There are many claims made for the benefits of aloe vera, a succulent plant native to northern Africa. The plant has supporters all over the world and is a common sight on the shelves in health food stores.  Aloe Vera has many properties including antibiotic, astringent, coagulating agent, pain inhibitor, cell growth stimulator and scar inhibitor. Numerous studies show that it is great for treating and curing skin conditions and delaying the onset of wrinkles. Research also suggests that it contains around 200 healing substances – including most vitamins, minerals, enzymes, protein and amino acids – and that using aloe vera is a great way to boost your health and wellbeing.

Skin conditions are said to improve when treated with clear gel taken from the aloe vera leaf, such as eczema. Cuts and burns are treated too resulting in reduced inflammation and pain. It is said that the gel boosts the immune system. The sap, which is at the base of the leaf, is used to treat digestive disorders, chronic constipation and low appetite.

The Indian sub continent promotes the plant and it is part of the culture there. In Pakistan, the benefits of aloe vera have been recognised for hundreds of years. People routinely take a mixture of aloe vera and herbal seeds after meals if they suffer from indigestion. The people of the Hazara region in Pakistan believe that the nutrient value found in the gel gives them more stamina. In addition to medicine and food, aloe vera is often used in products such as shampoo, moisturisers, soaps and sunscreen. This is because of the benefits of aloe vera in preventing dry skin and scalp.

There are numerous aloe vera products on the market, including creams for skin problems and heat lotions for aching muscles. Aloe Vera is also sold as a nutritional supplement, blended with other vitamins, minerals and herb, such as ginseng, reishi mushroom, ginger oil, turmeric and folic acid. Enthusiasts can also take aloe vera in the form of a drink, blended with fruits such as apples, cranberries, pomegranates, peaches, grape seed and blackberry. Drinking two to four ounces a day is all that is required to gain the many benefits of aloe vera juice. If you drink it daily, aloe vera can aid your digestion, improve your metabolism (fat burning) and help detoxify your body and cleanse your colon.

Perhaps, one of the most valuable health benefits for today’s society is aloe vera’s ability to assist weight loss. Throughout history aloe vera has been associated with achieving healthy body weight and it has been known as “the dietary plant” and “the harmony remedy.” This is because aloe vera works to both reduce and stabilise weight by stimulating metabolic rate so that we burn more energy. In addition, aloe vera contains amino acids, methionine, serine threonine and molybdenum, which work together to detoxify heavy metals and additionally aid in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fat and protein. This action prevents a build up of fat in the liver and the arteries. These detoxification and laxative qualities of aloe vera, improve the efficiency of the colon, which is extremely important for good health. Poor colon health results in the re-absorption of toxins into the human body resulting in low energy and un-wellness.

Another of the most important health benefits of aloe vera is its operation as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent, helping to prevent the onset of disease in the body. Thus, taking aloe vera daily helps to maintain good health and provide a sense of wellbeing and energy.

Aloe vera juice can contain nineteen amino acids, twenty minerals and twelve vitamins and as such it is in my opinion an excellent, natural nutritional supplement. But beware; you need to choose the juice carefully as many are preserved with benzoates or benzoic acid which you definitely want to avoid.  Research has shown that sodium benzoate can damage DNA in the mitochondria causing the cell to malfunction.  When mixed with vitamin C, sodium benzoate forms benzene, a carcinogenic substance.  You can also get liquid aloe vera in capsule form which avoids the need for a preservative (see the Resources Page).

 

This entry was posted on Monday, December 1st, 2008 at 1:10 am and is filed under General Health, Herbs, Toxins, Weight Loss. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.