What is Āmra?

Āmra is the mango tree. Its Latin name is Mangifera indica. In Ayurveda it is a single drug, used on its own rather than in a mix.

The ripe fruit is eaten as food and to build strength. The unripe fruit, the seed, the bark and the leaves are used for loose stools, gum trouble and bleeding.

Proof from human tests is thin. Most of the work is in lab dishes and in animals. Long use in a tradition is not proof that a remedy works.

How does Āmra work?

No one has shown clearly how mango parts act in the body. The ideas below are best guesses, not settled facts.

The seed and bark are rich in tannins. Tannins are plant chemicals that make the mouth feel dry. They bind to the lining of the gut, which may help firm up loose stools.

Mango leaves hold a chemical called mangiferin. In lab tests it mops up free radicals (waste chemicals that can harm cells). It is not clear that this helps people.

In Ayurveda the ripe fruit is said to cool pitta (the body's heat) and to build ojas (body strength). That is a traditional idea, not a lab finding.

What forms does Āmra come in?

Ripe fruit is eaten fresh or taken as juice. Dried unripe mango powder, called amchur, is used as a kitchen spice.

Seed kernel powder and bark are boiled in water to make a strong tea. Ayurveda calls this a kwātha (a boiled water extract).

Leaves are dried, then made into a tea or ground to a powder. Shops also sell leaf extract capsules and mangiferin capsules.

Bark paste and sap are put on the skin in some old texts. Do not do this. The sap can burn and blister skin.

Where it comes from:

Mango grew first in India and nearby lands. It has been grown there for thousands of years.

The classical Ayurvedic texts, such as the Charaka Samhita and the Sushruta Samhita, name Āmra by name. That places its use at roughly 2,000 years back.

Mango leaves and flowers are still used in Hindu rites and at weddings. The tree spread from India to Africa, Asia and the Americas.

What does Āmra help with?

• Loose stools (diarrhoea): This is the best known Ayurvedic use. Seed kernel powder and bark tea are given to firm up the stool. The idea rests on tannins, plant chemicals that make the mouth feel dry. Human trial proof is missing.
• Sore, bleeding gums and mouth care: Bark tea is used as a mouth rinse in Ayurveda. Mango twigs have also been chewed as tooth sticks. Small lab studies show the bark can slow some mouth germs. That is not the same as proof in people.
• Thirst and feeling overheated: Unripe mango drink, called panha, is a summer drink in India. It is used for thirst and for heat. This is a food custom with a long record, not a tested treatment.
• Weakness and poor appetite: Ripe mango is treated as a building food in Ayurveda. It brings calories, sugar and vitamin C. As a food it can help someone who is eating too little. No trial has tested it as a medicine.
• Slow bowels (constipation): Ripe mango holds fibre and water. Small studies of mango fruit in people with slow bowels have looked promising, but they are few and small. Any fruit high in fibre may do the same job.
• Sore throat: Bark tea is used as a gargle in folk practice. There is no human trial to back this. Warm salt water is the better tested home step.

Which foods are rich in Āmra?

1. Fresh ripe mango: the whole food form of this remedy
2. Mango juice and mango lassi: quick sugar and vitamin C
3. Amchur (dried unripe mango powder): a sour kitchen spice
4. Aam panna: a summer drink made from unripe mango
5. Mango pickle: salted and spiced unripe fruit
6. Mango leaf tea: the leaf form sold as a drink

Practical Tips:

Mango is a food first and a remedy second, so most people meet it at the table.

What are the side effects of Āmra?

• Itchy rash or swelling around the lips and mouth
• Blisters on the skin after touching the sap, peel or cut stem
• Tingling or burning in the mouth
• Loose stools, wind and stomach cramps after eating a lot of fruit
• A rise in blood sugar after a large serving of ripe fruit
• Constipation or a dry mouth from strong seed or bark tea
• Rare but serious allergic reaction, with swelling and trouble breathing

Good to know:

For most people ripe mango is a safe food. Mild stomach upset from eating too much is the most common problem.

Allergy is the main real risk. The sap and peel hold the same kind of oil as poison ivy, so skin rash is common in people who handle mangoes.

Severe allergic reactions are rare, but they do happen and they can be life-threatening. Anyone who has reacted to cashew or pistachio should treat mango with care.

How much Āmra should you take?

• Recommended daily: There is no set medical dose. Ripe mango is eaten as food, in normal serving sizes. Old Ayurvedic texts give rough amounts for the medicine parts. Seed kernel powder is used at about 1 to 3 grams a day. Leaf powder is used at about the same, 1 to 3 grams a day. Bark tea is used at about 20 to 30 ml a day. Ask a trained Ayurvedic doctor before you use bark, seed or leaf as a medicine.
• Best time of day: Ripe fruit is best eaten in the day, as a snack or with a meal. Bark or seed tea is often taken in two small doses, one in the morning and one in the evening.
• With or without food: Ripe fruit can be eaten on its own or with a meal. Bark and seed tea are usually taken between meals, on a fairly empty stomach.
• Time to effect: Fruit works as food right away. For loose stools, tradition expects a change within a day or two. There is no trial that pins this down.
• How long to take it: Use the seed, bark or leaf for a short spell only, such as one to two weeks. If loose stools do not settle in three days, stop and see a doctor. Ripe fruit can be eaten as food all year, as long as you have no allergy to it.