What is more beneficial than a home-grown medicinal plant that can remedy minor health problems and supply loads of vitamins to your body? These are the valuable properties of the Aloe Vera plant, a family of Liliaceae that can easily be grown in our backyards. It was once called the “plant of immortality” by the early Egyptians due to its miraculous benefits. The latex and gel of the aloe leaf can be used for medical intake or applied directly to wounds and other skin problems. The latex is the gel just beneath the skin leaf while the gel is found in the center.
In making aloe juice, cut the leaf and spoon the inner gel and then mix it well in a blender. For a glass of juice, add two spoonfuls of blended aloe to 250ml of water. You can store the remaining gel in the refrigerator but it is advisable that you use it within a short period of time to make best use of its healing properties. For external application to the skin, refrigerate and cut the leaf, then apply the liquid extract to feel immediate soothing on your skin.
The juice has wonderful benefits for the body; it is high in important vitamins and minerals, essential amino acids and fatty acids which are basically needed for good health. It also helps in the proper digestion and detoxification of waste from the body which also helps in losing weight the healthy way. It can also boost the immune system and supply the energy needed for our daily activities. It is best taken in the morning or 3 hours before meals for the body to absorb most of its nutrients.
Aloe vera can be used externally as beauty treatment. It is beneficial as anti-aging, moisturizer, for wounds and inflammations and other skin problems. It is also helpful in painful joints like arthritis and rheumatism.
The list of healthful benefits from the nutrients found in the Aloe Vera goes on and on, studies are made for treatment of major illness like cancer. The results can be seen in as early as three weeks depending on the body, smokers tend to feel it much longer. But still, too much of something can be harmful so it must be taken with proper precautions. Advisable dosage of aloe vera juice is half a glass daily for 1-2 weeks only then resume drinking after a month. Women during pregnancy and menstruation must avoid it, also those with hemorrhoids, gall bladder and liver problems.