How Can Aloe Vera Be Important For Your Health?
There are many medical uses for Aloe Vera; the most common use is for minor burns and sunburns. Aloe Vera has also been used to treat cuts and eczema, and people around the world believe it possesses an assortment of other healing properties.
Aloe Vera is a type of aloe plant that was originally native to North Africa. Today, more than 500 species of Aloe have been reported, appearing for the most part in the dryer areas of Asia, Africa, The United States and Europe. Aloe Vera can grow up to 100 cm tall. The leaves are thick and fleshy in texture and green to gray-green in color. Flowers are produced on a spike up to 90 cm tall. Aloe Vera is quite easy to care for as long as it is in a frost-free climate. It requires sandy soil that is well drained and moderate light.
If the Aloe Vera is potted a pre-mixed potting soil for cacti and succulent plants is a good choice. The use of commercial potting mixes with extra granite grit, extra perlite, or coarse sand is also good for this type of plant. During the winter the aloe plant may become inactive, so during this time the plant will not need much water. If you live in an area where it snows or frosts during the winter, it is best that the aloe plant is kept indoors or in a greenhouse.
There are many medical uses for Aloe Vera; the most common use is for minor burns and sunburns. Aloe Vera has also been used to treat many other types of skin conditions such as cuts and eczema. It is also thought that Aloe Vera sap relieves pain and inflammation. Even though many of its health properties have not been proven scientifically, many people around the world still believe in its healing properties.
There was a study done in 1991 on the effects of aloe on wounds. It showed that the healing process was slower than it was without the aloe. Another study was preformed in the 1990s on the effects of aloe on moderate to severe burns. Some of the participants’ burns were covered in aloe regularly and the other participants’ burns were covered with gauze. The study showed that those with aloe on their burns healed faster than those with gauze on their burns.
The beneficial properties of Aloe Vera are quite possibly due to the "good carbohydrate" called mucopolysaccharide, that is present in the aloe gel of the leaf. Cosmetic companies use the sap from the Aloe plant in things such as make up, sunscreens, soaps, tissues, moisturizers and lotions. Aloe is said to be very good for dry skin conditions such as eczema and facial skin that is sensitive.
Aloe Vera has also been used in food preservation; it is a safe and natural way to preserve such things as fruit. The gel from the Aloe Vera plant is colorless, tasteless and odorless. It is a safe alternative to sulfuric dioxide, which has also been used in food preservation. A study showed that a fruit coated with the Aloe gel will last 35 days where as a fruit not covered will only last a week in a temperature of 1 degrees Celsius.
Whether or not Aloe Vera actually has other medicinal benefits is unclear. However the gel from the leaves of the Aloe Vera plant is used all over the world, without definitive scientific support, to help with dental health, digestion, and immune support, as well as to provide energy boosts, promote skin health, as an anti-inflammatory, and to provide a source of amino acids, various vitamins and minerals.
Like any other nutritional or health supplement, there may be side effects if used improperly or ingested, so a medical advisor should be consulted prior to its use.
Colin Albert runs the Euphoria for Women website. The web site provides information on female sexual disorders and features a natural product containing aloe vera that acts as a female sexual supplement, for women of all ages & levels of sexual activity.
| By Michael Rupkalvis Published: 12/10/2007 |
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