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Soothe Yourself with Aloe Vera

By: Varian Sperks When you suffer from sunburn, snap a piece of aloe vera. If you're bothered by acid reflux, take a little aloe vera juice. When it comes to soothing the body inside and out, aloe vera is the new wonder drug; but there's nothing new about this ancient medical secret.

The aloe vera plant has given us many popular herbal remedies. A native African plant, aloe vera plant is known as "lily of the desert", "plant of immortality" and of course, "medicine plant." The name aloe is derived from the Arabic word "alloeh", meaning "bitter taste".

Aloe Vera Herb

The aloe vera plant belongs to the family Asphodelaceae with about 400 known species currently grown. Classified as succulent plants, aloe grows in the more arid parts of Africa and in the mountains of tropical Africa. The most distinguishing part of the aloe vera herbal plant is its leaves which are large, thick, and fleshy. The leaves are shaped like lances with a sharp apex and spines lining their margins.

Early Applications of Aloe Vera

As early as 1500 BC, Egyptians have noted the use of the aloe vera plant as treatment for burns, infections, and parasites.

Aloe Believed to Aid Healing

Evidently, the juice of the plant leaves yields certain substances, called aloes, which are good purgatives. Some species of the aloe, like Aloe venenosa, may produce poisonous juice and are therefore not recommended. However, most species, such as the A. vera, vulgaris, socotrina, chinensis, and perryi contain aloes that have therapeutic uses.

Thorough research has been done on the aloe vera plant since the 1930s. Studies indicate that the clear gel of the aloe vera herbal plant has a dramatic ability to heal wounds, ulcers, and burns. By coating the affected areas with the gel-like substance, the wound is safeguarded from infection-causing bacteria and other micro bodies, thus speeding up the healing rate.

Juice from Aloe Vera

The aloe vera plant, like most succulents, contains about 96 percent water. The remaining 4 percent of aloe vera is a combination of active ingredients including amino acids, enzymes, essential oils, glycoproteins, minerals and vitamins. Because of the many active constituents present in the aloe vera plant, modern healers often implement it into their liquid health treatments. Juice from the aloe vera is usually combined with other medicinal plants to increase its potency. Those who use aloe vera juice believe that it is able to relieve digestive tract irritations caused by colitis, peptic ulcers and other disorders.

Aloe Vera Supplements

The many vitamins and minerals that are found in aloe vera make it an ideal herbal supplement. Aloe vera supplements can aid in digestion, and may assist in blood and lymphatic circulation. Aloe vera herbal supplements may also improve gall bladder, kidney and liver function.

The plant has at least three fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory properties. These fatty acids make the aloe vera herbal supplement beneficial for the stomach, small intestine, and colon. It naturally alkalizes digestive juices to prevent an excess of acidity, which is a common cause of indigestion.

Aloe vera is an ancient plant, long respected for its many healing and soothing properties. For this reason, aloe is one treatment that no modern medicine cabinet should be without.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

Varian Sperks enjoys writing for a variety of web zines, on health diet fitness and alternative health issues.
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