ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Aloe Vera: A versatile herbal medicine

Updated on October 14, 2012
Aloe vera has many medicinal properties
Aloe vera has many medicinal properties | Source

What is aloe vera?

Aloe vera is a species of succulent which is thought to originate in Africa.It has stemless leaves which contain a gel used for medicinal purposes for it's soothing and healing properties.It's leaves are serrated and often grey-green in colour.It flowers in Summer and is widely found in the Canary Islands.Many people grow it as a potplant in more Northern areas where it cannot be grown outside.It also grows in China and parts of Southern Europe where the climate is warm and dry. It is thought that the distribution of this widely known medicinal plant is the result of human cultivation.Aloe vera is also known as the "potted physician" or the "plant of life" among other things.

How does aloe vera work?

Different parts of the aloe vera plant have different medicinal properties.For example,aloe vera contains twelve anthroquinones which have a laxative effect as well as being useful for inflammation or pain relief.These anthroquinones aso have virucidal,antibacterial and antifungal properties and are all found in the sap of the aloe vera plant.

Aloe vera also contains minerals essential to the body such as copper and zinc. The vitamins it contains include vitamins A,C and E which are powerful antioxidants useful for ridding the body of free radicals/toxins.Aloe vera also contains many of the amino acids necessary in the body along with enzymes and sterols(anti-inflammatory agents)

Aloe vera can provide the body with necessary nutrients,it can kill bacteria and viruses as well as reducing inflammation.

What is aloe vera used for?

Aloe vera sap or gel can be used topically for burns,rashes and minor wounds and has been used for this purpose for centuries.It has also been used as a home remedy for asthma.It can be ingested as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome and this use of aloe vera has been well-researched recently in the U.K.

It is also used as a laxative and colon cleanser,getting rid of impacted food waste in the colon in a gentle way.The amino acids it contains facilitates regeneration of tissue in the digestive tract

It is well-known as a skin moisturiser,hydrating and rejuvenating skin tissue to make one look younger.

It is clear that aloe vera is a very versatile medicinal plant with properties that are being researched and documented by proponents of conventional medicine.

Grow your own aloe vera

Unless you live in a warm,dry climate,it will be necessary to grow aloe vera indoors or purchase aloe vera products commercially. It is available as an established plant from many nurseries.It likes a sunny place if possible and prefers more water in the Summer than it does in the Winter. It can be left outside in the Summer but is not frost-hardy so it needs to be taken indoors for the Winter months in climates which are not warm and sunny.


Aloe vera is a very versatile medicinal plant which is used topically for the treatment of wounds,burns and rashes.It is ingested as a colon cleanser or for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.It contains many amino acids,vitamins and minerals essential for the human body and has a well-deserved place in Nature's medicine cabinet

Have you ever used aloe vera?

See results
working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)