Discover How Aloe Vera Can Help You Stay Healthy

Aloe Vera can help you stay healthy and as a popular medicinal plant, it has been used for thousands of years for treating skin injuries and other ailments.

One of the most crucial elements found in aloe Vera is a complex carbohydrate known as acemannan which allows nutrients to reach the cells, nourish them and at the same time relieve them of toxins.

Active Components of Aloe Vera:

The Aloe vera leaf gel contains about 98% water, the total solid content of Aloe vera gel is 0.66% and soluble solids are 0.56% with some seasonal fluctuation. On a dry matter basis, aloe gel consists of polysaccharides (53%), sugars (17%), minerals (16%), proteins (7%), lipids (5%), and phenolic compounds (2%).

Aloe vera contains 200 potentially active constituents: vitamins, enzymes, minerals, sugars, lignin, saponins, salicylic acids, and amino acids, which are responsible for the multifunctional activity of Aloe.

Vitamins: It contains Vitamins A (beta-carotene), C, and E, which are antioxidants. It also contains Vitamin B₁₂, folic acid, and choline. Antioxidant neutralizes free radicals.

Enzymes: It contains 8 enzymes: aliases, alkaline phosphatase, amylase, bradykinesia, carboxypeptidase, catalase, cellulase, lipase, and peroxidase. Bradykinase helps to reduce excessive inflammation when applied to the skin topically, while others help in the breakdown of sugars and fats.

Minerals: It provides calcium, chromium, copper, selenium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium, and zinc. They are essential for the proper functioning of various enzyme systems in different metabolic pathways and few are antioxidants.

Sugars: It provides monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) and polysaccharides: (glucomannans / polymannose). These are derived from the mucilage layer of the plant and are known as mucopolysaccharides. Recently, a glycoprotein with anti-allergic properties, called alprogen, and a novel anti-inflammatory compound, C-glucosyl chromone, has been isolated from Aloe vera.

Anthraquinones: It provides 12 anthraquinones, which are phenolic compounds traditionally known as laxatives. Aloin and emodin act as analgesics, anti-bacterial and anti-virals.

Fatty acids: It provides 4 plant steroids; cholesterol, campesterol, β-sitosterol, and lupeol. All these have anti-inflammatory action and lupeol also possesses antiseptic and analgesic properties.

Hormones: Auxins and gibberellins help in wound healing and have anti-inflammatory action.

More Facts About Aloe Vera:

Aloe Vera originated in Sudan and Arabian Peninsula but it is widely distributed in India, Africa, and other arid areas.

Aloe Vera is a genus containing over 550 species of flowering succulent plants, but the most widely known species is Aloe Vera, or “true aloe”. It is called this because it is cultivated as the standard source for assorted pharmaceutical purposes.

Other species, such as Aloe ferox, are also cultivated or harvested from the wild for similar applications.

The cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food industries use aloe vera extensively, and the plant has an estimated annual market value of $13 billion globally.

Discover How This Plant Can Help You Stay Healthy:

Aloe Vera Can Accelerate Wound Healing:

People most often use aloe vera as a topical medication, rubbing it onto the skin rather than consuming it. In fact, it has a long history of use in treating sores and particularly burns, including sunburn.

The United States Pharmacopoeia describes aloe vera preparations as a skin protectant as early as 1810–1820.

Studies suggest that it is an effective topical treatment for first and second-degree burns.

For example, a review of experimental studies found that aloe vera could reduce the healing time of burns by around 9 days compared with conventional medication. It also helped prevent redness, itching, and infections.

Can Reduce Arthritis Pain:

Aloe is noted for its amazing anti-inflammatory properties that work instantly on the pain and swelling resulting from arthritis. Its juice is also extremely effective in calming the swelling and inflammation that are closely associated with arthritis.

In fact, topical application, drinking aloe juice, or eating aloe vera, its pills, or capsules all show positive results in reducing arthritis pain.

The anti-inflammatory properties of aloe vera help it to work efficiently on joint and muscle pains. Applying aloe gel topically eases inflammation of the joints.

In some studies, it has been reported that people who regularly consume aloe vera juice for at least two weeks experience a significant improvement in inflammation issues.

Helps To Hydrate The Body:

Aloe vera plant is rich in water which helps to treat as well as prevent dehydration. Hydration assists in the detoxification of the body which provides a way to flush out and purge impurities. It is loaded with a rich amount of nutrients that upgrade the body’s organ output.

Furthermore, it is essential because the liver and kidneys are responsible for the detoxification of the blood and produce urine, So it should be healthy to take aloe vera after a light or heavy workout, the body requires rehydration with an intake of extra fluids.

The body needs more fluids to flush out the build-up of lactic acid from exercising.

How It Affects Diabetes:

Preliminary research suggests that the intake of aloe vera juice can help improve blood glucose levels and may therefore be useful in treating people with diabetes.

Aloe has also been linked with…

Decreased blood lipids (fats) in patients with abnormally high levels of these molecules in the blood (e.g. some people with type 2 diabetes) and/or acute hepatitis (liver disease)

Leg wounds and ulcers are common complications of diabetes, and they typically take a longer time to heal than in healthy non-diabetic individuals.

These positive effects are thought to be due to the presence of compounds such as lectins, mannans, and anthraquinones in aloe vera.

Reduces Constipation:

Aloe vera may also help to reduce and treat constipation, because the latex, not the gel, provides this benefit. Latex is a sticky yellow residue present just under the skin of the leaf.

The key compound responsible for this effect is called aloin, or barbaloin, which has well-established laxative effects.

Can Help You Look Younger Everyday:

Aloe vera contains skin and body anti-aging Properties.

The invaluable oligo-elements present in aloe juice, manganese, and selenium, constitute the enzyme’s superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, recognized as powerful antioxidants and cellular anti-aging agents.

Their high antioxidants slow down the aging process and this helps cells to become stronger in combating the negative effects caused by oxygen and the broad-spectrum radiation we are exposed to daily.

The non-essential amino acid, proline, is instead a constituent of collagen, whose role is to ensure the perfect holding capacity and elasticity of epithelial tissues.

It naturally follows that the intake of the vitamins and minerals present in Aloe vera stimulates proper blood saturation, thus guaranteeing better oxygenation and faster expulsion of toxins. Skin becomes smoother, hydrated, and more elastic, protected from free radicals and their degenerative activity, resulting in impressive/substantial anti-aging effects.

Antibacterial:

A study tested the ability of aloe vera to fight powerful bacteria S. Aureus, S. pyogenes, P. aeruginosa, and E. coli. The plant extract suppressed the growth of bacteria in three cases.

Researchers attributed the direct antibacterial effect of aloe vera to “specific plant compounds such as anthraquinones and dihhydroxyanthraquinones as well as saponins”.

Dental & Oral Health:

Dental and gum diseases can also be cured by aloe vera. You can try out this natural remedy at home; put some aloe vera gel or powder on your toothbrush, then brush normally. This will soothe your gums and cure any kind of infection or bruises. Aloe vera juice can also help in keeping the gums healthy.

Just gargle the liquid around your mouth before swallowing. Also, try to increase your intake of vitamin D. Both these measures will be enough to get your gums back in shape within a few months. A study published in the Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences confirms its use as an effective mouthwash and its ability to cure dental plaque.

Aloe Vera Names In Other Languages:

India: Korphad, Kattar vazha;
Pakistan: Quargandal;
Indonesia: Lidah Buaya;
Thailand: Crocodile Tail;
Vietnam: Nha Đam
Latin America and Philippines: Savia, Savila, Sabila;
Arabic: nub átussibi, sabb ára;
Catalan: Atzavara vera, Sèver, Àloe vera;
Chinese: Lúhuì (芦荟);
Finnish: aaloe, laeaekeaaloe, Lääkeaaloe;
French: aloès amer, aloès vulgaire, Aloës, mazambron;
German: Aloe barbadensis,  Echte Aloe, Tiger-Aloe;
Hindi: Gheekumari (घीकुमारी), Kumari, kunvar (कुवार), ghrt kumaaree (घृत कुमारी);
Italian: aloe commune, aloe di Barbados, Aloe variegate, sucameli;
Malayalam: Chotthu Kathalai;
Marathi: Khorpad;
Portuguese: Aloe maculate, aloés de Barbados, azebre vegetal, Babosa;
Russian: aloe nastojaščee, Aloe nastoyashcheye (Алоэ настоящее),  aloye nastoyashcheye (алое настоящее);
Sanskrit: Catevala, Kumari;
Spanish: acíbar, Aloe maculate, aloja, Atzavara, flor de deserto, lináloe, loto de deserto, maguey morado, penca sábila, pita zabila, pitera amarelo, sábila, sábila do penca, toots amarelo, zabila, áloe de los Barbados;
Tamil: Kathalai (கதலை);
Japanese: aroe (アロエ);
Kannada: lolisara;
Korean: allo-e (알로에);
Malay: pohon gaharu;
Malayalam: kumara;
Nepalese: ghiu kumara;
Oriya: kumara;
Polish: aloes zwyczajny;
Portuguese: aloés, babosa, aloé vera, aloés de barbados, azebre vegetal, erva-babosa;
Shona: gavakava;
Swedish: Barbados aloe, aloe;
Telugu: chinna kalabanda;
Thai:  hang ta khe  (หางตะเข้), wan fai mai (ว่านไฟไหม้ ), wan hang chora khe (ว่านหางจระเข้);
Turkish: ödağacı., sarýsabýr, sarısabır;
Vietnamese: cây lô hội , cây aloe vera, cây nha đam;
Newari: Kunu;
Maori (Cook Islands): ‘āroe, ‘āroe, ‘āroe, ‘āroevera, ‘āroe, ‘arovera;
Samoan: aloe;
Tahitian: rapahoe.