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People have been using Aloe Vera as a medicinal plant for over four thousand years; there are records of its use in Mesopotamia as far back as 2000BCE. The Greeks, the Romans and the Egyptians all knew of its amazing healing properties and its use continues to the present day. Many people grow a plant in their house or garden to use in first aid. The modern uses of Aloe Vera are usually thought of in skin care and the treatment of burns, but it is a much more versatile plant than that. It is used in herbal medicine for its actions as a digestive tonic, a laxative, an anthelmintic (worms), an anti-inflammatory and a supposed aphrodisiac.

The Plant

The plant has a distinctive appearance with fleshy spikes of upright leaves and is common in many parts of the world. The medicinal parts of the plant are its leaves. They are treated in different ways to give different product. When a leaf is first cut it oozes a yellow substance or latex, that is known as Aloes, and has a bitter taste. When the leaves are split they excrete a clear substance, known as the gel. The dilution of this gives us Aloe Vera Extract or Aloe Vera juice. The juice may be filtered to give a clear result, or left cloudy. Different uses are associated with each presentation.

Aloe Vera gel is mainly water, held together in a gel form by polysaccharides. These, along with anthraquinones such as aloin, glycoproteins and novel anti-inflammatory compounds are responsible for most of its activity. Aloe Vera also contains Vitamins A, C, E and B12, salicylic acid in small quantities, lignin from the plant cell walls and a variety of minerals. The exact composition will vary according to where the plant is grown and its treatment.

Wound Healing

Wound healing is the most commonly known property of the gel. Legend has it Alexander the Great even invaded an island in the Indian Ocean to obtain supplies of it for his army. Different chemical constituents have been shown to aid the break down of damaged tissue and the formation of new tissues, including blood vessels and skin. It reduces infection rates. This has led to its use on all types of wounds, from minor scrapes and cuts to deeply penetrating injuries such as burns. It has been used with success in frostbite and to heal the sores of genital herpes. In all cases it is applied to the wound, not taken. Overall, it seems that Aloe Vera is very effective at healing wounds and minor burns, reducing healing time by up to half in many patients. It is less clear

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