Aloe Vera - "The Silent Healer"

"There are four plants necessary for human life: wheat, grapes, olives and aloe plant. The first feeds the
second enjoys human heart, about bringing harmony, the fourth makes you healthy. "Christopher
Columbus.

Aloe Barbadensis Miller, also called Aloe Vera, is a subtropical plant from liliaceae`s family (as well as
garlic, onion, tulip, etc.). It is one of over 250 species of aloe, known in many countries for its therapeutic
effect, being considered a veritable natural medicine. The name "Aloe"comes from the Arabic word
"Aloeh" which means "bitter sap crystal”. Although it is not the only gender of aloe with healing effects,
according to the latest medical research in the field, Aloe Vera is the species with the best health
outcomes.
The plant has fleshy lance-shaped leaves that grow straight from the ground, and the edge is sawtooth-
shaped. In the middle has a stem ending in cylindrical yellow-red flowers. Cultivated plant height is 75-
120 cm, has 12-15 large leaves, fleshy, the weight of a leaf is between 700-1500 g. Leafs size depends on
the quality of the ground and weather conditions. The plant reachs maturity after 3-4 years, only then it
can be harvested. Aloe Vera grows naturally in North Africa, east and south in countries around the
Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea, India, China and Indian Ocean islands. It is cultivated in the Caribbean
islands, in countries like Dominican Republic, Barbados, Jamaica, Puerto-Rico. Large plantations are
located in Texas, California, Arizona and Mexico. Aloe Vera contains a lot of substances, which two
are the most important:
- aloin, just below the crust of the leaf, is a milky yellow liquid with bitter taste, used for centuries
as a laxative (powder used).
- aloe-gel, is a viscous liquid located in the leaves.
The gel inside the leaf is the most active component and more from medical point of view efficient.
Despite its spectacular effects, this gift of the nature could only be used fresh, because it is not known an
efficient method of conservation for a long time of the gel which oxidizes very quickly (two hours).
Following several in high researches institutes of the world has been founded that stopping the oxidation
(and, consequently, keeping all the plant's active principles) can be done by adding natural antioxidants,
such as natural vitamins: A, C and E. The gel is thus stabilized and resists a long period of time after leaf
collection, maintaining all its therapeutic qualities.
The identified and studied components from the gel of Aloe Vera are:
-lignin: penetrates the superficial layers of the skin, has a very important role as a carrier of the
other benefactress components from gel.
-saponin: disinfecting effect
-anthraquinones: laxatives known as (in number of 12).
-aloin: laxative effect, emetic, analgesic
-volatile oils
-vitamins: A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8, B9, B12, C, D, E
-20 minerals: calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, sodium, chlorine, manganese, magnesium,
copper, chromium, selenium, zinc, mono-and polysaccharides.
-hormones
-auxine
-acetylsalicylic acid
-7 of the 8 essential amino acids and 11 of the 14 non-essential.
-enzymes
-steroids