For centuries, Aloe Vera has been used by many different cultures. The ancient Greeks, the Romans, the Babylonians, Indians and the Chinese have all used Aloe Vera as a medicinal plant. Throughout the years, Aloe Vera (Aloinae) has been called many things: Potted Physician, Wand of Heaven, Wonder Plant, Heaven’s Blessing, and Plant of Life.
Botanists have identified at least 200-300 different types of Aloe Vera plants.
Of all these types of Aloe, only five have demonstrated medical benefits: Aloe
Saponaria. Aloe Barbadensis Miller is the most widely used as well as the most
potent. Indigenous to Africa, it is now grown all around the world specifically in
warmer, drier climates.
The structures of most Aloe plants are very similar. Aloe grows to maturity in
approximately four years, at which time the leaves begin to sprout. They taper to a point near the top of the plant, and the leaves have soft spines every few inches lining their silhouette. The Aloe Barbadensis Miller has about a 12-year life span.
According to Dr. Peter Atherton in his book titled The Essential Aloe Vera,
“The structure of the Aloe leaf shows the outer-rind about fifteen cell layers thick. . .
The hardness is due to the large amounts of calcium and magnesium present in it. . . .
Below the rind are vascular bundles or tubes of xylen and phloem. The xylen
transports water and minerals from the roots upwards into the leaves . . . The
phloem transports the synthesized materials down to the roots and other parts of the
leaf.”
Studies have found that there are 75 ingredients contained in the Aloe leaf.
These ingredients have a variety of medical benefits. They are divided into the
following categories:
• Ligin – This cellulose substance is found in the gel has no known medical
properties except it posses the property of penetrating the human skin.
• Saponins – These form soapy lathers when mixed and agitated with water. They
have been used in detergents, foaming agents and contain antiseptic properties.
• Anthraquinones – There are 12 of these contained in the sap of Aloe Vera: Aloin,
Isobarbaloin, Anthracene, Emodin, Ester of Cinnamonic acid, Chrysophanic acid,
Barbaloin, Anthranol, Aloetic acid, Aloe Emodin, Ethereal oil and Resistannol.
These act as natural laxatives, painkillers and analgesics, and they contain powerful
antibacterial, antifungal and virucidal properties.
• Minerals – Aloe Vera contains the following minerals:
-Calcium (essential for proper bone and teeth density)
-Manganese (a component of enzymes necessary for the activation of other
enzymes)
- Sodium (ensures that the body fluids do not become too acidic or too alkaline)
-Copper (enables iron to work as oxygen carriers in the red blood cells)
-Magnesium (used by nerves and muscle membranes to help conduct electrical
impulses)
-Potassium (regulates the acidic or alkaline levels of body fluid)
-Zinc (contributes to the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats)
-Chromium (necessary for the proper function of insulin, which in turn controls the
sugar levels in the blood)
-Iron (controls the transportation of oxygen around the body via the red blood cells)
• Vitamins – Aloe Vera contains numerous vitamins:
-Vitamins A, C, & E (crucial antioxidants that combat dangerous free radicals in the