9

  1. Guruprasad KP, Dash S, Shivakumar MB and others. 2017. Influence of Amalaki Rasayana on telomerase activity and telomere length in human blood mononuclear cellsJournal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine. PMID 28602428 · doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2017.01.007
  2. Kumar V, Aneesh KA, Kshemada K and others. 2017. Amalaki rasayana, a traditional Indian drug enhances cardiac mitochondrial and contractile functions and improves cardiac function in rats with hypertrophyScientific reports. PMID 28819266 · doi:10.1038/s41598-017-09225-x
  3. Kumar V, Kumar AA, Joseph V and others. 2020. Untargeted metabolomics reveals alterations in metabolites of lipid metabolism and immune pathways in the serum of rats after long-term oral administration of Amalaki rasayanaMolecular and cellular biochemistry. PMID 31595424 · doi:10.1007/s11010-019-03637-1
  4. Tiwari V, Saba K, Veeraiah P and others. 2017. Amalaki Rasayana improved memory and neuronal metabolic activity in AbPP-PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer's diseaseJournal of biosciences. PMID 29358550 · doi:10.1007/s12038-017-9692-7
  5. Layeeq S, Thakar AB. 2015. Clinical efficacy of Amalaki Rasayana in the management of Pandu (Iron deficiency anemia)Ayu. PMID 27313416 · doi:10.4103/0974-8520.182761
  6. Dwivedi V, Tiwary S, Lakhotia SC. 2015. Suppression of induced but not developmental apoptosis in Drosophila by Ayurvedic Amalaki Rasayana and Rasa-SindoorJournal of biosciences. PMID 25963257 · doi:10.1007/s12038-015-9521-9
  7. Dwivedi V, Lakhotia SC. 2016. Ayurvedic Amalaki Rasayana promotes improved stress tolerance and thus has anti-aging effects in Drosophila melanogasterJournal of biosciences. PMID 27966490 · doi:10.1007/s12038-016-9641-x
  8. Verma B, Sinha P, Ganesh S. 2022. Ayurvedic formulations amalaki rasayana and rasa sindoor improve age-associated memory deficits in mice by modulating dendritic spine densitiesJournal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine. PMID 36436297 · doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2022.100636
  9. Lewis CR, Devi V, Upadhya D and others. 2026. Geroprotection through modulation of heart rate variability, oxidative enzymes, tissue integrity, and gene expression by an Ayurvedic herbal formulation, Amalaki RasayanaJournal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine. PMID 42172813 · doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2026.101338

Reference lists that include it

Ellagic acid, Gallic acid

Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.

Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.

Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.