As a plant, aloe vera is becoming more and more critical for human health and wellbeing. It has a long tradition for thousands of years and is, therefore, one of the oldest medicinal plants in the world.
Whether it is about treating skin diseases, sunburn, inflammation of the gums, wounds, or the relief of gastrointestinal complaints or joint pain: Aloe vera is a real all-rounder in naturopathy. In the meantime, many of the plant’s effects have even been proven by research studies. For this reason, aloe vera should not be missing in any household.
First things first:
- Aloe vera is a medicinal plant that has a calming, anti-inflammatory, and, at the same time, regenerating effect.
- The desert lily scores a unique complex of active ingredients and over 160 valuable components such as enzymes, polysaccharides, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
- Not all aloe vera plants can be used for cosmetic or pharmaceutical products: Only the “real aloe,” the so-called “aloe barbadensis miller,” is used here.
- Many products combine the power of aloe with propolis, a substance that is mainly found in the beehive. These products achieve a unique combination of active ingredients and offer comprehensive protection against viruses, fungi, and bacteria.
- The medicinal plant is available as a lotion, gel, concentrate, drinking cure, juice, spray, cream, shampoo, and toothpaste.
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What Is Aloe Vera, And Where Does It Come From?
Aloe vera is also known as “desert lily” and is one of the most famous medicinal plants. The leaves of these plants are composed of three components:
- The leaf bark
- The leaf juice
- The leaf pulp: The well-known aloe vera gel is obtained from this.
The gel is still viral today for the natural treatment of sunburn, wounds, and skin diseases. The high effectiveness of the aloe vera gel lies in the valuable ingredients: amino acids, mono- and polysaccharides, and salicylic acid have an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and at the same time analgesic effect.
The gel of this medicinal plant is exceptionally moisturizing and pleasantly cooling, which is why it is used in many cosmetic care creams.
Aloe vera juice acts like a natural purgative and can be used for constipation or other intestinal problems.
What Unique Ingredients Does Aloe Vera Contain?
Aloe vera is one of the oldest traditional medicinal plants, but it is also becoming more and more critical in the modern cosmetics industry. The reason for this is the many valuable components of this plant. Aloe contains over 160 beneficial ingredients such as enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, secondary plant substances, and polysaccharides.
In the following, we would like to introduce you to these ingredients:
Polysaccharides In t=The Desert Lily
The polysaccharide “Acemannan” was considered unknown for a long time, but it is a very unique and essential component of aloe vera. The human body can even produce this polysaccharide itself up to puberty; it has to be ingested through daily food in later adulthood.
Acemannan is stored in the membranes of the body’s cells, and from there, it strengthens the immune system. In addition, this polysaccharide is a fundamental building block for the vessel walls, cartilage, ligaments, joints, tendons, and the entire skeleton.
It may also contribute to a healthy intestinal flora restoration.
Minerals And Vitamins
Micronutrients are an essential component of human health. They promote a healthy metabolism and ensure that the body’s internal processes run smoothly. There are a number of them in the aloe vera medicinal plant, for example:
- Vitamin A strengthens eyesight and is essential for forming red blood cells.
- Thiamine ( vitamin B1 ): This micronutrient is necessary for energy balance.
- Riboflavin ( vitamin B2 ) is involved in central detoxification processes.
- Niacin ( B3 )
- Vitamin B6
- Cobalamin ( vitamin B12 ) ensures healthy cell division in the bone structure.
- Folic acid
- vitamin C
- Vitamin E is an essential helper in the fight against free radicals.
But aloe also contains numerous valuable trace elements:
- iron
- magnesium
- potassium
- chrome
- zinc
- calcium
- manganese
- sodium
- copper
However, in this context, it must be mentioned that aloe vera consists of around 99 percent water. The mineral and vitamin content is, therefore, shallow. For this reason, vitamins such as vitamin E or vitamin C are artificially added to many aloe vera products.
Amino Acids
The body needs 22 amino acids to maintain metabolic processes. He cannot produce eight amino acids on his own: These so-called “essential amino acids” must be supplied through the daily diet. If the body is not provided with these amino acids for a more extended period, deficiency symptoms can occur.
This is where the aloe plant scores very clearly: an aloe vera leaf already contains 20 of the 22 necessary amino acids, for example:
- Glut-amine: This amino acid is a potential energy source for the human body and has fundamental importance for smooth brain metabolism.
- Cysteine strengthens the connective tissue and ensures healthy hair growth.
- Proline is a central component of collagen, which occurs in the human body and is very important for tight connective tissue.
- Asparagine is involved in the conversion of carbohydrates.
- Glycine has a calming effect.
- Serine effectively supports the nervous system and memory processes.
Enzymes In Aloe Vera
Enzymes are involved in many internal processes in the body’s cells. They also help break down pathogens in the body. The aloe vera scores a high proportion of enzymes, thus ensuring a powerful cell defense.
The enzymes contained in the medicinal plant can also trap free radicals and render them harmless to the organism. The enzymes also have an anti-inflammatory effect and strengthen the body’s immune system.
Secondary Plant Substances
These include, for example, valuable Sapo-ni-ne, lignins as well as essential oils that have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Above all, lignins promote healthy digestive processes and can bind harmful substances. Saponins have a cleansing and, at the same time, antiseptic effect.
All these valuable ingredients confirm the great importance of aloe vera: Earlier generations benefited from the many favorable properties of this plant and used them to alleviate a wide variety of complaints. If aloe vera is used in a healthy amount, it can be a cheerful helper for human health.
How Can The Plant Be Used?
The plant can be used both internally and externally.
Inner-lich the medicinal plant but can be applied in a drinking treatment in capsule or powder form. The variety of nutrients contained in the drink is wide. However, the aloe drink should be consumed over a more extended period to benefit from excellent results. The drinking cure is a purely natural product that only shows its first results after at least two months. It is essential to start slowly and increase the dose constantly. This way, you avoid unwanted side effects.
Outer-lich, the desert plant, is used mainly on cosmetic products and is vital in beauty care. Aloe vera can be found in shampoos, creams, after-sun products, face masks, and even toothpaste. So the market offers a real variety of aloe vera products. People with sensitive problem skin, in particular, benefit from the favorable properties of aloe vera.
What Symptoms Or Ailments Can It Help Against?
- Skincare: The aloe vera gel, in particular, is a natural miracle cure. It gives the skin valuable moisture and makes it pleasantly supple. In addition, aloe vera promotes blood circulation in the skin, making it elastic. Due to the beneficial ingredients of the plant, which have a tightening effect on the connective tissue, aloe vera is also famous as an anti-ageing agent. Furthermore, aloe vera gel has a pleasantly excellent product and is robust against inflammation processes. Thus, it acts against sunburn and pimples, blemishes, Her-pes, atopic dermatitis, and eczema. The “desert lily” is a real all-rounder for skincare.
- Face mask: In combination with lemon juice and honey, aloe vera is very effective against impurities and pimples. The face mask can be applied to the skin of the face with a clean brush or clean fingers. It should work for about 15 minutes and then be rinsed off with lukewarm water.
- Beautiful hair: The plant gives the hair an extra dose of moisture, from the scalp to the tips! Many conditioners are also enriched with aloe vera gel and thus ensure beautiful and shiny hair.
Aloe Vera Helps With:
- Gastrointestinal complaints
- Inflammation of the lining of the mouth
- Inflammation of the skin
- Skin diseases such as psoriasis, neurodermatitis, or eczema
- Insect bites
- Wounds like burns
- sunburn
- Herpes
- Strengthening the immune system
- Haircare
- Facial care for pure skin without pimples and blackheads
Aloe Vera Juice & Aloe Vera Gel – Two Remedies Combined In One Plant
- Aloe vera juice, for example, is very effective against digestive problems such as constipation. The juice is located between the green leaf bark of the plant and the clear gel. The juice can leak out as soon as a leaf is cut off. The juice contains a unique active ingredient, aloin: a very bitter and viscous substance that offers the plant adequate protection against predators. This active ingredient has a strong laxative effect and should not be used for long. Too high a dose can therefore have harmful consequences. Aloin should consequently be taken a maximum of twice a week and for a maximum of two weeks so that the intestinal mucosa is not over-stimulated.
- Aloe gel is extracted from the inside of the leaf in different manufacturing processes. It is essential that the thick bark of the leaf, and thus the aloin, is removed in advance. Then the gel can be pressed out of the leaves, for example.
What Must Be Considered When Buying?
Hundreds of thousands of tons of leaves from the aloe vera plant are harvested annually to extract the valuable gel from them. Countless products such as skin care products, supplements, groceries, detergents, or panty liners – the range is almost endless.
Unfortunately, many aloe vera products contain such a small dose that the beneficial effects of this plant often cannot develop at all. Therefore, when buying, it is essential to pay attention to high-quality products:
- Remember that fragrance-giving and main caring ingredients are often added with cosmetic products. So it is extremely rare to get a pure aloe vera gel.
- Preservatives are also often included: after all, the products shouldn’t have to be bought new every month or even weekly, but should keep as long as possible.
- Aloe vera products should, if possible, be made from the whole leaf.
- If you want to cultivate your aloe plant, please note that the skin of the leaves is poisonous and can lead to abdominal pain and diarrhea.
- Organically grown plants are ideal because they are not sprayed with harmful herbicides. Accordingly, products in high should be Bio-Qua-li-ty selected.
- Make sure that the aloe vera juice is not concentrated. The concentrate is created by processing the aloe vera gel under solid heat. But the active ingredient content also suffers from this processing process. The juice should therefore not be from concentrate.
- Look for a high acemannan content: the higher the polysaccharide content, the more influential the product is.