Your health

ALOE VERA – THE SILENT HEALER

By Dani Duffil, our resident Homeopath

Aloe Vera, often called the miracle plant, the medicine plant or even the burn plant, goes by many names which have survived the 4000 or so years during which time this amazing medicinal herb has benefited mankind.

Aloe Vera is a succulent plant looking rather like a cactus but it is in fact a member of the lily family related to onions, garlic and asparagus. When mature, the inner gel is harvested, preserved and bottled to produce a product that is as near to the natural plant juice as you can get.

To benefit from Aloe Vera, the gel can be taken internally for its nutritional anti-inflammatory and immune balancing effect. It can also be combined with other ingredients to produce topical creams and lotions to nourish and improve the quality of the skin.

For a product to work properly Aloe needs to be the principal ingredient. Look for a product with substantial Aloe content and be aware of over the counter products which contain mainly water or Aloe not in its natural state ie. tablets or companies that try to mimic top products by using thickeners!

The international science council (IASC) allows the term "juice" to be used on liquid containing only 15% Aloe and to qualify as a “gel” the product must contain at least 85%

Why does it work?

Due to the rich nutritional cocktail (over 200 compounds!), this combined action and balance produce a more powerful effect together.

Where does it work?

Because of its nutritional qualities it first works to prevent injury to epithelial tissues and when damaged promotes fast healing and reduces scar tissue. Our largest epithelium is our skin but also included are the lining of the gut, the bronchial tubes and the genital tract, so it works just as well on an inflamed bowel or in asthma as damaged skin.

Its natural anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial action plus nutritional content promotes cell growth and, therefore, healing. People also report on a greater sense of well being, feel less anxious and have a reduction in stress. This is due to Aloes second effect on the immune system which becomes balanced and “fine tuned”!

Many thousands of people have reported benefits for various skin complaints such as eczema, psoriasis, ulcers, burns, acne, stings and bites. They have found relief from bowel disorders such as colitis, IBS, diverticulitis and immune system problems such as arthritis, asthma, ME and lupus. Therefore Aloe has a complementary role to play in the management of various conditions. Its positive effects are now being demonstrated in clinical trails such as the treatment of ulcerative colitis.

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