Aloe Vera,
Aloe Vera Gel used for osteoarthritis, burns and
sunburns,It is relatively easy to care for the aloe vera plant. The
aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) plant is about 95% water therefore, Aloe vera
prospers beautifully in frost-free climates. Well-drained sandy soil, or
sandy loam with moderate sunlight is suitable for the aloe vera plant.
Aloe vera plants are great as indoor or house plants. Make sure that you use
quality pots with proper drainage holes. Wider pots rather than deeper pots
are better because Aloes have a shallow, spreading root system. You should allow the potted aloe vera
plants to completely dry out prior to re-watering. Aloe vera becomes dormant
in winter, at which time very little moisture is required. Do not expose aloe
vera plants to extreme cold temperatures.
There are over 150 species of Aloe Vera, and they are
mostly native of South Africa. The aloe vera gel which is gathered from inside
the leaf of the aloe vera plant has excellent healing properties especially
when applied to cuts and burns. When the aloe vera gel is applied to skin
which is sunburnt, the cooling effect of the aloe vera gel gives immediate
relief.
Aloe Vera
- aloe, burn plant, lily of the desert, elephant's gall : Latin Names--Aloe vera,
Aloe barbadensis
- What Aloe Vera Is Used For
- Traditionally aloe vera is used as an herbal remedy for burns, aloe was used topically to heal wounds and
for various skin conditions, and orally as a laxative.
- Today, in addition to traditional uses, people take aloe
orally to treat a variety of conditions, including diabetes, asthma,
epilepsy, and osteoarthritis. People use aloe topically for osteoarthritis,
burns, and sunburns.
- Aloe vera gel can be found in hundreds of skin products,
including lotions and sunblocks.
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved aloe
vera as a natural food flavoring.
- Aloe Ferox (Aloe)
has been traditionally used in wound healing since ancient times. The
Egyptians were using Aloe as early as 1500BC. Aloe contains a number of
active compounds that have proven healing properties and an excellent effect
on skin health, growth and repair. It is not surprising that Aloe has a
history of being a common household remedy and is found in many commercial
skin care preparations!
- Aloe. vera has been used externally to treat various skin conditions
such as cuts, burns and eczema. It is alleged that sap from Aloe vera eases
pain and reduces inflammation. Evidence on the effects of A. vera sap on
wound healing, however, is contradictory (Vogler and Ernst, 1999). A study
performed in the 1990s showed that the healing time of a moderate to severe
burn was reduced when the wound was treated on a regular basis with Aloe
vera gel, compared to the healing of the wound covered in a gauze bandage
(Farrar, 2005). In contrast, another study suggested wounds to which Aloe
vera gel was applied were significantly slower to heal (Schmidt and
Greenspoon, 1991).
Aloe vera's beneficial properties may be attributed to mucopolysaccharides
present in the inner gel of the leaf, especially acemannan (acetylated
mannans). An injectable form of acemannan manufactured and marketed by
Carrington Laboratories as Acemannan Immunostimulant™ has been approved in
the USA for treatment of fibrosarcoma (a type of cancer) in dogs and cats
after clinical trials. It has not been approved for use by humans, and,
although it is not a drug, its sale is controlled and it can only be
obtained through a veterinary doctor.
Cosmetic companies add sap or other derivatives from A. vera to products
such as makeup, moisturisers, soaps, sunscreens, shampoos and lotions,
though the effectiveness of Aloe vera in these products remain unknown. A.
vera gel is also alleged to be useful for dry skin conditions, especially
eczema around the eyes and sensitive facial skin.
Courtesy of Wikipedia.
Try our Herbal Remedy and Herbal Medicine:
Pure-Heal Gel
- Promote the natural healing process of the skin
- Soothe irritated wounds and bites
- Provide natural topical relief
Aloe Ferox (Aloe) has been traditionally used in wound healing since
ancient times. The Egyptians were using Aloe as early as 1500BC. Aloe
contains a number of active compounds that have proven healing properties
and an excellent effect on skin health, growth and repair. It is not
surprising that Aloe has a history of being a common household remedy and is
found in many commercial skin care preparations!
How Aloe Vera Is Used
- Aloe leaves contain a clear gel that is often used as a
topical ointment.
- The green part of the leaf that surrounds the gel can
be used to produce a juice or a dried substance (called latex) that is
taken by mouth.
What the Science Says about Aloe Vera
- Aloe latex contains strong laxative compounds.
Products made with various components of aloe (aloin, aloe-emodin, and
barbaloin) were at one time regulated by the FDA as oral
over-the-counter (OTC) laxatives. In 2002, the FDA required that all OTC
aloe laxative products be removed from the U.S. market or reformulated
because the companies that manufactured them did not provide the
necessary safety data.
- Early studies show that topical aloe gel may help
heal burns and abrasions. One study, however, showed that aloe gel
inhibits healing of deep surgical wounds. Aloe gel does not prevent
burns from radiation therapy.
- There is not enough scientific evidence to support
aloe vera for any of its other uses.
Side Effects and Cautions about Alloe Vera
- Use of topical aloe vera is not associated with
significant side effects.
- Abdominal cramps and diarrhea have been reported
with oral use of aloe vera.
- Diarrhea, caused by the laxative effect of oral
aloe vera, can decrease the absorption of many drugs.
- People with diabetes who use glucose-lowering
medication should be cautious if also taking aloe by mouth because
preliminary studies suggest aloe may lower blood glucose levels.
- Tell your health care providers about any
complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full
picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure
coordinated and safe care.
An herb is a plant or part of a plant used for its flavor, scent, or potential
therapeutic properties. Includes flowers, leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, stems, and
roots. Herbal medicine products are dietary supplements that people take
to improve their health. Many herbs have been used for a long time for claimed
health benefits. They are sold as tablets, capsules, powders, teas, extracts and
fresh or dried plants. However, some can cause health problems, some are not
effective and some may interact with other drugs you are taking.
Dietary supplement is a
product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino
acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for
dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.
To use an herbal product as safely as
possible:
-
Consult your doctor first
-
Do not take a bigger dose than the label
recommends
-
Take it under the guidance of a trained
medical professional
-
Be especially cautious if you are pregnant or
nursing
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
List of Herbs at a glance
Why should I use herbal products?
The decision to use herbs to improve your
health is, as with all health decisions, a personal one. There are, however,
many good reasons to consider herbal products to complement your own
health care methods. One of the best reason, however, may be the fact that
herbs and herbal products, continue to provide real health benefits while
maintaining a remarkable safety profile. Readily available natural
substances were the first medicines used by humans. Primitive and ancient
civilizations as well as contemporary cultures throughout the world have
always relied on herbs to provide the benefits that have been observed with
their use. In fact, the World Health Organization has estimated that 80
percent of the world's population continues to use traditional therapies, a
major part of which are derived from plants, as their primary health care
tools. In our own time and culture, most herbs are available in the form of
"herbal supplements." These products are found in the form of teas, tablets,
capsules, liquid extracts, and others. We now have ready access to products
that bring the herbal traditions from all over the world in a variety of
convenient forms. In addition, scientific inquiries continue to develop our
knowledge of the benefits of plants, and often validate the observations
made over the past centuries.
Are herbs safe?
Plants that enjoy broad culinary and
therapeutic usage are generally safe. We can flavor our food with any number
of herbs to make a meal more flavorful. We can appreciate a delicious cup of
peppermint leaf or ginger root tea, or benefit from the soothing properties
of marshmallow root or the bark of slippery elm. We can take an herbal
supplement containing dandelion root or saw palmetto berries, or any number
of the other herbs. Although allergies and reactions have been recorded for
a few herbs that are widely used in foods and supplements, such individual
concerns are also seen with many foods, and do not diminish the safety
profile of the many herbs that are generally recognized as safe. On the
other hand, and as everyone knows, there are any number of plants that are
highly toxic, even deadly.
