It is stem less or has a short – stemmed plant which can produce up to a height of about 80 cm to 100 cm that spreads for root sprouts and balancing. These natural health plants leave is fleshy, lance-shaped and thick and it is forever gray – green and green in color. That’s Aloe Vera. Aloe vera (syn. A. barbadensis Mill., A. vulgaris Lam.) is a species of Aloe, native to northern Africa. The flowers are shaped on a spike up to 90 cm tall, each flower pendulous, with a yellow tubular corolla 2-3 cm long.
Aloe vera is fairly easy to care for in agriculture in frost-free climates. The species requires well-drained sandy potting soil in moderate light. If planted in pot or other containers guarantee sufficient drainage with drainage holes.The use of a good quality commercial potting mix to which extra perlite, granite grit, or coarse sand are added is suggested. Qn the other hand, pre-packaged 'cacti and succulent mixes' may also be used. Potted plants should be permitted to completely dry prior to re-watering. During winter, A. vera may become dormant, during which little moisture is required. In areas that obtain frost or snow the species is best kept indoors or in heated glasshouses.
Benefits From This Natural Health Herb
Researchers at the University of Miguel Hernández in Alicante, Spain, have developed a gel based on A. vera that prolongs the conservation of fresh produce, such as fresh fruit and legumes. This gel is flavorless, colorless and unscented. This natural health product is a safe and environmentally responsive option to synthetic preservatives such as sulfur dioxide. The study showed that grapes at 1°C coated with this gel could be preserved for 35 days against 7 days for untreated grapes. According to the researchers, this gel operates during a combination of mechanics (Serrano et al., 2006), forming a protective layer against the oxygen and moisture of the air and inhibiting, through its a variety of antibiotic and antifungal compounds, the action of micro-organisms that cause foodborne illnesses.
A vast research has been done on aloe vera and confirmed to be very effective and considerable in the treatment of various ailments, skin disorders, hairs, cosmetics and beauty. Aloe vera research completed in 1996 at the Mahidol University of Bangkok proved that aloe vera has abridged the blood sugar levels of about 72 patients misery from high fasting blood sugar. Several research has been done for aloe vera which helps in combating against the cancer. It has also been proved that aloe vera offers relief to the people suffering from liver injure, gastric problems and inflammatory bowel disease.
Various tests have been taken to prove that whether aloe vera gel has influenced wound healing or not. Research has also proved a excellent improvement in the wound healing of mice and other animals with the help of aloe vera. Research has showed positive results of reducing risk factors in people suffering from heart disease.
The research also proved that when aloe vera gel is added to the diet, then there is a marked reduction in blood sugar levels in case of diabetes, total lipids, serum triglycerides and increase in HDL. Some of the researchers like Dr Peter Atherton have done research on the aloe vera and proved effective in the following areas such as wound healing, the treatment of eczema and psoriasis, the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease, and positive effects on the peptic ulcers.
Aloe vera's beneficial properties may be qualified to mucopolysaccharides present in the inner gel of the leaf, particularly acemannan (acetylated mannans). An injectable form of acemannan manufactured and marketed by Carrington Laboratories as Acemannan Immunostimulant has been accepted in the USA for treatment of fibrosarcoma (a type of cancer) in dogs and cats after clinical trials. It has not been approved for use by humans, and, although it is not a drug, its sale is controlled and it can only be achieved through a veterinary doctor.
Cosmetic companies insert sap or other derivatives from Aloe vera to products such as makeup,tissues, moisturisers, soaps, sunscreens, shampoos and lotions, though the effectiveness of Aloe vera in these products remains unidentified. Aloe vera gel is also suspected to be useful for dry skin conditions, especially eczema around the eyes and sensitive facial skin.
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