Aloe Verra

Aloe vera has been used as a medicinal plant for a long time, according to the literature it has been used since 1750 BC. The plant has a wide variety of uses because different parts of the plant have different medicinal properties.

The mucilaginous gel that is most widely associated with aloe vera comes from the inner part of the leaf. It is separated from the pericyclic tubules, specialized cells that are under the epidermis of the leaf. Those cells have a bitter yellow latex or juice that is dried to form a pharmaceutical product called aloe latex.

Aloe gel is used for wound healing, both internally and externally. It has agreat ability to heal many kind of skin injuries, including ulcerations, burns, frostbite, and abrasions. Aloe latex is a powerful cathartic and is used for constipation. Because it can cause painful cramping, it is not used as often as gentler herbal laxatives. Lower doses of aloe latex can be effective in preventing kidney stone formation or reducing their size. Lower doses can also be effective as a stool softener, which is particularly helpful in the case of hemorrhoids.

Aloe gel is now found in many commercial skin-care products, shampoos, and conditioners. But some studies have shown that it does not retain its healing ability when stored. There is now a stabilized form of the gel that may be able to be stored and still retain the healing action, but fresh aloe gel from the leaves is still the best option.

Aloe gel may also be taken internally, often in a liquid form called aloe juice. In this form, aloe can help heal peptic ulcers by inhibiting stomach acids that irritate ulcers. Aloe juice also improves digestion by destroying many bacteria that cause infection.

Another name :

Aloe (English)

Aloe vera/Aloe barbadensis/Aloe ferox (Botanical)

Liliaceae (Plant Family)

Aloe barbadensis/capensis (Pharmacopeial)

Medicinal Uses

·      Aloe was historically used to treat burns.

·     Traditional herbal actions: antibacterial, antifungal, anesthetic, antipyretic, antipruritic, moisturizer, vasodilator, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, cathartic, stomachic, demulcent, emmenagogue, laxative combined with carminative, vulnerary

·      Clinical applications: burns (due to radiation, sunburn, and other causes), headaches, dry skin, rashes (due to dermatitis, poison ivy, or insect bites), kidney stones, hemorrhoids, hives, constipation, wound healing, peptic ulcers, immune system enhancement, diabetes, asthma.