Aloe Vera for Healing

Despite the common misconception that aloe vera should only live in your beach bag, this miracle plant has healing properties far beyond its uses for a summer sunburn.

Aloe vera contains at least 75 potentially active constituents: vitamins, enzymes, minerals, lignin, saponins, salicylic acids, and amino acids. It also helps heal your gut. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 30 ulcerative colitis patients, participants were given 100 mL (3 oz)  of oral aloe vera gel twice daily for four weeks. Nine of the patients achieved remission, and 11 had clinical improvement in just four weeks.

Aloe can also:

• Reduce inflammation
• Improve immune function
• Moisturize and protect the skin from premature aging
• Protect against infection from fungi, bacteria like H. pylori, and viruses
• Inhibit breast and ovarian cancer cell growth and help chemo work better

Acemannan is the compound in aloe with immune-stimulating, antiviral, and anti-cancer powers. Acemannan induces your macrophages to secrete three anti-cancer compounds: interferon, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukins.

For healthy adults, 6-8 oz of aloe per day is recommended, and 24 oz is considered to be the maximum therapeutic daily dose.