Aloe Vera Uses

Aloe vera is a succulent plant known for its healing, medicinal properties and there are claims of the use of the plant by ancient civilizations. People say that the ancient Egyptians and Greeks used it to cure many ailments, and that it was one among the many substances that Cleopatra used to maintain her famed beauty. In the present day, benefits of aloe vera extend to many different areas, including medical and cosmetic therapy. It is applied topically, ingested, and used in the form of aloe vera juice and gel. Usefulness of Aloe vera for hair and skin is widespread, which can be gauged from the many beauty products that contain extracts of the plant. Aloe vera is often considered a wonder plant, and people claim its assistance in curing just about any ailment, from constipation to cancer.

A fact to be aware of is that when aloe vera leaves are cut, there are two different fluids that can be collected and used. One is a yellow/green sap which appears when the green surface of the leaf is cut, and contains the compound Aloin. The other fluid is clear, and is collected from the gel inside the leaf. It is this substance that is soothing, and is believed to have healing properties. There are many studies that have been conducted to confirm the effectiveness of aloe vera in treating ailments, improving skin and hair, and benefiting overall health. Some of the investigations are preliminary studies, where results provide hope, but further research is required.

Aloe Vera Properties

It has been scientifically proven that Aloe latex contains strong laxative compounds. Aloe latex contains anthroquinone glycosides which is known for its cathartic properties. All the same, its effectiveness in this capacity as compared to other approaches to treat constipation are not known. While aloe vera has been applied locally for centuries to treat wounds, skin infections, burns, and numerous other dermatological conditions, now early studies have confirmed its usefulness in helping heal burns and abrasions. However, to shoot down a frequently made claim, aloe gel does not prevent one from getting burns from radiation therapy, and may hinder the healing of deep surgical wounds. Scientific evidence to support other aloe vera plant uses is not sufficient.

Uses of Aloe Vera

Aloe is a traditional medicine for healing wounds and treating various skin conditions. It is especially used for cooling and soothing sunburns. While people use aloe to treat a number of different conditions, including diabetes, epilepsy, asthma and osteoarthritis. Aloe vera uses for skin and hair are widely propagated, and is an ingredient in hundreds of skin and hair products. The FDA has approved its use as a natural food flavoring. Here are what some studies have reported about the uses of aloe vera:

• Constipation can be treated by orally consuming dried latex that is taken from the inner lining of aloe leaves.
• Initial studies say that aloe vera lotion may help treat Seborrheic dermatitis, which causes stubborn dandruff. It also make the skin on the scalp scaly, itchy and inflamed.
• A few studies have pointed towards the usefulness of aloe vera extracts in a hydrophilic cream, to treat genital herpes in men. However, more research is required in the area.
• We all heard about aloe vera benefits for the skin. Unfortunately, ability if aloe to effectively reduce skin dryness are backed only by early, low-quality scientific evidence.

As we can see, though the uses of this medicinal plant are many, actual scientific evidence supporting these claims are limited. This is not to say that aloe vera does not have many wonderful properties, only that more studies are required to confirm these benefits. A useful piece of information is that while at one point of time products made with various components of aloe were available as oral over the counter laxatives, since 2002, the FDA has demanded that all OTC aloe laxative products be either removed from the U.S. market or reformulated, as the companies that manufactured them have not provided the required safety data.