Aloe Vera and It's Use in Herbal Medicine Whatis Aloe Vera and HowisitUsedMedicinally Peoplehavebeenusing Aloe Vera as a medicinal plantforoverfourthousandyears; there are records of its use in Mesopotamia as far back as 2000BCE. TheGreeks, theRomans and theEgyptiansallknew of itsamazinghealingproperties and its use continuestothepresentday. Manypeoplegrow a plant in theirhouseorgardento use in firstaid. Themodern uses of Aloe Vera are usuallythought of in skincare and thetreatment of burns, butitis a much more versatileplantthanthat. Itisused in herbal medicine foritsactions as a digestivetonic, a laxative, ananthelmintic (worms), an anti-inflammatory and a supposedaphrodisiac. Aloe vera ThePlant Theplant has a distinctiveappearancewithfleshyspikes of uprightleaves and iscommon in manyparts of theworld. The medicinal parts of theplant are itsleaves. They are treated in differentwaystogivedifferentproduct. When a leafisfirstcutitoozes a yellowsubstanceorlatex, thatisknown as Aloes, and has a bitter taste. Whentheleaves are splitthey excrete a clearsubstance, known as the gel. Thedilution of thisgivesus Aloe Vera Extractor Aloe Vera juice. Thejuicemay be filteredtogive a clearresult, orleftcloudy. Different uses are associatedwitheachpresentation. Gel aloe vera Aloe Vera gel ismainlywater, heldtogether in a gel formbypolysaccharides. These, alongwithanthraquinonessuch as aloin, glycoproteins and novel anti-inflammatorycompounds are responsibleformost of itsactivity. Aloe Vera alsocontainsVitamins A, C, E and B12, salicylicacid in smallquantities, ligninfromtheplantcellwalls and a variety of minerals. Theexactcompositionwillvaryaccordingtowheretheplantisgrown and itstreatment. How to use aloe vera WoundHealing Woundhealingisthemostcommonlyknownproperty of the gel. Legend has it Alexander the Great eveninvadedanisland in theIndianOceantoobtainsupplies of itforhisarmy. Differentchemicalconstituentshavebeenshowntoaidthe break down of damagedtissue and theformation of new tissues, includingbloodvessels and skin. It reduces infectionrates. This has ledtoits use onalltypes of wounds, fromminorscrapes and cutstodeeplypenetrating injuries such as burns. It has beenusedwithsuccess in frostbite and tohealthe sores of genital herpes. In all cases itisappliedtothewound, nottaken. Overall, itseemsthat Aloe Vera isveryeffective at healingwounds and minorburns, reducinghealing time by up tohalf in manypatients. Itislessclearhowusefulitis in sunburnalthoughanecdotalevidencesupportsits use. Studieslooking at its use tohealsurgicalwoundshavehadmixedresults, itdoes reduce infectionbutthewoundsdidn'tseemtohealanyfasteror more cleanlywhenitwasused. Medical use aloe vera Aloe Vera gel isveryeffectivefor Psoriasis. Patientsusingitreportedhigherclear up ratesfor plaques thanwithtraditionaltreatments, and lesssideeffects. Trialshaveshownthatit can be used in conjunctionwithotherwoundtreatmentssuccessfully. Forexampleit can be used in conjunctionwithsteroidcreams. The gel reduces thesuppression of woundhealingcausedbythesteroids and alsoaidsitspenetrationintothetissuesbyhydratingthewound.
Gastro-intestinal Uses Aloe Vera extractiswidelyused as a laxative and as a digestivetonic. Theanthraquinonesfound in cloudyextract and the aloe gum are responsibleforthisaction; itworks as a stimulantlaxative in thesamewaysennadoes. Ittakesfromsixtotwelvehourstowork. As withallstimulantlaxativesitshouldnot be usedlongterm. Non-cloudyextractswork as a digestivetonic, soothing and calmingthebowel. Itiseffective in irritable bowelsyndrome, particularly in patientswherediarrhoeapredominatereducingsymptoms in 40% of patients in thisdifficulttotreatdisease. Ulcerative colitis patients can benefitfrom a smalldailydose as well. It reduces relapserate and helpsshortenrelapseswhentheyoccur. Other uses Aloe Vera isalsoreported as beingused in asthma and diabetes. Thisisnotsomethingto try at home. Theevidenceispoor and theconsequences of illcontrolleddisease can be fatal. Whocan't use it? Patientsusingitontheirskinhaveonoccasionreported dermatitis reactionstoit, whichoccasionallyappearafterprolonged use. Diabeticsshoulddrinkitwithcarebecause of itsreportedbloodsugarloweringcapacity. Aloe willhaveanadditiveeffectwithotherlaxatives, and careshould be takenwhenusingcombinations. Aloe Vera has beenreportedtosuppressthyroidfunction. Ifsymptoms of a severe gastrointestinal problem are present, such as prolonged nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, heartburnorbloodloss, patientsshouldsee a doctor beforestartingtotake Aloe Vera. Aloe Vera is a multipurposeplantthatis ideal for use in home firstaid. Itiseasytogrow, enablingyouto use fresh gel bysplitting open a leafwhenneeded. It can be usedtotreatallmanner of minorhousehold injuries. Differentpreparationsworkwell as a laxativeordigestivehealer. Bibliography: http://www.aloe-vera.es/en
aloe-vera-cream.blogspot.com.es aloe-vera-gel8.webnode.es
aloe-vera-gel.weebly.com