Numbers 24:6 – As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.
Psalm 45:8 – All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
Proverbs 7:17 – I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
Song of Solomon 4:14 – Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:
John 19:39 – And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
Aloe Vera is the most impressive medicinal herb invented by nature. (Garlic would be a close second.) There is nothing on this planet that offers the amazing variety of healing benefits granted by Aloe Vera. In a single plant, Aloe Vera offers potent, natural medicine that:
• Halts the growth of cancer tumors.
• Lowers high cholesterol.
• Repairs "sludge blood" and reverses "sticky blood".
• Boosts the oxygenation of your blood.
• Eases inflammation and soothes arthritis pain.
• Protects the body from oxidative stress.
• Prevents kidney stones and protects the body from oxalates in coffee and tea.
• Alkalizes the body, helping to balance overly acidic dietary habits.
• Cures ulcers, IBS, Crohn's disease and other digestive disorders.
• Reduces high blood pressure natural, by treating the cause, not just the symptoms.
• Nourishes the body with minerals, vitamins, enzymes and glyconutrients.
• Accelerates healing from physical burns and radiation burns.
• Replaces dozens of first aid products, makes bandages and antibacterial sprays obsolete.
• Halts colon cancer, heals the intestines and lubricates the digestive tract.
• Ends constipation.
• Stabilizes blood sugar and reduces triglycerides in diabetics.
• Prevents and treats candida infections.
• Protects the kidneys from disease.
• Functions as nature's own "sports drink" for electrolyte balance, making common sports drinks obsolete.
• Boosts cardiovascular performance and physical endurance.
• Speeds recovery from injury or physical exertion.
• Hydrates the skin, accelerates skin repair.
Aloe Vera is useful in treating many different types of ailments at home. The plant is a relative of the onion, and one of its best-known and most commonly used applications is for burns. Every home should have an Aloe Vera plant growing in the kitchen, so when someone gets burned, it can be used immediately.
Burns
If one is near the sink, the very first action should be to cool the burned place with cool or cold water, then dry it gently and apply the juice of an opened aloe leaf directly onto the burned skin. While I do not know of any double-blind studies done on burns, there is enough folklore concerning the use of aloe to give me confidence that Aloe Vera is a good dressing for a third-degree burn. Many have been treated with third degree burns that was felt would surely require skin grafting, but healed without significant scarring.
Gastrointestinal Problems
Aloe Vera is also used for gastrointestinal problems, and nearly any affliction of the gastrointestinal tract can be properly treated by Aloe Vera gel or juice. Simply take an ounce or two once or twice daily along with a meal. The liquid is not unpleasant as a drink.
If one has peptic ulcers or gastritis, Aloe Vera liquid is one of the best treatments for it. It has a soothing and healing effect, and can also relieve pain, burning, and discomfort. Use of Aloe Vera liquid can bring prompt relief for gas or acid formation. It can also help heal hemorrhoids very quickly.
It should be noted that Aloe Vera liquid has a slightly stimulatory effect on the colon, so if one takes a large quantity of Aloe Vera liquid or gel, there is a possibility of getting mild diarrhea. For this reason Aloe Vera is helpful for constipation.
Skin Problems
Aloe Vera is a very good treatment for most skin afflictions, from poison ivy to eczema. Simply rub the liquid or gel directly onto the area of dermatitis, or open a leaf of aloe and rub the gelatinous material from the interior of the leaf directly onto the skin.
I urge you to buy a small plant about six inches high and cultivate it into a beautiful, lush, cactus-looking house plant about three feet high.
The plant has thick, gel-filled leaves which can be easily harvested. Just cut open one of the leaves and collect the oozing gel from it.
The aloe juice can be found in most of the stores for healthy food, but the homegrown gel could be safer, and not to mention that it is the cheaper variant. You get the best benefits by harvesting the biggest and ripest leaves, because of their larger concentration of gel.
18 Uses For Aloe Vera
9 HEALTH BENEFITS OF APPLYING ALOE VERA TOPICALLY
- Soothes burns (one of the best home remedies for sunburns)
- Heals wounds
- Calms acne and eczema
- Calms rashes, boils, and other skin afflictions
- Anti-itching for bug bites
- Reduces wrinkles
- Conditions hair as a shampoo (may even prevent hair loss)
- Moisturizes skin
- May be used as a shaving gel
9 HEALTH BENEFITS OF TAKING ALOE VERA INTERNALLY
- Stabilizes blood sugar
- Prevents digestive disorders like constipation, bloating, IBS and colitis and calms stomach disturbances
- Improves the body’s immunity
- Boosts the production of white blood cells and healthy cells in cancer patients
- Reduces heartburn and indigestion
- Promotes healthy gums
- Promotes better functioning of the urinary tract
- Reinforces the heart and improves the quality of blood
- Lowers arthritis inflammation
It’s believed the plant we know today as Aloe Vera first came from Northern Africa. The first known documentation of its medicinal use was in the ancient Egyptian Papyrus called ebers, which provided twelve different recipes for aloe healing. Since then, the succulent plant has been used across the globe as both an ornamental plant, and more importantly, as a healing medicine.
Forsake the pharmaceutical medication and enjoy the many benefits of Aloe Vera!
1. Aloe Vera Is High in Vitamins & Minerals: Aloe Vera contains many vitamins including A, C, E, folic acid, choline, B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B6. Some of the 20 minerals found in Aloe vera include: calcium, magnesium, zinc, chromium, selenium, sodium, iron, potassium, copper, manganese.
2. Alkalizing: Disease cannot manifest in an alkaline environment. Most people are living and subsisting on mostly acidic foods. For great health, remember the 80/20 rule – 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acidic. Aloe vera is an alkaline forming food. It alkalizes the body, helping to balance overly acidic dietary habits.
3. Amino Acids & Fatty Acids Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. There are about 22 amino acids that are necessary for the human body and it is said that 8 of these are essential. Estimates of the amino acids found in aloe range from 18-20 amino acids, with all 8 essential amino acids. Aloe vera also includes quite an impressive range of fatty acids. Aloe contains three plant sterols, which are important fatty acids – HCL cholesterol (which lowers fats in the blood), campesterol, and B-sitosterol. All are helpful in reducing symptoms of allergies and acid indigestion. Other fatty acids include linoleic, linolenic, myristic, caprylic, oleic, palmitic, and stearic.
4. Digestion: Poor digestion is related to many diseases. A properly functioning digestive tract is one of the keys and foundations of health. Aloe is known to soothe and cleanse the digestive tract and help improve digestion. The interesting thing about taking aloe internally is that, because it is an adaptogen, it helps with either constipation or diarrhea, helping to regulate your elimination cycles in whatever way you need. It’s been a great remedy for people with problems such as irritable bowel syndrome as well as acid reflux. Aloe also helps to decrease the amount of unfriendly bacteria and in our gut keeping your healthy intestinal flora in balance. Aloe is also a vermifuge, which means it helps to rid the body of intestinal worms.
5. Detoxification: Aloe Vera is a gelatinous plant food, just like seaweeds and chia seeds. The main benefit to consuming gelatinous plant foods in your diet is that these gels move through the intestinal tract absorbing toxins along the way and get eliminated through the colon. This will help the proper elimination of waste from your body and help the detoxification of your body.
6. Immune System: The polysaccharides in aloe vera juice stimulate macrophages, which are the white blood cells of your immune system that fight against viruses. Aloe is also an immune enhancer because of its high level of anti-oxidants, which help combat the unstable compounds known as free-radicals, contributing to the aging process. (Free radicals are a bi-product of life itself, it is a naturally occurring process but we can overload ourselves with unnecessary free-radicals by living an unhealthy lifestyle). Aloe is also an antipyretic which means it used to reduce or prevent fever.
7. Disinfectant, Anti-biotic, Anti-microbial, Germicidal, Anti-bacterial, Anti-septic, Anti-fungal & Anti-viral: Aloe vera’s active ingredients are sulphur, lupeol, salicylic acid, cinnamic acid, urea nitrogen and phenol which are substances that prevent the growth of disease-causing microorganisms and act as a team to provide antimicrobial activity thus eliminating many internal and external infections, also active against bacteria. It also helps to treat fungal and viral infections.
8. Inflammation: Aloe Vera contains 12 substances, including B-sisterole, which can help to slow down or inhibit inflammation. This may be able to help with painful joints due to stiffness and help improve joint flexibility.
9. Skin: Because of aloe’s well-known healing properties for the skin, aloe is one of the primary compounds used in the cosmetic industry. It is a known vulnerary, (meaning it helps heal wounds) and is great for applying topically to burns, abrasions, psoriasis and even to bug bites. Aloe acts as an analgesic, acting to help relieve pain of wounds. It’s feels especially good to cut a stem of aloe, place it in the fridge and rub it on sun burnt skin – the immediate soothing effect feels like an absolute lifesaver. Aloe is also an antipruritic: A substance that relieves or prevents itching. Aloe vera is an astringent: which causes the contraction of body tissues, typically used to reduce bleeding from minor abrasions. Due to aloe’s high water content (over 99% water) it is a great way to hydrate, moisturize and rejuvenate the skin. Aloe increases the elasticity of the skin making it more flexible through collagen and elastin repair. Aloe is an emollient, helping to soften and soothe the skin. It helps supply oxygen to the skin cells, increasing the strength and synthesis of skin tissue and induces improved blood flow to the skin through capillary dilation.
10. Cardiovascular Health: Research now shows that aloe vera extract injected into the blood, greatly multiplies the oxygen transportation and diffusion capabilities of the red blood cells. According to a study published in the 2000 issue of the British Medical Journal, beta sitosterol helps to lower cholesterol. By regulating blood pressure, improving circulation and oxidation of the blood, lowering cholesterol, and making blood less sticky, aloe vera juice may be able to help lower the risk of heart disease.
One study showed an increase of over 204% absorption of Vitamin C & E when using generic aloe gel (fillet). Another study showed an increase of 210% absorption of Vitamin C and 180% of Vitamin B12 when using generic aloe juice (fillet). Generic whole leaf juice resulted in 140% increase of Vitamin C and 160% increased absorption of vitamin B12
Truly, there is nothing else that compares to the medicinal potential of Aloe Vera. And yet most people only know about the topical applications of Aloe Vera gel. They think it's only good for sunburns. In reality, Aloe Vera is useful for both external and internal use.
Note: This article presents principles designed to promote good health, and is not intended to take the place of personalized professional care. The opinions and ideas expressed are those of the writer.
Readers are encouraged to draw their own conclusions about the information presented.
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Sources of info:
http://www.naturalnews.com/021858_aloe_vera_gel.html
3ABN World I June 2014 – Dr. Agatha Thrash (She cofounded Uchee Pines Institute).
