Pharmacy In A Plant

Aloe vera, also known as the burn plant, lily of the desert and elephant’s gall, was used by Egyptians as early as six thousand years ago. The aloe vera plant has long, spiked leaves that are thick-skinned and contain a clear, gel-like substance. Aloe vera can be used both topically and orally. The plant’s gel is known to have many health benefits; its rich content of enzymes, protein, vitamins E and C, anti-microbials, zinc, antivirals, amino acids, polysaccharides and minerals explains why it has been referred to as a ‘pharmacy in a plant’, a ‘miracle plant’ and a ‘natural healer’.

Benefits

Here are some of the benefits of this amazing plant: Benefits for skin: Aloe vera gel, which is scraped from the inside of its fleshy spiked leaves, moisturizes the skin and can repair skin cells—this is why you often see aloe vera as an active ingredient in cosmetic products such as cleansers,

moisturizers, face creams, body lotions, face masks and so on. Applying aloe vera gel regularly will give you a firmer and healthier skin texture. If you suffer from sprains, bruises, sunburn, acne, insect stings, sores, puffy skin, skin traumas, fungal or other skin problems, aloe vera can speed the healing process with its rejuvenating action. Simply cut a fresh aloe vera plant and squeeze the gel onto the skin; if you wish to prepare the gel in advance, you can squeeze it out, refrigerate in an airtight container and keep until needed (up

to one week). Benefits for the immune system: Aloe vera juice can help to clean toxins from your body, both in the bloodstream and digestive system. It is widely used for detoxification.

Other health benefits: Consumption of aloe vera juice can help to treat diseases such as heartburn, gastrointestinal problems, kidney and ulcer diseases, constipation, peptic, colitis, infection, muscles and joint pains and digestive disorders. Aloe vera is also a good source of energy to fuel your daily activities.

How to extract aloe vera juice

For a normal dosage of 300 grams of pure aloe vera juice, you will need to take an aloe vera leaf of weighing approximately 400 grams from a mature aloe vera plant.

Directions

- Cut the ends of the leaf and the edges.

- Split the leaf in two and remove the clear gel from the peelings. Be careful not to contaminate the gel with the latex of the leaf (this is a bitter yellow juice that comes out of the peelings).

- Put the aloe vera gel in a blender, add the juice of 3 to 5 oranges or any other kind of citrus fruit and blend for about 2 minutes.

- After blending, place mixture in the refrigerator to settle for at least two hours. The potency of the juice fades with time, so consume it within a couple of days for best results or within a week at the most.

Tip: You can dilute this rich, homemade aloe vera drink with water or any kind of natural fruit juice to enhance the taste