The aloe has long spear-shaped leaves, fleshy, thorny and greenish, which grow in a rosette shape, like the rose petals. It is a plant native of China, India, and from desert regions that over time has diversified a bit around the planet and today there are more than 400 species of scientifically cataloged aloes, according to the International Aloe Science Council (the IASC is the main body that controls the quality of Aloe products marketed globally).
The aloes are not cactus, but plants of the Xanthorrhoeaceae family, being the species Aloe Vera Barbadencis Miller (it is the one that gives a yellow flower and which its gel smells like medicine), which offers greater benefits for the Human Being, according to the scientists. That is why this is the only species cataloged with the Latin term ‘Vera’, which means the true Aloe. The other species are called Aloe, followed by their scientific name, such as Aloe Ferrox Miller, Aloe Perry Baker, Aloe Arborescens, Aloe excelsa, Aloe saponaria, Aloe miloti, etc.
The Aloe Vera, also known as the “Immortality Plant”, was already consumed as a secret to health and beauty by the ancient civilizations scattered throughout the world (Arabic, Greek, Egyptian, Roman, Asian and African) and nowadays it is totally democratized.
In the last decades, research centers at universities in several countries have concentrated on the study of Aloe Vera leaves and found that they contain more than 75 nutrients and 200 bioactive compounds, including 12 vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and C …), 20 minerals (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, selenium and zinc …), organic acids, 18 amino acids and as a vegetable is low in fat and high in fiber.
A leaf of an Aloe Vera plant is an excellent “first aid” kit, to disinfect minor injuries such as wounds, cuts or insect stings, among other situations.
Aloe Vera’s bark contains toxic substances for the human being, according to experts, so it should not be consumed. From the inside of its leaves, two commercial products are extracted: the latex and the gel. These are used by the food, cosmetics, health industry, among others, that annually consume more than 100 million liters of aloe and put on the market an infinite variety of products that use as a marketing trump the immortal gel.
The IASC and other countries, such as the European Union and China, have set standards to define what is (and is not) “Aloe Vera” in finished products. The IASC standard states that only products containing “acemannan”, or “acetylated beta 1-4 glucomannans”, can be precisely labeled as Aloe Vera.
In the laboratory, scientists have proven the power of the aloe vera gel as an anti-inflammatory, immune, healing and also its action on diabetes. There are also tests that show that there are benefits in the case of arthritis, ulcers and many other stresses.
This text is an awareness. According to the season of the year and the moment in which you are, it is up to each one to feel if you should consume this food. The dosage and frequency depend on the nature and physical condition of each Human Being.
