Overview
You may have memories of your mother or grandmother using aloe vera–possibly from her own garden–on your sunburn or bee sting. In fact, the healing and soothing properties of the aloe plant have been firmly rooted in conventional wisdom for countless generations. Although scientists have yet to unlock all of aloe’s mysteries, new scientific research is slowly confirming centuries of anecdotal evidence regarding the medicinal benefits of this common houseplant.
Identification
Aloe vera, or true aloe, has the most healing properties of all the aloe varieties. Aloe is a shrubby, stemless succulent that thrives in warm, dry climates. Its long, thick, waxy green leaves grow in a rosette pattern. Each leaf has soft spines on each side, and tapers to a fine point at the end. Aloe vera has a cactus-like appearance, but it isn’t, in fact, a type of cactus. It’s actually from the lily family and has more in common with garlic, asparagus, onions and tulips.
Features
The broader leaves at the base of an aloe vera plant contain a thin, slimy gel that’s cool and refreshing to the touch. The leaves also have a gelatinous, semi-solid interior coating called a gel fillet. Both the gel and the gel fillet are used for medicinal purposes. For topical applications, aloe can be used straight from the plant or in the form of over-the-counter ointments, creams and lotions. It can be taken orally in the form of juice, tablets or capsules.
History
Aloe has been used as a medicine for over 4000 years. Aloe is mentioned in the Bible, and it was used by ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra as a beauty treatment. The Greek physician Dioscorides praised aloe as a treatment for a variety of ailments, and Alexander the Great carried aloe plants with him into battle to treat the wounds of his soldiers. In the the 18th and 19th centuries, before the advent of modern medicine, aloe was one of the most frequently prescribed medicines.
Benefits
Aloe vera gel is comprised of 99 percent water, and 1 per cent glycoproteins and polysaccharides. According to an article published by the University of Maryland Medical Center, aloe’s glycoproteins reduce pain and inflammation, while its polysaccharides stimulate skin growth and repair. For these reasons, aloe can be effectively used to treat pain, itching and swelling caused by burns, insect bites or allergic skin reactions. It can also help small wounds and burns heal faster, and it can soothe and moisturize dry, irritated skin. Preliminary research cited by the UMMC shows that aloe gel may effectively treat both genital herpes and psoriasis symptoms.
Although it’s an effective laxative, aloe can cause severe cramping and is no longer recommended as a laxative.
Considerations
Although there has been much interest in aloe as an effective tool in the treatment of HIV, cancer and diabetes, clinical research simply hasn’t yet borne out aloe’s effect on those conditions. However, scientists have only recently begun to take aloe seriously, and much research remains to be done to understand all of its potential benefits.
