Aloe Vera is a succulent plant classified under the order Asparagales and the family Asphodelaceae. It is found natively growing in Northern Africa , the Canary islands and Cape Verde , places having arid climates in particular.

Aloe vera is an extremely short-stemmed succulent plant growing up to 60–100 cm in height. It has leaves that are thick and fleshy and are mainly green to grey-green, in color. While the margins of the aloe leaf are serrated containing small white teeth, some of its varieties show white flecks on both the upper as well as the lower stem bases. The flowers are arranged in the form of spikes which are up to 90 cm tall - mainly blossoming in the summer season. They are pendulous showing a yellow tubular corolla at the top of about 2–3 cm. A significant quality of the aloe plant species is that they form arbuscular mycorrhiza , which is a symbiosis improving the plant's ability to absorb minerals from the soil.

Uses and health benefits

Aloe Vera is widely employed for the production of cosmetic and therapeutic products. It is known to have rapid healing, soothing and moisturizing qualities. Aloe Vera gel is also employed as a main ingredient for the commercial production of lotion s, yogurt , beverages , and desserts. Aloe vera juice is widely used for treating disorders related to digestion like heartburn s and irritable bowel syndrome . Many cosmetic companies are known to add sap from Aloe vera to their products such as makeup , dab tissues , moisturizers , soaps , sunscreens , incense sticks , razor blades, shampoos , toners and cleanzers.

Among its health and medical benefits, Aloe vera has been found to be highly effective in healing first as well as second degree burns. It has also been found to be very useful in improving the blood glucose levels in diabetic patients along with those suffering from low blood lipids in patients suffering from hyperlipidaemi a. It has shown effective results when used for treating acute hepatitis as well. Researches have revealed that daily intake of Aloe vera gel greatly reduces inflammation in people suffering from ulcerative colitis .

References:

Ernst E (November 2000). "Adverse effects of herbal drugs in dermatology". The British journal of dermatology 143 (5): 923–9. doi : 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2000.03822.x . PMID   11069498 .

Marshall JM (2000) Aloe vera gel: what is the evidence? Pharm J 244 :360–362.

Boudreau MD, Beland FA (April 2006). "An evaluation of the biological and toxicological properties of Aloe barbadensis (miller), Aloe vera". Journal of environmental science and health. Part C, Environmental carcinogenesis & ecotoxicology reviews 24 (1): 103–54. doi : 10.1080/10590500600614303 . PMID   16690538 .

Vogler BK, Ernst E (October 1999). "Aloe vera: a systematic review of its clinical effectiveness" . The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners 49 (447): 823–8. PMID   10885091 . PMC   1313538 .