The Aloe Vera plant gel has many uses from lotions and creams for the skin to assisting with healing burns and wounds. You can even eat it. Learn more here

The Aloe Vera plant does not like cold weather so it grows where it warm year around. However, it will thrive if you grow it at home. Some folks like it as a house plant but that is the least of ifs use.

For thousands of years, people around the globe have used the Aloe Vera plant as a supplier of a useful gel. This gel has been used to treat various conditions found in humans. This green, thick-leaved plant is a known medicinal.

Helping wounds to heal is reputed to be one condition for which the gel from the Aloe Vera plant is used. The reputation is that this gel cuts down on inflammation and eases the pain. But, its effect is not clear. Let us look at what scientific study tells us.

A study performed in the 1990s showed that the healing time of a moderate to severe burn was reduced when the wound was treated on a regular basis with Aloe Vera gel. Aloe Vera healing time was compared to the healing of a similar wound covered in a gauze bandage.

However, a different study reported that wounds treated with Aloe Vera gel were much slower to heal. So, whether or not this gel promotes faster healing is sitll unknown. But, it is said that there may be some promising results on the way. Thus you will, if you want to use this gel, have to make your own results study.

Are there any additional uses for the Aloe Vera plant?

An immunostimulant has been extracted by a commercial laboratory. This substance has not been approved for human use. It has been approved for treating a cancer (fibrosarcoma) in cats and dogs. Even though it is not a drug it is a controlled product and can only be obtainef from a veterinarian

Companies that make cosmetics are always looking for a way to enhance their products. So, Aloe Vera gel has been seized on as an excellent addition to shampoos, lotions, makeup, tissues, moisturizers, soap and sun screen. How effective is the gel when used here? Well, as we all know about cosmetics, its certainly a commercial secret — or at least a mysterious unknown.

Aloe Vera gel is commonly used to ease dry skin. Eczema around the eyes may be eased by using this gel. Also, sensitive facial skin is sometimes treated with the gel.

An article published in the British Journal of General Practice suggests that Aloe Vera is effective at treating athlete’s foot.

But, using the gel applied externally in a cream or lotion, is not the only use for Aloe Vera. People have for a long time used the sap as a juice to consume internally.

It is said that Aloe Vera juice may help some people with ulcerative colitis, which is an inflammatory bowel disease. However, side effects can occur and consulting a doctor before ingesting any form of Aloe Vera, including Aloe Vera juice, is highly recommended.

Well, now we know something about Aloe Vera. But, how does the gel get extracted from this plant. The gel is not from a fruit or from the root. Where, do we find it?

The lower leaves of the plant yield the gel. The leaves are typically bulky, thick and green. When the Aloe Vera leaf is sliced open, there is a gel inside.

However, be careful. Here is something to be aware of if you want to extract the gel yourself.

There is a yellow substance (Aloe Vera latex) which comes from the inner side of the plant’s skin. It can be highly irritating. Some who have reported bad effects from Aloe Vera may be applying or eating this yellow substance. You must carefully remove all skin and anything yellow before using the gel. The gel must be perfectly clear, odorless and tasteless.

This gel is also said to be used for clearing up eczema, according to some reports. It has also been used on herpes infections for possible instant symptomatic relief.

But, in addition to the medical uses, Aloe Vera gel is eaten in many parts of the globe.

In Japan, Aloe Vera is often used as an ingredient in commercial yogurt. There are also many Japanese companies which use Aloe Vera in beverages.

In some of the parts of early India , now called Pakistan, the Aloe Vera plant has been used for centuries as a digestive aid. Seeds of various herbs are mixed with the dried gel and consumed after a meal. Sort of an early Asian Tums, huh?

Pashtuns in India have been using Aloe Vera for centuries to improve physical endurance. This effect is probably due to the high nutrient content of the gel. People in Rajasthan, India, prepare Aloe Vera as a vegetable with fenugreek seeds.

People in Tamil Nadu, another state of India, prepare a curry using Aloe Vera which is eaten along with Indian bread or rice.

Aloe Vera gel is contained in some popular beverages. SoBe’s Strawberry Drink is one. Smoothies served in Mexico commonly contain Aloe Vera. This gel is an ingredient in a South Korea popular soft drink.

Disclaimer ” No information included here is meant to treat, mitigate, diagnose or cure any condition or disease. You must talk with your doctor before using. No government agency has approved this information. It is meant only for educational purposes.