6 Amazing Health Benefits Of The Aloe Vera Plant

Aloe vera is a wonderful medicinal plant full of nutritional benefits. It is a succulent plant and part of the lily family. Different parts of the Aloe vera plant can be used for many different internal and external applications.

The Aloe vera plant contains over 200 biologically active, naturally occurring components, which include polysaccharides, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, and minerals. It also possesses anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties that can assist the immune system in cleansing the body of toxins and pathogens.

Perhaps you have your own Aloe vera plant in your home as I do for those small emergencies such as scrapes, cuts, and burns, but did you know that Aloe vera can actually be even more beneficial to your body when taken internally?

The Aloe vera leaf is filled with a clear gel, which is made up of approximately 99% water. Humans have used this wonderful plant therapeutically for thousands of years. The Aloe Vera plant was known to the Egyptians as ‘the plant of immortality’ and to Native Americans as the ‘wand of heaven’, Aloe vera has a wide variety of benefits. Here are my top Six benefits of an Aloe Vera plant.

1. Aloe Helps in Detoxification

The main benefit of consuming Aloe vera, is that the gel contained in the leaf, which is full of amino acids, vitamins, minerals and trace elements move through the intestinal tract absorbing toxins along the way which gets eliminated through the colon. Aloe can also help to eliminate waste from your digestive tract, which will also help in the detoxification of your body.

2. Boosts the immune system

Aloe vera is full of immune-boosting polysaccharides, which can help boost the immune system. Too much inflammation in the body can cause problems within the immune system and can cause conditions such as asthma, eczema and other conditions. The juice from the Aloe vera plant can give a powerful boost to the immune system and help to prevent these conditions.

3. Improves The Air Quality in Your Home

Aloe might be one of the best plants to keep in your home for a multitude of reasons, but one of the best reasons is the fact that it can help to remove harmful pollutants from the air that are often found in most household chemical cleaners.

4. Aloe Vera is Great for Your Skin

Because of aloe’s well-known benefits for the skin, Aloe is a very popular ingredient in many cosmetic products. Due to aloe’s high water content (over 99% water) it is a wonderful way to hydrate, moisturize and rejuvenate the skin.

Aloe can help to increase the elasticity of the skin making it more flexible through collagen and elastin repair. Aloe is an emollient, which helps to soften and soothe the skin. It will also help to supply oxygen to the skin cells, increasing the synthesis and strength of skin tissue.

5. A Great way to Boost your Vitamin and Mineral intake

Aloe vera juice is packed full with vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B3 (Niacin), B6, B12 and folic acid. Some of the 20 minerals include calcium, magnesium, zinc, chromium, iron, copper selenium and potassium.

6. Weight Loss

By improving your digestion, and detoxifying your body Aloe vera can have a secondary effect of promoting weight loss because when you start to improve your digestion, which is a main way that we all detoxify – through our bowels. This will help to lighten your toxic load on your body and can also give you more energy.

To get the best benefits from Aloe vera, taking more is not necessarily better; it is recommended to use it when it is actually needed. This way, it will ensure the effectiveness of the Aloe plant. Aloe vera juice does have a quite strong taste, so if you cannot drink it straight you can always mix it in your healthy smoothie or add it to a green juice.

Please always consult your doctor before undergoing any complementary or alternative treatments for any health problems.
 

Me standing beside a giant Aloe vera plant in Antalya in Turkey