Aloe Vera -An Introduction

 Forever 3,500 years, tales of "healing Aloe

Vera' plants have been handed down

through centuries by word of mouth. It

is probably one of the most discussed, but

least understood medicinal plants in history.

From the Bible's mention of removing Christ

from the cross and wrapping his body in

Aloes and myrrh, (John 19:39), we find

Aloe Vera mysteriously appearing in every

phase of history, with many testimonials

to its great medicinal values. The earliest

documented use of Aloe Vera comes from

the ancient Egyptians, but it was also grown

and used by King Solomon, who was said to

have valued it highly.

Alexander the Great conguered the island

of Socotra in order to have the Aloe for

his army. During his fabled travels in the

Orient, among the many marvels recorded

by Marco Polo were his descriptions of the

many applications of the Aloe Vera plant. The

Spanish Conquistadors discovered various

herbal medicines in use in Tenochtitlan (now

called Mexico City). At the heart of many

of the Aztec cures, it is known that Aloe

Vera was the effective agent. These Aztec

herbal medicines were transported back to

Europe by the Spanish, during the sixteenth

century, where they became the foundation

for modern Western medicine.

Aloe Vera is a species of Aloe, native to

Northern Africa. It is a stem less or very short-

stemmed succulent plant growing to 30-36

inches tall, spreading by offsets and root

sprouts. Aloe Vera has long been a popular

houseplant. Often called the 'miracle plant

or the 'natural healer', Aloe Vera is a plant

of many surprises. It flourishes in warm and

dry climates, and to many people it looks

like a cactus with fleshy thorny leaves, In

fact it is a member of the Lily family, staying

moist where other plants wither and die by

closing its pores to prevent moisture loss.

There are over 400 species of Aloe, but it

is the Aloe Barbadensis Miller (Aloe Vera or

"true Aloe") plant which has been of most

use to mankind because of the medicinal

properties it displays. Fully grown, the plant

stands 30-36 inches high, and a mature leaf

is 2.5-3 inches wide at the base, weighing

1.5 to 2 kg.

The Aloe leaf structure is made up of four

layers:

1) Rind - the outer protective layer.

2)

Sap - a layer of bitter fluid which helps

protect the plant from animals.

3) Mucilage Gel - the inner part of the leaf

that is filleted out to make Aloe Vera gel.

4) Aloe Vera (inner gel) contains the 8

essential Amino Acids that the human

body needs but cannot manufacture.

We believe you will come to realize (as we

have) that Aloe Vera is great for your body -

both internally and externally. Aloe Vera has

some fantastic natural healing benefits

which is why it has earned the title "miracle

plant".