Aloe Vera - Benefits of Aloe Vera

Scientific Name(S): Aloe vera L., A. perryi Baker (Zanzibar or Socotrine aloe), A. barbadensis Miller (also called A. vera Tournefort ex Linne or A. vulgaris Lamark; Curacao or Barbados aloe), or A. ferox Miller (Cape aloe). A. vera Miller and A. vera L. mayor may not be the same species. Family: Liliaceae

Common Name(S): Cape, Zanzibar, Socotrine, Curacao, Barbados aloes, aloe vera

Aloe, a popular houseplant, has a long history as a multipurpose folk remedy. Commonly known as Aloe vera, the plant can be separated into two basic products: gel and latex.

The Aloe Vera plant grows in a clump and has thorn-edged leaves. Although many think that this plant is from the cactus family, it belongs to the lily family. This succulent perennial needs a sunny location and well-drained soil. It can grow to two feet in height. The best time to grow this plant is in the spring time either from seed or from shoots or leaves from a mature plant. Aloe Vera is not harvested like other herbs. You cut the leaves only when they are needed. Otherwise, you leave the plant intact. It is not safe to be dried or bottled. You use the juice fresh from the plant.

Botany: Aloes, of which there are some 500 species, belong to the family Liliaceae. The name, meaning "bitter and shiny substance," derives from the Arabic "alloeh." Indigenous to the Cape of Good Hope, these perennial succulents grow throughout most of Africa, Southern Arabia and Madagascar, and are cultivated in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Japan and America. They do not grow in rain forests or arid deserts. Often attractive ornamental plants, their fleshy leaves are stiff and spiny along the edges and grow in a rosette. Each plant has 15 to 30 tapering leaves, each up to 0.5 meters long and 8 to 10 cm wide. Beneath the thick cuticle of the epidermis lies the chlorenchyma. Between this layer and the colorless mucilaginous pulp containing the aloe gel are numerous vascular bundles and inner bundle sheath cells, from which a bitter yellow sap exudes when the leaves are cut.

History: Drawings of aloe have been found in the wall carvings of Egyptian temples erected in the fourth millennium B.C. Called the "Plant of Immortality," it was a traditional funerary gift for the pharaohs. The Egyptian Book of Remedies (ca. 1500 B.C.) notes the use of aloe in curing infections, treating the skin and preparing drugs that were chiefly used as laxatives. John 19:39-40 says that Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes for the preparation of Christ's body. Alexander is said to have conquered the island of Socotra to obtain control of it. The Greek physician Dioscorides, in 74 A.D., recorded its use to heal wounds, stop hair loss, treat genital ulcers and eliminate hemorrhoids. In the 6th century A.D., Arab traders carried it to Asia. From the Mediterranean, it was carried to the New World in the 16th century by the Spaniards. In the modern era, its clinical use began in the 1930s as a treatment for roentgen dermatitis.

Uses of Aloe vera

Aloe appears to inhibit infection and promote healing of minor burns and wounds, and possibly of skin affected by diseases such as psoriasis. Dried aloe latex is used, with caution, as a drastic cathartic.

Aloe products for internal use have been promoted for constipation, coughs, wounds, ulcers, diabetes, cancer, headaches, arthritis, immune-system deficiencies, and many other conditions.

Side Effects of Aloe

Because aloe vera is not considered an essential nutrient there is no RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) set.

However, it appears to be a very safe herb, with no known toxicity that we have been able to find in the literature.

A few people using it may experience a mild allergic reaction, developing a rash or feeling of itchiness. If so, discontinue use.

As with all herbal remedies, refrain from use if you are pregnant or nursing.

Toxicology: Since aloe is used extensively as a folk medicine, its adverse effects have been well documented. Except for the dried latex, aloe is not approved as an internal medication. Aloe-emodin and other anthraquinones may cause severe gastric cramping and its use is contraindicated in pregnant women and children. The external use of aloe has not been generally associated with severe adverse reactions. Reports of burning skin following topical application of aloe gel to dermabraded skin have been described. Contact dermatitis from the related A. arborescens has been reported.

Summary: Aloe products derived from the latex of the outer skin are drastic cathartics to be used with caution. Compounds derived from the inner gel intended forinternal administration have not been shown to exert any consistent therapeutic effect. The effective topical use of the gel in the treatment of minor burns and wounds has not been established, although several human trials indicate a potential therapeutic benefit.