Tim Pim Blog

Benefits of Aloe Vera as a Dietary Supplement

Almost all know the benefits of the herbal medicine plant Aloe Vera when
applied to the outside of our body. However, this plant does not just make
miracles on our outside but including the inside of our body! Such a
remarkable plant it is!

Aloe is a member of the lily family although it looks more of a cactus. It
has been used for its medicinal purposes since the ancient times, but only
recently has it enjoyed a rediscovery and subsequent popularity explosion.
Aloe Vera contains many components, including vitamins A, B, C, and E. Aloe
has a massive amount of minerals and enzymes, however not its entire
component has been identified yet.

Aloe Vera is also known as the “lily of the desert” or most specially the
“medicine plant”. This plant is native to Africa. The plant is approximately
96% water and 4% of it includes amino acids, minerals, vitamins, enzymes,
essential oil, and glycoproteins.

When taken orally, Aloe Vera juice contains three anti-inflammatory fatty
acids. This is a help to our stomach, intestine, and colon. It aids most
specially, bowel diseases, candida ulcers, intestinal infections,
constipation, and other digestive tract infection such as colitis,

When taking Aloe Vera as a supplement, always choose the supplement with the
highest quality. The label should say that it is 80 to 100 percent Aloe
Vera. This is true to lotions that claim it contains Aloe Vera when in fact
it contains very little amount of aloe and have no health benefits.

Aloe Vera dietary supplement is now rising in our market. Aloe Vera contains
a large amount of medicinal substances used as purgative. The medicinal
substance id produced from various species of aloe, such as Aloe Vera, Aloe
vulgaris, Aloe socotrina, Aloe chinensis, and Aloe perryi.

Several kinds of aloe are commercially available such as the Barbados,
Socotrine, Hepatic, Indian, and Cape aloes. Barbados and Socotrine are the
varieties most commonly used for curative purposes.

Aloes is the expressed juice of the leaves of the plant. When the leaves are
cut, the juice that flows out are collected and evaporated. After removing
the juice, you need to boil the leaves for sometime to avoid yielding an
inferior kind of aloe. However, some leaves of other Aloe Vera species are
poisonous such as Aloe venenosa.

Aloe has been marketed for having a large number of benefits when taken
internally. Aloe have formula that are known remedy for coughs, wounds,
ulcers, gastritis, diabetes, cancer, headaches, arthritis, immune system
deficiencies and many health conditions. However, these uses are still not
yet proven.

The only proven use of aloe when taken internally is as laxative. However,
there is evidence of significant adverse side effects. Therefore, you must
consult your doctor if you plan to take Aloe Vera. Pregnant women should not
take this, because it contains anthraquinone glycosides, which is highly
purgative. High dose of the leaves in fact can cause vomiting.

Aloe’s benefits to our health include, helping to lower the blood sugar
levels in diabetes patients. Aloe is a strong laxative that may have some
anti-cancer effects to humans. It is now being studied as a treatment for
asthma.

If Aloe is taken internally, it increases the actual amount of our bile. It
affects the small intestines and stimulates the muscular coat of the large
intestine thus causing purging in about fifteen hours.

Aloes also help increase the menstrual flow, since it belongs to the group
of emmenagogues. Aloes have Aloin present used for therapeutic purposes.
This causes less pain. It is a preferable drug for many forms of
constipation. Continuous use of it does not lead to enlarging the dose to
take.

There are many well-known medicines that primarily consist of Aloes.

Joyce Dietzel writes articles for for-your-vitamins.com a website dedicated to all your vitamin and supplement needs.

Although not yet one of the most common herbs or supplements, elderberry is gaining popularity among American herbalists as an excellent supplement to ward off colds and flus. Elderberry, which is a common, shrubby tree, produces creamy flowers in early summer, followed by deep wine-colored berries in the fall. Native Americans used the flowerwater for eye and skin lotions and the berries were common additives for jams, pies, teas, and later wines. Elderberry wine was quite common in Colonial America and the elderberry was nick-named the “country medicine chest” because of its varied uses. Today, elderberry is primarily recognized as providing support for the immune system.

Elderberry contains concentrated amounts of vitamin C, flavinoids, fruit acids, and anthocyanic pigments. It also is a good source for vitamins A and B. Recent studies have also indicated that elderberry may have antiviral activity, increasing its value as a preventative measure.

In addition, the Herbal Information Center reports that new evidence has found that elderberry has remarkable value in fighting flu and similar viruses. One benefit of elderberry is its ability to help break fevers as it promotes profuse sweating. These properties help make elderberry valuable as an “after the fact” supplement to speed the healing process.

Marian Brown has been active in holistic health care for over 15 years. She is editor of Holistic Health News. Visit the website and join our free email newsletter at http://www.hhnews.com.

Your health

Organically grown fruit and vegetables are not covered in a cocktail of chemicals - even after washing, a conventionally grown apple may have 20 chemicals on its skin.

Conventionally grown fruit and vegetables contain more water and less vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants than organically grown produce.

Even processed organic food is better for you as manufacturers are banned from using many of the most harmful additives such as hydrogenated fat, MSG and artificial flavourings and colourings.

Taste

Organic food simply tastes so much better than “normal” food. Carrots that actually taste of carrots, apples that go zing in your mouth and really chickeny chicken. Why not see for yourself at the Organic Food Fair - see opposite for more details.

GM foods

You can be safe knowing that you won’t be eating genetically modified (GM) food. Intensively farmed animals are often fed on GM soya and much of the world’s production of cotton and rice are now GM. You can register your protest by buying organic produce.

Cost

While organic food may cost slightly more on the supermarket shelves, the true cost of conventional food is much higher. The BSE crisis cost nearly £4 billion and we support the conventional farming industry through our taxes. The Soil Association say that it costs £120 million a year to remove chemicals from drinking water, most of which are pesticides used in farming.

The countryside

Intensive farming methods can lead to soil erosion, the destruction of ancient hedgerows and the extinction or near-extinction of hundreds of our natural animals, birds and plants.

The Soil Association believes that organic farming is the best way to reverse the decline in wildlife by:

Crop rotation so the soil is kept fertile and avoid the use of chemical fertilisers

Mixed farming where different crops are planted together

Encouraging natural predators so there is no need to use pesticides

Animal welfare

The Soil Association insists on stringent animal welfare standards. Animals must have access to fields and are fed mainly on clover and herb rich grass, just as they would in the wild. They are given comfortable bedding and more space when they are housed and are often treated with herbal or homeopathic drugs when ill.

And it’s not just food

Recent years have seen a huge growth in the number of organic clothing and toiletries ranges available. Once hard to come by and very expensive, companies such as Green Baby and The Natural Nursery are making organic baby clothes, nappies and toiletries accessible to all.

Many of the same arguments apply: the cotton industry accounts for 25% of the world’s insecticide use and it takes around 150 grams of hazardous chemical pesticides to grow enough cotton to make one t-shirt!

Arabella Greatorex is the owner of http://www.naturalnursery.co.uk, an online store selling organic and fairly traded products for families including organic clothing and bedding, fairly traded toys, natural toiletries, cloth and eco-disposable nappies and soft shoes.