Knowing More of the Benefits of Aloe Vera
I saw my neighbour’s potted Aloe Vera plant this morning as I passed by and I remembered my grandmother’s penchant for this plant. My grandmother was the herbalist in the family and sadly nobody took after her in that aspect. When I was younger, I would watch my grandmother cut open the stem of the Aloe Vera and massage the gel inside it directly on her scalp. She said this would make her hair thicker. But as a kid, I was more interested in other things; I was not keen about knowing if it was true or not, dismissing this information from grandma as mere fishwife’s tale.
My grandma however was not alone in her belief of the benefits of Aloe Vera; there are a lot of people who also swear to the hair thickening properties of this succulent plant and I remember a shampoo brand some time ago that uses Aloe Vera as one of its active ingredients. And a salon I went to recently offered me their salon formulated shampoo product also with Aloe Vera as main ingredient.
What is Aloe Vera?
Aloe Vera is a succulent, perennial herb belonging to the lily family. The plant’s leaves are thick and fleshy with toothed edge. The Aloe Vera plant originated in Africa however due to its many known medicinal value the most common of which is as a topical antiseptic for small cuts and as a soothing relief for burns the plant is now known in the four corners of the world. The medicinal values of the Aloe Vera plant prompted various scientific research on the benefits that can be derived from true aloe as it is also commonly known.
The Benefits of Aloe Vera
In its natural state, the gel inside the stem aside from a balm to soothe burns. The bitter juice can be added to flavoured drinks to serve as aid in digestive problems. Numerous research has been conducted that attest to the benefits of Aloe Vera thus the plant has been developed into various products such as medicine, supplement and cosmetics. The reason behind this is that the plant contains anti-inflammatory fatty acids, cholesterol, campersterol, B-sitosterol and also antiseptic agents like lupeol, salicylic acid, urea nitrogen, cinnamonic acid, phenols and sulphur.
These substances play key roles in healing various human ailments such as acne rosacea, urticaria, kidney problems, constipations, severe burns, diarrhoea and other intestinal problems. There were also studies conducted which indicate that Aloe Vera may have help in the treatment or prevention of some cancers and arthritis. For ladies’ beauty regimen, Aloe Vera is a very good moisturizer and skin softener. Let us not forget my grandmother’s claim that the Aloe Vera plant is very good for hair re-growth, science has proven her correct.
With all the good benefits that can be derived from Aloe Vera, I think I better keep a pot or two also of the said plant. No wonder the Aloe Vera is also called the "medicine plant."
References
- https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-use-aloe-vera-plant
- https://www.webmd.com/diet/supplement-guide-aloe-vera
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763764/
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