Aloe vera plant: a mine of benefits
The aloe vera plant comes from Africa, therefore an area with a rather warm climate and a low rainfall index. Its varieties are many, about 200 and more, and are grown all over the world. A thousand beneficial virtues in a single plant, pretty, beautiful to look at but above all very useful at any time because it is rich in properties and beneficial effects: watch the video below and find out everything about the aloe vera plant!
The aloe plant, its varieties and characteristics.
Among the main varieties of Alore, the best known is the aloe vera plant, which is the one most used for the production of natural products that are beneficial for the body and especially for the skin. Then there is thealoe barbadensis, the aristata, the saponaria and the "arborescens." Aloe Barbadensis is so called for the Barbados islands, but it is also grown in the Caribbean. According to the supporters of this thesis, the arborescens has more active ingredients than aloe vera, as in its preparation the whole leaves from the pulp to the rind are used, with purifying and laxative effects for the intestine. In the composition of these aloe arborescens-based products, the anthraquinone component is also used, which, however, according to other scholars, would cause serious problems for the intestine and liver and therefore is not recommended. Furthermore, its anticarcinogenic nature has not been proven by any official study. Growing an aloe vera plant in your home is a truly brilliant idea, as you will always have the juice of its leaves at hand, which is a very useful gel for many eventualities. Furthermore, unlike some other medicinal plants, it is beautiful to look at, has long bright green leaves and therefore does not spoil the aesthetics of your furniture.
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Aloe vera extracts are used as ingredients of quality products for the beauty and health of the body, cosmetics, medicines and natural supplements, which you can find in herbal medicine, perfumery and even in pharmacies. Its effectiveness was also known in antiquity. The Egyptians, true experts in cosmetics, the Chinese, the Indians, the Arabs and even the Redskins for its extraordinary properties used it; it is also mentioned in the Old Testament and in the Gospels. The Egyptians planted it near the pyramids to trace the path of the deceased Pharaoh in the "afterlife and used it as an ingredient for mummification. They called it the" plant of "immortality". Furthermore, it is a natural, non-chemical, non-harmful product with very few contraindications. Aloe loves the sun and light, but some of its varieties do not like exposure at midday and change the color of the leaves which tend to reddish due to too direct and intense sunlight. Beware, however, of temperatures that are too cold during the winter. In this season, aloe must be very protected and kept indoors, especially if the temperature drops below zero, because its leaves contain gelatinous liquid that could freeze, causing the plant to dry out permanently. The soil in which we grow aloe must be rather acidic, of quality and with good drainage, as its roots are greatly damaged by stagnation of water. For this reason, do not water it too frequently and not abundantly. Wait before watering it again until the soil is dry. If the plant is native to an area with a hot dry climate and therefore is accustomed to scarce water, we must take this into account to keep it in good health. So, more or less you can water it once a week in the summer season and once a month in the other seasons.
Test yourself: plant aloe at home in a pot!
If they give you a cutting of an aloe plant, you can transplant the seedlings when they have reached the height of a finger, preferably in spring. Or you can buy an already adult plant and choose a suitable pot, possibly large and about sixty centimeters deep. Prefer clay pots, because they are porous and avoid stagnation and sudden changes in temperature. Furthermore, being heavier than a plastic pot, they give greater stability and balance to the plant which, even when it grows in height, does not become unbalanced. If you decide to collect the aloe leaves to use their juice, choose them large, cut them cleanly with a ceramic blade. Wash them, remove the outer part and collect the gelatinous gel that you will need to prepare the product. The extraction of the juice must take place away from light sources that could decrease its properties and immediately after the collection of the leaves, which must be well cleaned, thornless and peeled, so as to leave only the central part, which must be squeezed to assume it. Thanks to the protective film that covers its leaves, the aloe vera plant is able to filter both air and water. Aloe vera is in fact a medicinal medicinal plant used both for its juice, for internal use, and as a gel for external use.
It can be very helpful in relieving itching, sunburn and irritation from the face and body! Your skin will thank you!
See also: Foods that are good for your skin: how to improve your facial skin by eating!
Aloe vera: properties, uses and contraindications.
This gel is excellent for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, healing and skin repairing properties. In addition, it also serves to rebalance the bacterial flora of the intestine. Its precious juice really has many properties and is beneficial for many problems. It is also very useful in gastritis, small ulcers, as a protective mucous membrane of the stomach from gastric juices, for hemorrhoids, for colitis, diarrhea and constipation, for bad breath and rheumatic pain. Incredible, but true. Aloe vera in the form of thick gel also has an immune and purifying power. Thanks to its healing and repairing properties of the epithelium, it enhances cell regeneration. In fact, aloe vera has the ability to very rapidly increase fibroblasts, cells which are found in the skin and produce collagen, a protein that improves skin elasticity and makes it firm and compact. It also protects against viral and bacterial infections, fevers, bronchitis, herpes, acting on the immune system. It has an anti-inflammatory effect similar to that of cortisone, therefore, it is also useful in case of arthritis.It promotes the elimination of toxins from the outside and inside of our body, improves blood circulation, is effective in anemia and has an antioxidant action that slows down the aging process of cells. In fact, vitamin C and vitamin E, together with manganese and selenium helps the body to counteract free radicals and the consequences of skin aging. Furthermore, the absorption of calcium and phosphorus favored by aloe vera improves the condition of the skin. bones and facilitates healing in the event of a fracture. If our skin is damaged, too dry, if it has sun or flame burns, itching, insect bites, or contact dermatitis, once again it is aloe that comes to us to help.
Its juice can also be used to apply tea tree essential oil to the mucous membranes, useful for candida or gum inflammation. It should not be used during pregnancy and in the case of liver and intestinal problems. The leaf should never be used without peeling it due to its high content of aloin, which could cause irritation to the intestine. If taken in too high doses it can cause diarrhea, nausea and vomiting; for this reason there are only products on the market. oral without aloin. In patients under medical treatment it may interfere with other drugs, especially with regard to blood clotting. If you are allergic to garlic and onion. it can also be reactive to aloe vera.
You can take 2 tablespoons of aloe juice in the morning and 2 in the evening between meals diluted or not diluted with fruit juice.
Aloe vera and the benefits never end.
Alos in ancient Greek means salty substance, perhaps from its marine habitat; for others its name derives from the Arabic alua, that is, bitter, as in fact is its juice. Hippocrates also attributed to it an anti-inflammatory, nourishing and disinfectant power. And so Dioscorides, also a doctor, who considered it ideal for the healing of sores and wounds for burns and skin inflammations. For Pliny the Elder it was suitable for constipation, stomach ailments and gum inflammation. The Ancient Romans knew its healing power as a balm for the wounds of warriors. At the end of the 1950s, thanks to a Texan pharmacist, Coats began the marketing of an industrial product based on aloe. A famous American nutritionist, Hedendal, discovered that the greatest property of aloe is to contain MPS, a class of sugars a long chain, which develop autonomously in our body only as children, then we must draw them from the outside. MPS lubricate the joints, protect the colon and also our cells from microbial agents. Aloe vera enhances the level of immunity, precisely because it is rich in acemannan, a mucopolysaccharide. Aloe vera promotes the elimination of toxins from the outside and inside of our body, improves blood circulation, results effective in anemia and has an antioxidant action that slows down the aging process of cells. It also has a relaxing action on the nerves, because it stimulates the production of endorphins. Very moisturizing for the skin, it stimulates metabolism and cellular regrowth. Thanks to its hypoglycemic effect it is extremely effective for patients with diabetes. Aloe vera is a natural coagulant.
Aloe extracts and cosmetic products for face and body beauty.
With its extracts excellent cosmetics are made, not harmful, with excellent INCI, which can also be purchased online for body, face and hand care. (fluid creams, conditioners, hair lotions and shampoos). Its juice is also used for scalp irritations, as an ingredient for a scruu and for hair and face masks. Some products on the market are excellent for a soothing and refreshing action on red and damaged skin. There are also rejuvenating balms for chapped lips with natural ingredients such as Aloe Vera, Argan Oil, Shea Butter and Vitamin. In addition, supplements in capsules can also be found for sale online. Its gel is very effective for persistent allergies.
Now you have something truly precious at home or in your garden, do not put it in the safe, but take care of your aloe vera plant with love, which will reward you by contributing every day to your physical well-being and will give you its help in any eventuality.
