herbal laxative

The benefits of aloe vera are profound. The Aloe vera plant is known mostly for its healing properties to the surface of the skin when the gel is applied topically, but it goes far beyond that. It’s a plant from the Lily family with about 300 species.

The gel is naturally occurring in the plant. Companies that create aloe gel first strip away the outer layer of the leaf. Mixing it with water, fruit juices and preservatives such as citric acid, the aloe gel is then marketed as aloe juice. Aloe juice is actually an indigestible product containing a minimum of 50% aloe vera gel.

The health benefits of aloe vera go back to the time of Alexander the Great who sent servants out to find the plant on the island of Socotra. In 1820, the U.S. Pharmacopoeia listed entries describing the herb’s laxative effects. One of the first recorded aloe vera gel treatments used by physicians was for radiation burns on the face.

Aloe soothes the digestive tract lining and promotes the absorption of nutrients. The herb is also soothing to those with excess hydrochloric or stomach acid because it inhibits the release of hydrochloric acid by interfering with the binding of histamine to the cells in the stomach.

In a research study comparing effects of Tagamet to aloe vera, researchers reported better effects from aloe vera than Tagamet.

Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D. reported that 6 oz. aloe vera juice three times a day was plenty to decrease urinary indican levels. This showed that protein absorption increased and there was less bacterial putrefaction in the colon. Fewer colonies of Candida also were found in the colon.

There are toxic portions of this plant, look for an aloe vera 200x gel extract.

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