Aloe Vera information and how it is used as
a herb in alternative herbal treatments to treat ailments and problems
such as healing wounds, for skin rejuvenation, acting as a laxative and
reducing skin irritation and relieving sun burn.
Although we believe in the therapeutic and
healing properties of herbs, care must be taken in the use thereof, as
they are powerful compounds.
Botanical
Classification: Family Aloeceae
Genus
and specie: Aloe vera - Aloe
barbadensis
Other
names:
Barbados, Cape, Curaiao, Socotrine, and
Zanzibar aloe
Description
of the herb aloe vera:
Aloe vera is a clump forming perennial with
rosettes of thick, fleshy, spiky, gray-green leaves, young specimens
being red spotted and the plant bears yellow tubular flowers in summer.
Parts used:
The slimy inside of the leave is used (also
referred to as gel) as well as a juice extracted from the pulpy inside
and a yellow bitter laxative principle which is an exudate from the
leaf which is dried to a crystalline substance.
To prevent any confusion, herewith a summary
of uses:
Aloe vera
gel:
This is the naturally occurring and
undiluted gel obtained by stripping away the outer layer of the leaf.
Aloe vera
concentrate or extract:
This is the product obtained when removing
the water from the gel
Aloe vera
juice:
This is a drink for internal use that
consist of at least 50% of the pulped aloe gel.
Aloe vera
latex or bitter principle:
This is a bitter yellow liquid derived from
the pericyclic tubules of the rind of the aloe and which primary
constituent is aloin.
Properties:
It is a bitter herb with anti-inflammatory,
astringent, emollient, anti fungal, antibacterial and antiviral
properties, and is useful in the eradication of parasites and
stimulating the uterus.
It contains a host of compounds that are
biologically active and includes anthraquinones, saccharides and
prostaglandins as well as other constituents.
Anthraquinones:
The anthraquinones contained in aloe, which
has the purging and laxative action on the digestive system includes
aloin (barbaloin), isobarloin, anthranol, aloetic acid, anthracene,
ester of cinnamic acid, aloe-emodin, emodin, chrysophanoic acid,
ethereal oil as well as resistannol.
Saccharides:
It contains various saccharides including
glycoprotein, mucopolysaccharide and polysaccharides such as galactose,
xylose, arabinose, acetylated mannose as well as the remarkable
acemannan.
Prostaglandins
and fatty acids:
The conversion of fatty acids to
prostaglandins are rare but the major unsaturated fatty acid,
gamma-linolenic acid can be converted to 1-series prostaglandins and
have a very effective influence on reducing inflammation, allergy as
well as helping platelet aggregation (blood clotting at wound sites) as
well as wound healing.
Other
constituents:
It furthermore contains enzymes (oxidase,
amylase, catalase, lipase and alkaline phosphatase) amino acids
(lysine, threonine, valine, methionine, leucine, isoleucine and
phenylalanine) vitamins (vitamin b1, B2, B6, C, E, folic acid, choline
and beta carotene) minerals (calcium, sodium, manganese, magnesium,
zinc, copper and chromium as well as other miscellaneous compounds such
as cholesterol, triglycerides, steroids, uric acid, lignins,
beta-sitosterol, gibberellin and salicylic acid.
Therapeutic
uses:
Internal
use:
The herb is used internally to combat most
digestive problems, including:
constipation, poor appetite, colitis,
irritable bowel syndrome as well as - asthma, diabetes, immune system
enhancement, peptic ulcers
Studies have also shown that when aloe is
taken internally it can stimulate and regulate various components of
the immune system by stopping the inflammation and blood supply of
tumors and also showed interesting results in preventing carcinogenic
compounds from entering the liver and is combined in some cancer
treatments.
The juice of the inner leave can be used for
its anti-inflammatory effect it has on Crohn's disease but the laxative
and bitter principle of aloe must NOT be used by people suffering from
Crohn's disease as it causes griping and cramping.
It contains aloemannan which stimulates the
growth of healthy kidney cells and helps to slow the formation of
kidney stones.
The juice can be used very successfully to
treat heartburn as well as ulcers and to sooth the lining of the
digestive tract. It is not that effective to treat stress induced
ulcers, but can be used for peptic ulcers caused by excess acid,
aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as well as alcohol use.
The oral use of aloe has produced good
results in patients suffering from asthma when the asthma sufferers
were not dependant on corticosteroids for treatment.
The exude from the leaves are used as a
strong purgative and stimulant laxative but can cause griping and has
an abortifacient effect and should not be used in pregnancy.
The bitter principle in aloe exudate which
cause the laxative effect is preferable to use than that of cascara and
senna, as aloe draws less fluid into the large intestine and are less
likely to cause electrolyte imbalance than the other two.
In a study where volunteers ate 120 grams of
parboiled aloe for lunch and supper a marked decrease in cholesterol,
triglycerides and sugar was found, while in another test using aloe
extract, it reduced fasting blood-sugar dramatically which is probably
due to the stimulating effect it has on the pancreas to produce more
insulin.
External
use:
Aloe is used externally for the treatment of:
skin irritation, burns, scalds, sunburn,
wounds, eczema, psoriasis, acne, dermatitis, ulcers, stimulate cell
regeneration
The gel can be applied directly to the skin
as a softening agent.
For burns and other wounds aloe is
particularly effective as it activates the macrophages which fights
bacterial infection while at the same time increasing circulation to
the area which results in accelerated healing.
The enzymes - carboxypeptidase and
bradykininase are both involved to reduce swelling, itching, reducing
inflammation as well as pain.
Studies confirmed that wounds treated with
aloe heal far faster than other wounds not so treated - both for
traumatic as well as surgical wounds. This may be due to the fact that
it contains not only vitamin E and C as well as zinc but the
polysaccharides also reduce inflammation and stimulate the fibroblast
and epidermal growth and repair process.
The juice is also effective for the
treatment of minor wounds and insect bites by forming a "natural
plaster" over the wound.
It has good astringent qualities and is
usually combined with other ingredients, to make an excellent, soothing
treatments for the skin and can also be used with great success on
hemorrhoids (piles).
In studies it also showed a marked result in
producing remission in skin cancers and its superb anti-oxidant effect
is effective to help prevent skin damage from x-rays and other forms of
radiation.
When applied regularly to psoriasis great
results are achieved and also relieve the pain and inflammation of
eczema.
When people with frostbite was treated with
a cream containing aloe, the incidence of tissue loss and amputation
was reduced.
Aloe-emodin which is one of the ingredients
not only has a laxative effect, but is also involved in killing the
herpes virus which causes cold sores and shingles.
Aromatherapy
and essential oil use:
Aromatherapists use aloe vera by infusing
the plant material into a base oil, such as almond or apricot kernel
oil.
This macerated oil exhibits astringent,
emollient, anti fungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties.
The oil is combined in massage therapy for
its healing and rejuvenating properties.
Safety
precautions and warnings:
Pregnant and breast feeding women should not
use aloe latex (the laxative part) internally, although the topical
application of aloe to the skin has no effect on pregnant or
breastfeeding women.
People suffering from problematic
hemorrhoids, ulcers, diverticulosis, colitis, Crohn's disease, or
irritable bowel syndrome should consult a medical practitioner or
trusted herbalist before taking aloe internally.
Extreme care should be taken with the
administration of aloe laxatives, as this can cause severe digestive
upsets.
When used topically, some individuals may
have an allergic reaction and a skin patch test (behind the ear or on
the forearm) is advised before use.
