The Amazing Aloe Vera part 1

from the website lilyofthedesert.com

HISTORY OF ALOE VERA

Aloe Vera has been used in the fields of medicine and cosmetics for Centuries. Ancient records show that the medicinal properties and healing advantages of Aloe Vera have been known for over 5000 years. The Bible mentions Aloe Vera in over a dozen passages, referring to it as the “bitter herb”. The Biblical account of Christ’s burial states that his body was anointed with bitter Aloes.

Ancient Chinese and Egyptians used Aloe Vera to treat burns, wounds, and to reduce fever. Cleopatra, the Egyptian Queen, credited her irresistible charm and vibrant beauty to regular use of Aloe Vera gel. Legend reports that Alexander the Great, upon the advice of Aristotle, conquered the island of Socotra off the coast of Africa to secure supplies of Aloe Vera in order to treat the wounds of soldiers.

In 1944, the benefits of Aloe Vera were firmly established in the United States, when it was learned that the Japanese who were exposed to the “A” bomb. The injured that applied Aloe gel to their wounds reported faster healing of their wounds than others and had significantly less scaring.

Today, it appears that science is re-discovering what our ancestors knew. New studies continue to provide proof of the benefits of Aloe Vera both when applied externally and ingested INTERNALLY. It is currently one of the most studied herbs in the Natural Products category.

WHAT IS ALOE VERA?

Aloe Vera is a succulent plant member of the lily family. Aloe Barbadensis Miller is the actual botanical name for the variety grown commercially for the healing and moisturizing properties of the gel found in its leaves.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE ALOE VERA PLANT

• There are over 400 species of Aloe Vera plants
• Aloe is the most studied herb
• Aloe contains over 200 biologically active, naturally occurring constituents
• Aloe Vera directly absorbs water from the surrounding soil system
• Aloe Vera plants reach maturity at 3-4 years
• An adult plant can reach a height of 30 inches with up to 21 leaves

THE ACTIVE QUALITIES OF ALOE VERA

Aloe vera has three layers to each leaf which are filled with nutrients; the leaf or outer rind, the inner gel, and the Aloin or thin, slimy mucilage layer commonly known as the “yellow sap”.

Aloe vera contains 18 amino acids, plus Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C, and E. It also contains sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and chloride, as well as traces of magnesium and zinc. In addition to these major constituents, aloe vera contains numerous other naturally occurring vitamins and minerals.

Aloe vera is filled with Aloe Polysaccharides which are the naturally occurring active components that promote absorption, digestive health, immune qualities, anti-inflammatory, and overall health benefits.

POLYSACCHARIDE IMPORTANCE

While Aloe researchers report that aloe vera contains over 200 biologically active constituents, the aloe polysaccharide is the main naturally occurring active constituent in aloe vera that allows all of the benefits to be activated in the body. Polysaccharides are very safe in all toxicity studies, showing no side effects. In the makeup of the total solids found in aloe vera, polysaccharides represent approximately 20-25%. Most commercially produced aloe vera contains very little polysaccharides as they are destroyed in the processing by heat and enzymes. When they are broken in processing, they become simple sugars, and the body will not absorb them.

• These glycol-nutrients are sugar molecules linked together like a string of beads.
• Size varies based on molecular weight from 10,000 Daltons to 7 Million Daltons.
  1. Lower Dalton weights (10,000 – 100,000) are most effective for supporting skin regeneration.
  2. Higher Dalton weights (100,000 – 7 Million) are most effective with immune, anti-inflammatory, and absorption support.
  3. The highest molecular weight ever studied were the Aloeride polysaccharides from 4 Million – 7 Million Dalton weight found
  in    Lily of the Desert aloe vera juice.
• It is important that aloe products have the full range of polysaccharides to provide maximum health benefits.
• Aloe polysaccharides are very efficacious both orally and topically.
• Scientific studies confirm that aloe vera contains approximately 200 naturally occurring biologically active constituents. Most of aloe vera’s biological activity is attributed to the polysaccharide fraction.
• The higher molecular weight polysaccharides are found in the aloe vera inner gel while the highest total polysaccharide (volume) is found in the whole leaf aloe vera.
• Most commercial aloe vera products contain very little polysaccharides as the sugars are destroyed in the processing by heat, enzymes, etc.
• When the long chain polysaccharides are broken in processing, they become simple sugars; the body will not absorb them.

CERTIFIED ORGANIC ALOE VERA

As aloe vera is a succulent plant, it directly absorbs water from the surrounding soil system. If the soil contains herbicides, pesticides, or other chemicals, the artificial chemicals would be directly absorbed into the leaves and could cause damage to the nutrients in the plant. Lily of the Desert Certified Organic aloe vera does not contain any herbicides, pesticides, or harsh chemicals.

FILLET vs. WHOLE LEAF ALOE VERA

Fillet aloe vera products are made by filleting off the outer rind of the aloe leaf and processing only the inner gel. Whole Leaf products are made by processing the entire leaf and filtering out the unwanted bitter constituents.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GEL AND JUICE

Aloe vera gel is actually made from the aloe vera juice by adding a food grade thickening agent called Carrageenan, which is a naturally occurring Sea kelp/Irish moss. They are almost equally effective because the Lily of the Desert juice products contain 99.7% aloe vera, while the gel products contain 99.5% aloe vera. Juice products are typically made for dietary supplement purposes, while Gel products are more commonly used for topical application, though they can be orally ingested and/or soothing to your throat, stomach, and digestive tract.