Aloe Vera Plant Uses

The aloe vera's medicinal powers are in its leaves.

It doesn't have pretty flowers or a fragrant smell, but millions around the world rely on the aloe vera plant's medicinal and curative properties. The BBC reports that the succulent plant is ideal for beginning gardeners and grows best in full sunlight. If you do not have your own aloe vera plant, purchase aloe products from companies around the world.

Plant Definition

The aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) is one of more than 250 species of Aloes. This perennial has rough, green leaves that reach 2 feet in diameter. Although an aloe vera plant is 99 percent water, the plant's leaves contain compounds that have healing properties. Individuals grow aloe vera at home, and manufacturers use its gel in a variety of commercial products such as pills, gels and juices.

(See Reference 2, "Plant Description:")

Historical Uses

For more than 3,500 years, people wrote about the aloe vera plant's curative properties. Ancient Sumerian tablets describe uses for the aloe vera. In the book "Nature's Healthy Lifestyle," author Mervyn Bryan reports priests on board Columbus' ships used the plant for medicinal purposes. Four-thousand-year-old drawings on Egyptian tombs show the cultivation and use of aloe vera. Cleopatra, Alexander the Great and Marco Polo also used the plant. The Bible also mentions its use in several books.

Recent Medical Uses

Many people extract aloe gel from the plant's leaves to treat minor burns, cuts and abrasions. Compounds in the plant's gel reduce pain and assist with healing. Manufacturers also create sun tan lotion containing aloe vera. After World War II, the U.S. sent large quantities of aloe vera to Hiroshima victims burned during the atomic blast. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, preliminary results show that aloe vera relieves skin conditions such as psoriasis and helps lower blood sugar levels in diabetes patients.

Cosmetics and Other Uses

Hundreds of beauty products contain aloe vera extract. These tackle a range of beauty concerns ranging from wrinkle reduction to protection from the sun. After the Food and Drug Administration approved aloe vera as a food flavoring, companies began adding it to foods and beverages. Some spas even use the plant's gel for facials and other beauty treatments. Cosmetic makers do not have to test their cosmetics before putting them on the market. The FDA only gets involved in cases that involve tampering or mislabeled products.

References

• The Garden Helper: How to Grow and Care for Aloe Vera Plants and Use Aloe Gel
• University of Maryland Medical Center: Aloe
• "Nature's Healthy Lifestyle"; Mervyn Bryan; 2008
• Los Angeles Times: The Healing Plant; Donna M. Owens; June 22, 2009,
• "Aloe Vera - Nature's Soothing Healer"; Diane Gage; 1996
• BBC: Gardening: Plant Finder - Aloe

Resources

• ABC News: Unlocking Aloe Vera's Healing Secrets - ABC News; Lee Dye; July 18, 2010