Aloe Vera - Medicinal Benefits and Uses
Aloe vera is a species of Aloe, native to northern Africa. Aloe is a genus containing about four hundred species of flowering succulent plants. Aloe Vera is also known as A. vulgaris Lam or A. barbadensis Mill. Aloes come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from the small grass aloes to the huge Aloes are well adapted for harsh climates and they can survive in mountains, gasslands, deserts and on beaches. Many species of Aloe are seemingly stemless, with the rosette growing directly at ground level; other varieties may have a branched or un-branched stem from which the fleshy leaves spring. They vary in colour from grey to bright green and are sometimes striped or mottled. It is a stemless or very short-stemmed succulent plant growing to 80-100 cm tall, spreading by offsets and root sprouts. The leaves are lanceolate, thick and fleshy, green to grey-green, with a serrated margin. The flowers are produced on a spike up to 90 cm tall, each flower pendulous, with a yellow tubular corolla 2-3 cm long.
Aloe, a popular houseplant, has a long history as a multipurpose folk remedy. A. vera’s beneficial properties may be attributed to mucopolysaccharides present in the inner gel of the leaf, especially acemannan (acetylated mannans). Aloes are well known succulents, not just for their beauty but for their medicinal properties as well. Aloe gel has been used for topical treatment of wounds, minor burns, and skin irritations. Aloe Vera gel (see picture of exposed gel with the useless leaf rind removed at the top of this page) contains over 75 nutrients and 200 active compounds, including 20 minerals, 18 amino acids, and 12 vitamins. American consumers are most familiar with aloe’s use in skin-care products, but aloe can also be used as a beverage. Aloe products for internal use have been promoted for constipation, coughs, wounds, ulcers, diabetes, cancer, headaches, arthritis, immune-system deficiencies, and many other conditions.
Aloes also contain a trace of volatile oil, to which its odour is due. Cosmetic companies add sap or other derivatives from A. vera to products such as makeup, moisturisers, soaps, sunscreens, shampoos and lotions. Aloe is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Liliopsida, order Liliales, family Liliaceae. Aloe has been marketed as a remedy for coughs, wounds, ulcers, gastritis, diabetes, cancer, headaches, arthritis, immune-system deficiencies, and many other conditions when taken internally. Aloins are soluble and easily extracted by water. Aloes is the expressed juice of the leaves of the plant. When the leaves are cut, the juice that flows out is collected and evaporated. After the juice has been removed, the leaves are sometimes boiled, to yield an inferior kind of aloes. Aloe extract can be taken orally as a dietary supplement, but does not have FDA approval for use as a drug
Aloe - Medicinal Benefits and Uses Tips
1.Aloe is used externally to treat a number of skin irritations.
2.Aloe contains a number of medicinal substances used as a purgative.
3.Aloe has been marketed as a remedy for coughs, wounds, ulcers, gastritis, diabetes, cancer, headaches, arthritis, immune-system deficiencies.
4.Aloe vera to products such as makeup, moisturisers, soaps, sunscreens, shampoos and lotions.
5.Pain in the joints and muscle pain occurred due to arthritis is reduced by the application of aloe vera sprays or gels.
6.Gel of aloe vera provides benefit in reducing triglycerides, total cholesterol and blood fat lipid levels.
7.Aloe vera drink is used as a tonic by some patients.
8.It is helpful in healing such as anti-oxidant, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.
9.It is beneficial in reducing obesity and breaks down the fat globules.
10.It is used as a moisturizer and helpful in removing dead cells.