If you’re reading this, you’ve probably already experienced the healing properties of Aloe Vera, or are giving some serious thought to drinking Aloe Vera as part of your daily health care regimen.
Product descriptions or other articles often tell you about the benefits you can derive from Aloe Vera, but how much do you know about the Aloe Vera plant itself?
Learning more about the biological components of this miracle plant might make you feel more confident about using Aloe Vera products, because now you’re aware of the scientific basis of its healing properties.
The Aloe Vera plant has thick, spikey leaves and is commonly found in semi-arid regions in Asia and Africa; few of them grow in the desert and some can even be found near waterfalls.
There are over 400 species of Aloe Vera in the world, but Aloe Barbadensis Miller is the specie used in commercial Aloe Vera prodcts.
This is because Aloe Barbadensis Miller specie contains the most minerals, vitamins, and amino acids required by the human body. In fact, the very etymology of the word - “Aloe” from the Arabic “alloeh” which means “shining bitter substance”, and “Vera” from the Latin word “true” - says that this specie is the “true Aloe”.
Even before modern science has dicovered the healing properties of the plant, ancient Egyptians have already been using Aloe Vera for medicinal purposes.
The mature Aloe Vera plant reaches a height of three feet or more and has three or four-inch wide leaves.
It takes three to four years for an Aloe Vera plant to mature. This is important to know because only then does the plant reach its full potency as a food supplement and healing agent.
Now that you more or less have a general idea of what an Aloe plant looks like and where it comes from, we’re going to talk about its insides.
There are four layers within an Aloe Vera leaf that contribute to the plant’s healing properties.
The first layer is the rind, the tough, green outer layer that protects the plant itself. This is also the layer that goes through photosynthesis, and where 200 nutriets of the Aloe plant are found.
The next layer is a yellowish portion called the sap. The sap contains aloin cells, which is an important ingredient in commercial laxatives.
A warning: the ingestion of the sap can cause gastro-intestinal complications, especially among pregnant women, children, and the elderly.
The sap is difficult to remove from the layers of the plant, which is why you should never attempt to juice an Aloe leaf yourself!
Underneath the sap is the mucilage layer, which contains an important chain of sugars called the polysaccarides. Beneath the mucilage is the truly miraculous part of the plant - the gel, a treasure chest of nutritional components and the layer used in commercial Aloe Vera products.
The gel makes up most of the Aloe leaf and contains most of the nutrients and vitamins of the plant.
To date, over 200 different amino acids, minerals, vitamins, micronutrients, and enzymes have been found within the gel.
What makes the Aloe plant even more miraculous is that the gel is sterile, which means it can be used immediately on wounds or burns.
Scientific research is constantly done to uncover more ingredients that give the Aloe Vera plant such amazing healing properties.
Try using Aloe Vera today and discover the wonders it can do for you and your body.
