health benefits Aloe vera

Aloe vera, sometimes described as a “wonder plant,” is a short-stemmed shrub. Aloe is a genus that contains more than 500 species of flowering succulent plants. Many Aloes occur naturally in North Africa.

The leaves of Aloe vera are succulent, erect, and form a dense rosette. Many uses are made of the gel obtained from the plant’s leaves.

Aloe vera has been the subject of much scientific study over the last few years, regarding several claimed therapeutic properties. In this article, we will look at some of these claims and investigate the research behind them.

What is Aloe vera?Aloe vera gel has many medicinal properties and is often used in creams and lotions.

According to Kew Gardens, England’s royal botanical center of excellence, Aloe vera has been used for centuries and is currently more popular than ever.

It is cultivated worldwide, primarily as a crop for “Aloe gel,” which comes from the leaf.

Aloe vera is widely used today in:

Food – it is approved by the FDA as a flavoring.

Cosmetics.

Food supplements.

Herbal remedies.

The earliest record of a n use for Aloe vera comes from the Ebers Papyrus (an Egyptian medical record) from the16th century BC. According to a study published in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, in ancient Egypt, they called Aloe vera “that plant of immortality.” The authors added that the plant has been used therapeutically for many centuriesTrusted Source in China, Japan, India, Greece, Egypt, Mexico, and Japan.Benefits

The medicinal claims made about Aloe vera, as with many herbs and plants, are endless. Some are backed by rigorous scientific studies while others are not. This article focuses mainly on those that are backed by research.

1. Teeth and gums

A study published in General Dentistry reported that Aloe vera in tooth gels is as effective as toothpaste in fighting cavities.

The researchers compared the germ-fighting ability of an Aloe vera tooth gel with two popular toothpastes. They found that the gel was just as good, and in some cases even better than the commercial toothpastes at controlling cavity-causing oral bacteria.

The authors explain that Aloe latex contains anthraquinones, compounds that actively heal and reduce pain through natural anti-inflammatory effects The scientists warned that not all gels they analyzed contained the proper form of Aloe vera – they must contain the stabilized gel that exists in the center of the plant to be effective.

2. Constipation

Germany’s regulatory agency for herbs – Commission E – approved the use of Aloe vera for the treatment of constipation. Dosages of 50-200 milligrams of Aloe latex are commonly taken in liquid or capsule form once daily for up to 10 days.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled in 2002 that there is not enough data on the safety and efficacy of Aloe products; so, in the U.S., they cannot be sold to treat constipation.

3. Diabetes-induced foot ulcers Researchers at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, published a study in the journal Molecules.

The team set out to determine whether the methanol extract of leaf skins and flowers of Aloe vera might have beneficial effects on human health. The scientists focused on the extract’s possible antioxidant and antimycoplasmic activities.

Mycoplasma is a type of bacteria that lack a cell wall; they are unaffected by many common antibiotics. Antimycoplasmic substances destroy these bacteria.

They reported that both Aloe vera flower and leaf extracts had antioxidant properties, especially the leaf skin extract. The leaf skin extract also exhibited antimycoplasmic properties.

The authors concluded that “A. Vera extracts from leaf skin and flowers can be considered as good natural antioxidant sources.”