History of Aloe Vera

Most botanists agree to the historical evidences that the Aloe vera plant originated in the warm and dry climates of Africa. This plant has been in the records of early civilizations – from Persia and Egypt in the Middle East, Greece and Italy in Europe, to India and African continents. The plant is also very popular in Asia and the Pacific, and is present in the folklore of the Japanese, the Philippines and the Hawaiians. Aloe vera is also included in the history of medicine and medical thought. It was recorded that the Greek physician Dioscorides used it. Aloe vera was also used by the Spanish during their years of colonization and carried it with them to their conquests in South America and the Caribbean.

In Egypt, the plant was used as a burial gift to dead pharaohs as is depicted on their drawings and illustrations. The Papyrus ebers, an Egyptian document which was written B.C.E 1550, is probably the first document that detailed the discussion of Aloe Vera’s medicinal value. The document contains 12 formulas for mixing aloe with other agents to treat both internal and external human disorders.

It was Dioscorides who gave the first detailed description of the plant we call Aloe Vera and attributed to its juices “the power of binding, of inducing sleep.” He also said that it “loosens the belly, cleansing the stomach.” He also added that this “bitter” aloe (the sap) was a treatment for boils; that it eased hemorrhoids; aided in healing bruising; that it was good for the tonsils, the gums and all general mouth irritations, and it worked as a medicine for the eyes. Also, he observed that the whole leaf is pulverized; it could stop the bleeding of many wounds.

Plant Description

The most common aloe vera that you see in landscapes and households is characterized with fleshy, stiff and spiny leaves around the edges and are often crowded together in a rosette. Their flowers are usually reddish, produced on snowy spikes that may extend 6 m (20 ft) above the ground. There are also species of aloe vera that produce yellow, orange, or whitish-green flowers. Aloe vera is also known as aloe barbadensis. The word aloe vera comes from the Arabic word aloe, which means plant, vera, which means true or genuine.

Aloe Vera Barbadensis

This is the species of aloe known for its medicinal properties. It looks like a small agave plant, and when adult grows to about 60-70 cm. Small plants often have white dotted marks on the leaf, but will eventually disappear as the plant grows, making it give a shade of light to dark green in color. It is actually a succulent plant that has a fibrous root system producing long, tapering, stem less leaves.

Aloe vera plant may be grown from seed. It thrives in well-drained sunny locations, and prefers rough, gritty medium. It can also be grown in pots and needs little amount of water. When you want to grow them indoors, the offshoots of the plant can be removed and replanted in another pot.

Aloe vera is proven to be of great help in households. When this plant is present in your garden, you may cut the leaves, peel off the green skin and use the transparent aloe vera gel to aid burn skins, irritated skin and scalps. In most Asian countries such as the Philippines, this plant is popular with the mothers as they apply it to the hairs of their daughters along with coconut oil to prevent dandruff and lice infection of the hair. Another one of the many aloe vera uses is in removing lice eggs, when applied it makes the lice eggs easily slide off the hair.

Aloe vera gel and juices are extracted from the plant itself and is also known to aid various ailments. Its antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory properties make it a popular ingredient for making lotions; moisturizers and other skin care products. Aloe vera juice is also used as a laxative and is known to aid in weight loss while aloe vera gel benefits skin irritations, dry skin and other skin problems.

Other Names for Aloe Vera

In India, aloe vera is known as Korphad; in states of Rajasthan and Gujarat it is called as GwarPatha, and in Tamilnadu it is known as Katralai. In Pakistan, the aloe vera plant is known as Quargandal and is used in Unani (Greek-Islamic) medicine. In South America, it is known as Sabila, in Indonesia it is called Lidah Buaya and in Thailand, it is known as Crocodile Tail plant.

Aloe vera is widely distributed in the different continents, and for most people it is of great help when it comes to healing and first aid medicine applications.


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Carotenoids
A group of phytochemicals called carotenoids are found more abundantly in carrots than any other vegetable or food source and as we can see they are actually named after carrots. Carotenoids are potent antioxidants created in vegetables to protect themselves from the oxidative effects of sunlight, especially the blue part of the light spectrum.

[ad#Carotene Blood Test] There are actually more than 600 known kinds of carotenoids of which three are found abundantly in carrots – alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin. Beta-carotene is more commonly known and is often called pro-vitamin A because it is converted by the body to vitamin A. Alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin are also converted to vitamin A but half as effectively as beta-carotene. It takes 12mcg of beta-carotene to generate 1mcg of vitamin A, while it takes 24mcg of either alpha-carotene or beta-cryptoxanthin to produce 1mcg of vitamin A.

Carotenoids and Heart Health
A variety of studies have found that a diet rich in carotenoids is associated with a significant reduction in heart disease, especially in the form of atherosclerosis. Carotenoids are fat soluble and therefore travel within lipids in the blood such as LDL cholesterol. Their antioxidant actions also protects LDL cholesterol from oxidative damage and this protection is the basis of reducing the risk of atherosclerosis developing. Oxidized LDL cholesterol cells are bad news because they attach to the artery walls developing into a plaque that narrows and hardens the arteries, therefore creating atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis raises blood pressure and reduces blood flow to the heart and even the brain. This can lead to stroke or heart attacks.

One study which provided powerful evidence for the heart protective qualities of carotenoids was conducted with 1300 elderly people in Massachusetts. Researchers discovered that those who ate a daily serving of carotenoid rich foods (either carrots or squash in this instance) were 60% less likely to suffer a heart attack than those who ate less than a daily serving! That is a pretty astounding result!

Carotenoids and Cancer Prevention
There was a lot of controversy when a study revealed that beta-carotene supplementation actually increased the risk of lung cancer in smokers. However this negative effect only held true for beta-carotene in supplement form and the opposite is true for those whose diets are high in real food sources of beta-carotene such as carrots. Synthetic beta-carotene supplements are actually a little different in their chemical structure to beta-carotene in foods and their effect upon our cells is naturally different too. Large prospective studies that include tens of thousands of people always find that those who eat carrots daily are up to 50% less likely to develop lung cancer. In fact carrot consumption was not just limited to providing protection from lung cancer put also proved to be protective against cancers of the colon, larynx, esophagus, prostate, cervix and bladder.

Carotenoids and Digestion
When we eat raw carrots we are limited in the amount of carotenoids that we actually digest. Carotenoids are deeply entwined in the matrix of proteins and fibers of carrots (and other vegetables) and require some help to be released. Chewing does help to release the carotenoids on a very small scale but cooking carrots helps to loosen up the carotenoids more extensively and increases bioavailability. Juicing carrots is also another great way to improve the bioavailability of carotenoids. A juicing machine’s blade will ‘chew up’ the carrots extensively and research shows that carrot juice is a considerably better source of carotenoids than eating a raw carrot.

There is also another factor that greatly improves the digestibility of carotenoids and that is fat! Carotenoids are fat soluble so adding oil to salads or cooking greatly improves digestibility.

Vitamin A Benefits
As the carotenoids in carrots nutrition are transformed to vitamin A by the liver then carrots also provide us with the health benefits of carrots vitamin A content. Carrots are famous for ‘helping us see in the dark’ and this is no ‘old wives tale’ because vitamin A is essential for preventing night blindness. Vitamin A is converted in the eye to another chemical called rhodopsin, a purple based pigment that the eye needs to see at night. The antioxidant action of vitamin A also helps to protect eye cells from oxidative damage that can lead to premature aging of the eyes and increase the risk of developing eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

Providing healthy skin is another important health benefit of carrots vitamin A content. Vitamin A is needed in the creation of and the healthy maintenance of epithelial skin cells. Even a slight deficiency of vitamin A may lead to dry, cracked or rough looking skin (or all three!). The antioxidant actions of vitamin A also protects the epithelial skin cells from the oxidative effects of free radicals that are found in polluted air and smoke.

In partnership with the antioxidant vitamins C and E, vitamin A is also an essential member of the immune system.

Carrots Nutrition Facts
Besides being an excellent source of some carotenoids and vitamin A, carrots are also a good source of vitamins B1, B3, B6, folate, C and K, molybdenum, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous and dietary fiber.

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A Diet food
Celery, a famous diet food, really does aid in weight loss. One stalk of celery provides just 6 calories, so if we ate 5 stalks of celery we would only consume 30 calories! Celery is also a ‘negative calorie food’, this effectively means that the body actually uses more than 6 calories just to chew and digest one stalk of celery. Clearly this is a great benefit for trying to shift the extra pounds!

Vitamin Profile
Celery is an excellent source vitamins C and K with one cup providing 14% and 44% of the RDA (recommended daily value) respectively. Vitamin C is an essential member of the immune system that contributes to the production of more than half of the antibodies in our blood. These antibodies are especially potent at fighting off viruses such as colds, flu, ear infections and other kinds of infections. Vitamin K is needed for blood coagulation which helps to stop bleeding and aid in the healing of wounds.

Celery nutrition also provides a fair source of beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A) with one cup delivering about 3% of the RDA of this nutrient. Vitamin A is essential for the creation of skin cells and even a slight deficiency can result in dry flaky skin. Vitamin A is also a potent antioxidant that has been shown to help prevent us from developing lung cancer by protecting us from free radicals that we breathe in from pollution. One study found that smokers with the highest dietary intake of vitamin A are less likely to succumb to lung cancer than their counterparts who consume the least vitamin A.

Mineral Profile
Potassium, calcium and magnesium are three minerals that are found in good supply and add to the nutritional value of celery. Celery is therefore a good source of calcium for vegetarians and vegans. Additionally vitamin K also aids in the absorption of calcium into the bloodstream and celery being a great source of vitamin K increases the bio-availability of the calcium in celery.

Building Stronger Bones
Helping to build stronger bones is one of the health benefits of celery. Celery contains 2 nutrients that have been shown to improve the density and strength of bones and reduce our risk of developing osteoporosis – they are calcium and vitamin K. Calcium is an essential component of our bone structure and is of course famous for its role in bone health. Vitamin K is a less known contributor to building stronger bones but there is evidence for it. A 1998 Nurses Health Study discovered that women who eat lettuce (also a great source of vitamin K) every day are considerably less likely to fracture their hips than those who eat lettuce just once or less per week

Celery Health Benefits for the Heart
Celery contains a handful of nutrients that all help to lower blood pressure, a condition that is a risk factor for heart disease. Celery contains a unique phytochemical called phthalide that promotes the relaxing of the muscles that surround the arteries. This helps the arteries to expand more, allowing more blood flow and therefore reducing blood pressure. There is also more to phthalide, it also helps to reduce the production of stress hormones that can cause arteries to constrict and increase blood pressure. So that is two great ways that the phthalides help heal hypertension.

(Protection from heart disease is one of the fundamental health benefits of juicing celery, especially combining it to make green juice recipes)

The other nutrients found in celery that help protect us from heart health are the minerals potassium, calcium and magnesium. These three vitamin are all associated with aiding in the proper functioning of the muscle in the heart and the muscles of the arteries and therefore promoting health blood pressure levels.

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Best wishes in your health and well-being.
Darren and Veronica Haynes

Digestive Health
Drinking aloe vera juice has many benefits for the digestion and is one of the most common reasons people take it. It helps with stomach cramps and has a soothing effect on the whole digestive tract. There are even reports of people who have cured or improved their symptoms of I.B.S – an unpleasant condition that can weaken the immune system and hinder the absorption of nutrients from the food we eat.

Aloe vera juice benefits the colon greatly and is often a staple ingredient in many colon cleanse programs. It provides nutrition that helps to improve the quality of the mucous membrane linings of the colon wall. These mucous membranes are effectively the lubrication that helps the transit of feces through the colon at a healthy speed. This can help eliminate constipation problems along with proper diet and hydration. Additionally, aloe vera juice helps to remove old feces that have become stuck to the colon wall. This is considered a common problem, due to the decrease of fiber in the modern diet of the Western World. Taking products like aloe vera juice to help remove old fecal matter can have major health promoting effects. This old fecal matter is poisonous to us. It provides a base for toxic bacteria to grow, which is then absorbed into the blood stream – a condition called autointoxication. Clearly, this can generate a myriad of health conditions from constipation and diarrhea to cancer.

Anti-inflammatory Benefits
The soothing and cooling benefits of aloe vera juice is not limited to the digestive tract. Some people with arthritis symptoms have reported it helps with inflammation and pain in the joints. One study provides evidence that the sterols found in aloe vera have strong anti-inflammtory properties. So far the evidence is based on animal studies, but shows an inhibitory effect on the arachidonic acid pathway – a major contributor to inflammation. Also, aloe vera juice contains simple sugars called mucopolysaccharides. These sugars are needed for cell regeneration and help repair damaged cells. The health benefits of juicing also include anti-inflammatory effects.

Skin Care
Aloe has been used for centuries as an aid for cuts and burns. According to some studies, when aloe is applied topically to a wound, it can speed up the healing process. Also, drinking aloe vera juice can help improve skin quality and complexion. It contains many nutrients and antioxidants which are vital to skin health, such as vitamin C, E and the mineral zinc.
This nutrients help protect the skin from external toxins in air pollution, as well as helping to detox internal toxins. Other benefits of aloe vera juice for the skin include: providing proper lubrication, helping maintain the elasticity of the skin, removing dead skin cells, and helping with the regeneration of skin cells.

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In Health
Darren and Veronica Haynes