Aloe Vera... an Amazing Plant.

Aloe Vera

If you don't relish the idea of injections, face peels, plastic surgery or doing anything else unnatural to fight the effects of aging, this may be the plant for you. I hate the idea of putting anything chemical into my body . So for me and people like me, there really is only one alternative. Find the things that nature gives us to do it naturally.

Aloe Vera is  one of those things. Used in a variety of ways, through ingestion, injection and topically, it has been shown to reverse the effects of aging within 90 days...quite significantly. When I found out about the study done in 2009 about the effects of aloe on your skin, I wanted to go submerge myself in a tank full of it. But, my friend talked me down from the ledge so to speak and now I use it pretty much every day as a facial moisturizer...

I'm not talking about a gel or anything bought from the store. I have  plants I keep in my bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom that I snap off a piece and rub it on my face or ingest. Now, you must be wondering why I don't just buy it from Amazon or something. Well, when I say I want to use things natural, I mean directly from the source whenever possible. Anytime that I can get something directly from the source without anyone else touching it, changing it, diluting it, etc.. I will do so.  And that is exactly what I can do with this plant. It's worth the initial investment ($20.00) and also, you can grow more from offshoots of the original. Nature knows how to replenish itself.

What It does

Topical

Topical is just that. To apply, snap off a small portion of the leaf and rub the gel directly onto your skin. The plant will self heal. Literally using the gel inside of it to seal up its wound. It is the cheapest moisturizer you will ever find, and chemical free too! For the guys, it is great as an after shave. Same concept, snap a piece off, rub the gel on your skin.

In the most simplest terms (which is the best way to say things) the plant increases the elasticity, blood flow, strength and synthesis of skin tissue. It's an antioxidant, pulling out all the bad stuff from your body and skin (using it either topically and ingested). Most people use it topically for sunburns and minor cuts. It can do sooo much more for your skin/body then that though.

Aloe Vera is a safe and effective treatment for psoriasis and rashes, as well as scars. A study was done in 1996 showing when patients used a .05% Aloe Vera hydrophilic cream 25 of the 30 patients were cured of their psoriasis vulgaris ...

You can choose to mix the plant with some other natural plants/herbs or emollients. Making under eye treatments, scrubs and moisturizers with almond milk, olive oil, brown sugar, etc... I just prefer to use it alone and find I'm more consistent using it that way.  

Ingested

A quarter of a teaspoon a day is all you need. But, you can't just eat a bit of the leaf. (of course you can't, this would be too easy..no?) What you want is the actual clear gel or "meat"  inside. The best way to eat from the succulent plant itself is to trim off the outside skin with a sharp knife. Then crush the meat (gel) and eat as is. There is caution to be used. More is not always better. Too much aloe a day will cause some bathroom issues. (natural laxative)

This plant has been shown to bring positive change in your body at DNA level. Aloe Vera decreased gene activity that causes collagen to become damaged in the first place.  It also strengthens your immune system, helps with digestion, heart health, and there is evidence it may have other benefits with regards to certain types of cancer, diabetes, arthritis, plus much, much more.

The plant heals your body from the inside out. And within a few weeks you should notice some major improvements in all those areas listed above. But there is still value in just using it topically if you can't quite get yourself to ingest it. The taste is a bit sour and bitter so mixing with other stuff for ingestion is normal.

Immune System Benefits

Aloe Vera has one thing the other 400 species of aloe plants don't... Acemannan. What Acemannan does:

Acemannan manifests itself within the cell membranes of the entire body strengthening our immune system to fight off parasites, viruses and bacteria.  It is the basis of all connective tissue cells, including vessels, tendons, joints, ligaments and even our bones.  It lubricates our joints and can prevent arthritis, or reduce its symptoms significantly...

We, as humans, naturally produce Acemannan up until we reach puberty. At that point, we stop the production and the only way to increase/obtain acemannan is through ingestion. It can be found in other foods...but we are looking strictly at the benefits of Aloe Vera today, so I'm not going to stray off topic.

Because it has this one  polysaccharide, Aloe Vera can help with the immune systems in patients with such diseases as HIV, AIDS, and certain types of cancer. The immune booster and bone strengthening properties can be very helpful for managing the after effects of conventional treatments (as well as the debilitating effects of the disease itself). Please note that this is in addition to medical treatment, not in lieu of it.

Aloe Vera  has an amazing amount of "good for you" stuff in it.  In unprocessed, natural form it is abundant with over 200 constituents including polysaccharides, enzymes, glycoproteins, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. It's through the processing of the plant for retail sale that it loses its potency (as with most things). Sold as capsules, powder, gel, juice, and mixed  with other substances, it becomes diluted to varying degrees depending on how it is packaged for the consumer.

For me, it's been a staple in my beauty regimen. As I said above, I'd rather spend my money on a plant that has the potential to provide me with much more than just anti aging then spending it on the chemically filled alternatives you get in the store. But, as with everything, I can only present you with the information I've collected. It is up to you to make your own decisions as to whether or not this plant will/is helpful to you.

The link below is to a PDF (doesn't download) book that covers in depth the History, botany, composition, and pharmacological aspects of this legendary plant.

The Great Aloe Book

As always, thanks for reading!
blend57

And having absolutely nothing to do with this subject...here is a couple pics of my new kittens at 1 day old..

a reply to: blend57

My mother kept a plant in the kitchen in case of burns or sun burns when we were kids.

That is a miracle plant!

Thanks for the reminder.. . .


And, "Awwww" on the kittens.

Last year whilst in Corsica I snapped of a portion of leaf and applied to the sunburn on my arms.

Result, both arms covered in oozing pus filled spots for the following week... stung like hell too!

Ouch...

Warmest

Lags

a reply to: blend57

My dad used to take a sip of Aloe Vera for his heartburns. He said it appeased him quickly and it was weeks before he felt any other burning sensations, but he consistently ate bad, so that didn't help.

I agree Aloe Vera is a wonderful plant.

a reply to: blend57

Great plant, great research, and a great thread -- thank you!!!

And for anyone interested, aloe is also very easy to grow. In the south and southwest, it absolutely thrives with benign neglect... and by that I mean you can drop a plant on the ground and then completely ignore it and it will still root and grow and multiply like crazy! In early spring, the plants send up 4 foot stalks with clusters of yellow tubular blooms that hummingbirds just love. In colder climates, keep it in a pot and just bring it indoors during cold season.

Aloe Vera pyramid selling concept ruined it for me..
Those Aloe Vera sellers are everywhere.. and they are so passive aggressive and thinks aloe Vera are good against everything..
Everything to sell just one more.. to earn that dollar cut

a reply to: Spacespider

It may not be good for everything, but it has useful capabilities, and directly from the plant. No need to get involved in a pyramid scheme? I never heard of that or saw it that way.
The plant itself was enough. We would cut a few branches and put it in the freezer until needed.

originally posted by: NowanKenubi
a reply to: Spacespider

It may not be good for everything, but it has useful capabilities, and directly from the plant. No need to get involved in a pyramid scheme? I never heard of that or saw it that way.
The plant itself was enough. We would cut a few branches and put it in the freezer until needed.

Interesting, a good idea, how long does it take to thaw ?

a reply to: ParasuvO

It doesn't take that long. I guess an hour should be enough as it is not thicker than an ice cube.

PS: I haven't done it in a long time, lol. But I should buy one again.

It is very good for you...although in moderation ,as too. Much of anything can be bad ....but about a table spoon a day will help with so many issues....I like mine with pineapple juice !

Aloe seems to be a good medicine. I do not know about using it on a regular basis. My mother did for a while and she seemed to be a little delusional around that time. We have aloe here in our house, it is kind of a nice plant and we know it is medicine. I have an overactive immune system already, I really do not want to trigger it to get too strong. I have lupus, RA, and spondelytis genetics and it is not good for me to boost my immune system.

I forgot to say the kittens are cute. Congratulations on being a grandPaw

This is a good reminder for me to get an aloe plant! I burn easily in the sun and have to do a lot of yard work this summer. SPF 110 seems to be saving me but fresh aloe would be nice in case of a sunburn.

Those kittens have some serious milk bellies, they look so cute and healthy. Congrats to the mom cat, great work

Both my neighbors have aloe plants, so I have skipped on plating them myself. I usually just grab from them when I need some. What is lovely about Aloe, is once you get a good mature one that has gotten big, it will start multiplying and sprouting new ones all around.

I make my own aloe water with it I LOVE ALOE WATER! I grow mostly culinary herbs and vegetables. The neighbors do the same, and also have chickens. We all share our stuff with each other. Participating in urban community agriculture is wonderful!!

Here is a list of everything we grow between my house and the neighbors:
Cilantro, Culantro, Taragon, German Thyme, English Thyme, Lemon Thyme, Purple/Thai basil, Lemon Basil, Sweet Basil, Rosemary, Dill, Tropical oregano, Italian oregano, scallions, chives, Bell Peppers, Cubanella Peppers, Thai/Bird's Eye Chili, Banana peppers, Carrots, Spinach, Okra, red leafy lettuce, bak choy, lima beans, gandules(chick peas?), peppermint, spearmint, and eggs from 5 chickens, three breeds.

This is all done with the spare land from about a half acre lot between the two properties in the city. No big open prairies here. So if people are hesitating getting started, don't. Just use what land, pots an terrace you got and strt with what you like best. Aloe is super easy and can handle neglect well, so I throw I would just throw it in a corner somewhere and use your more strategic spot for the more fickle plants that need controlled intensities of sun light, water, and soil nutrition.

Great thread, kitten for extra

Growing up around aloe I appreciate it's uses. Wish I could grow it where I am sans a green house.

There's a lot of aloe drinks on the market, I like how they taste but assume a lot of it is hype* as to benefits of drinking it? ETA Wonder if they have the amount needed in them for health benefits as you explained in your "ingested section".

* health fads of drinks and more, and such as coconut oil is being skewered by the media now.

DBCowboy

My mom always had at least one in the house as well for the same reason. It works really well as a facial product as well though. (at least for me). The kittens...well, I was just excited about them and didn't want to start a new thread. At least 6 weeks of cuteness guaranteed before they go to their new homes.

Boadicea

Thanks.. what I put in here is just a tiny bit of what I found. Now there is even research into using aloe in tissue engineering.

However, recent significant advances have been made in the development of aloe vera for tissue engineering applications. Aloe vera has received considerable attention in tissue engineering due to its biodegradability, biocompatibility, and low toxicity properties. Aloe vera has been reported to have many biologically active components. The bioactive components of aloe vera have effective antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-modulatory effects that promote both tissue regeneration and growth. The aloe vera plant, its bioactive components, extraction and processing, and tissue engineering prospects are reviewed in this article. The use of aloe vera as tissue engineering scaffolds, gels, and films is discussed, with a special focus on electrospun nanofibers. ...

The more I look, the more benefits I find on this plant.

Lagomorphe

Sorry to hear about your adverse reaction to aloe. Some people are allergic to it and I failed to mention that part so thank you for bringing it up. People who are allergic to onions and garlic, and plants of the Liliaceae family will probably be allergic to Aloe as well. Yours sounded like a pretty severe reaction to the plant. And that is a hard way to find out, so very sorry it happened to you.

Thanks,
blend57

Thanks Blend.

I thought it was good to mention.

Not miffed though as in diluted proportions I have/had no issues but better that everyone knows that there may be allergic reactions when applicated pure on skin (topical).

Warmest

Lags

a reply to: blend57