Sour (amla)

The sour taste, called amla, is acidic, tangy, and sharp. It is considered to have hot potency, meaning it can increase internal body heat. It stimulates digestion, by encouraging saliva production and digestive enzymes, improving appetite and assimilation of nutrients.

Enhancing taste and absorption, sour makes other tastes more appealing and aid nutrient uptake. Amla supports detoxification, promoting diuretic and digestive actions, and improves circulation via its heating effect increasing blood flow and metabolic rate. Sour herbs encourage digestion, benefit liver function, and increase heat and moisture in the body whilst also calming the nervous system. They increase faeces, urine and sweat. Long term, they aggravate pitta and kapha and calm vata.