Aloe Vera is a common plant in numerous homes, as it requires no special care and it enriches the room with its modest look. However, despite being a decorative plant, it can actually enhance your wellbeing and health, something many people are not aware of.
Aloe Vera, or Aloe Barbadensis, has been a popular plant throughout the history, mostly due to its powerful medicinal properties.
It was a valued plant in Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Moreover, it has been commonly used in Latin America, the Caribbean, and South Africa.
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, it has also been a commonly prescribed medicine in the United States throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.
Nowadays, it is still one of the most used medicinal plants. This is due to the fact that it has a wide range of uses, such as in the treatment of fever, osteoarthritis, mouth issues, ulcerative colitis, and asthma.
It is also regarded as one of the best natural products for beauty care. The gel of this plant effectively relieves cuts, infections, sunburns, wounds, and burns, and it also fights inflammation and itching, due to its analgesic properties.
Several studies have shown that it is even better that conventional remedies in treating burns, as it soothes the pain and accelerates the healing process.
Aloe Vera has two beneficial immune-boosting compounds: glycoproteins and polysaccharides. Glycoproteins relieve pain and soothe inflammation while polysaccharides moisturize the skin and support the skin repair process.
Also, aloe Vera treats and helps in the case f numerous other health issues, like dental conditions, constipation, psoriasis, high cholesterol, inflammatory bowel disease, genital herpes, canker sores, upper respiratory tract infection, seborrheic dermatitis, and cancer. It also lowers the blood sugar levels in the case of type 2 diabetes.
In order to prepare the aloe Vera gel and use it to treat some of these issues, follow the instructions below:
You will need:
- An aloe plant
- Fresh lemon juice
- A clean cotton towel
- A sharp filleting knife
- A sterile glass jar
- A clean cutting board
- A clean plate
- A food processor (optional)
Procedure:
- Wash your hands well in order to prevent contamination of the sterile gel.
- Choose a thick and juicy leaf of the plant, at least 4-6 inches long, preferably from its bottom. Make sure you cut it off properly in order not to harm the other leaves.
- Wipe the knife you will use.
- Wash the leaf well, dry it, and leave it on a plate at a 45° angle for 15 minutes in order to allow it to drain the yellow juice. In some cases, this juice may lead to digestive distress as it acts as a laxative.
- Put the leaf on a cutting board and cut the edges from the sides.
- You should fillet it in order to eliminate the green outer shell. Try not to lose too much gel in this process.
- Then, cut the get in cubes and put it in a jar.
- In order to get all the gel you can, run the knife along the green scraps once more. Run your knife along the green scraps to harvest any remaining gel
- In order to make it last longer, squeeze some lemon juice over the gel, and shake it a bit to coat evenly.
- In the end, you can pour the gel into a food processor and make a smoother gel.
- Keep the aloe Vera gel in a sealed jar in the fridge, where it can stay up to a week.
For topical use, you should clean and cut the leaf lengthwise. Then, rub the gel on the wound few times a day, until it is completely healed.
For medicinal use, you should take 30 ml of the gel, 3 times during the day. However, you should consult your naturopath before using aloe Vera internally.
