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Description

Aloe vera is a perennial, small, clumping succulent. It has thick, green, concave leaves that are easily broken, exposing a clear gel and a yellow latex. The leaves have spines along the sides. Flowering spikes up to 45 cm tall hold tubular orange/red or yellow flowers that our local Honeyeaters just love,

Medicinal use

Aloe Vera is a very famous herb, but a lot of folks aren’t aware of its full potential. We all know of the soothing gel that can be found in the leaves – Aloe is well known for dry skin disorders, burns and cuts where its cooling, moistening nature really shines but did you know it has other uses? It has been found to be of great relief in cases of psoriasis where it helps reduce the plaques that form the scaly skin.

It is full of vitamins and minerals, so makes a great nutritive addition to smoothies. Tucked inside those leaves are vitamins A (beta-carotene), C, and E, B12, folic acid, and choline. Minerals – calcium, chromium, copper, selenium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium, and zinc. No wonder the leaves are so thick! As an added bonus there are 20 of the 22 amino acids that a human needs, including 7 of the 8 that our body can’t make by itself. Add to this a whole bunch of digestive enzymes to help you right along and you’ll be wondering why you’re not including it in your diet more often.

The gel’s soothing nature can also be used to settle stomach problems, especially those caused by inflammation. Aloe vera also feeds the gut biota and keeps them healthy and by doing this, can also help one lose weight by reducing appetite. A healthy gut biome is essential to our health. Not only does it help our digestion, many chemicals that are necessary to good health, such as serotonin, are manufactured there.

Taken internally, Aloe vera is quite the potent laxative. It works in two ways. As mentioned before, the gel is a prebiotic and feeds our gut microbes. Healthy gut microbes can help bulk out stools and cause our body to move waste material on out, to our great relief. Because of its moisture and fibre content, the gel is also a bulking laxative – it adds size to the stool to help the intestines move it right along.

Aloe vera works as stimulating laxative through the yellow latex that is found beneath the skin of a leaf. This is a powerful, stimulating laxative due to the presence of compounds called anthraquinones (if you ever see those listed as a plant constituents, you know they strongly stimulate bowels)and can clean you out quite explosively, so take it very easy until a little experience using it. It can also purge you the other way – through making you vomit if you have more than a little.

Warning – the latex from different plants is highly variable and because its so easy to overuse, it has been banned from over the counter products in some countries. Can cause dangerous uterine contractions or transfer toxic anthraquinones to breast milk.
Do not take if you have Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative Colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, haemorrhoids, or an intestinal blockage. I list it here on this page for interest only and don’t recommend using it (from an uncomfortable personal experience too!)

Try the gel for a few days before trying the other option – if it works, it’ll be much more comfortable. If you your pipes are in need of an urgent, thorough, cleaning, there’s little better than a spoonful of Aloe! It’s so good that it has been used for expelling intestinal worms too.

Preparing and using Aloe Vera

Synergies and formulations – combine with carminative herbs such as Fennel to prevent abdominal cramping when using Aloe vera as a laxative.

With Tea Tree oil to bring an antiseptic/antibiotic property to the gel.

Aloe vera gel can be used straight from the leaf and applied directly to skin conditions, especially burns and sunburn, even carpet burn. Keep some in a jar in the fridge to experience a wonderful cooling relief when you apply it. . It makes an non greasy topical application for acne and skin rashes on the face or for psoriasis, eczema or shingles anywhere on the body.

Folks take Aloe vera internally mixed with fruit juice or in smoothies. You can get a powder for this to make things easier, though it seems extra expense when you can pop some gel straight out of a plant.

It can be made into a mouthwash for plaque, gingivitis or canker sores (those annoying sores you get inside your lips and cheeks). Aloe vera can bring minor relief to cold sores too.

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Preparing and using Aloe vera

You can harvest the leaves of Aloe vera plants any time but it seems that they are most potent as the tips turn pink.

I harvest the gel periodically and keep it in the fridge for use for minor ailments. Keeping it cold in the fridge adds to its cooling effect nicely. Even kept in the fridge, it’s best to replace the gel every couple of months. The gel can be harvested all year round but seems to be most potent just before flowering. Worms love the gel, so there’s no problem getting rid of the old stuff!

There’s no need to make a salve or ointment for red, inflamed areas because the gel stores well and both gel and latex are always available in the plant.

I’ve never had the need to do it but some folks put some Aloe vera gel in smoothies and I’ve seen Aloe vera based drinks out there. My big bowl of morning oats keeps me smooth and regular but folks who have had the gel as a drink swear by it.

There are edible, varieties of cacti similar to Aloe vera (which isn’t a cactus). They all have that wonderful pre-biotic aspect to them. Prickly Pear is a common wild cactus out this way that feeds our gut biome as well.

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Other herb pages on Ligaya Garden

We cover a lot of ground on many herb related topics here on our website. There are whole pages devoted to different topics as well as frequent posts. Some of the links are –

Garden Herbs

Wild Herbs

Making Remedies

Mushroom medicine

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