When you think of aloe vera, you may remember it as a spiky plant with tiny spines along both sides of the thick, variegated leaves that fan out from their base. A succulent plant that grows wild in tropical regions, including the warmest areas and arguably thousands of households across the U.S., aloe vera has had a plethora of uses for thousands of years, both medicinal and nutritional. An open access website of peer-reviewed journals and blogs, Biomed Central, notes:

“Such extensive human use of aloe vera is nothing new; historical sources suggest aloe vera trade routes were well-established in the Red Sea and Mediterranean regions as far back as the 4th century B.C … Over 500 species of aloes exist, spread over Africa, the Middle East and various Indian Ocean islands.”¹

Part of its popularity is that it’s a striking plant to look at, but the gel inside the leaves also has strong healing capabilities for a number of maladies and conditions. In fact, the gel could easily remedy many of the problems thousands of people purchase creams and lotions for, purportedly containing extracts from the aloe vera plant, but often containing only a fraction of the healing power available from the genuine article.

Aloe vera’s commercial success for cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food use worldwide, is estimated to be somewhere around $13 billion annually. As Medical News Today reveals:

“Aloe vera contains various powerful antioxidant compounds. Some of these compounds can help inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria … Aloe vera definitely has some unique therapeutic properties, especially when applied as an ointment for the skin and gums.”²

Where Does the Healing Come From?

It’s the gel inside the leaves that contain the highest levels of bioactivity, but here’s what’s really amazing, according to holistic nutritionist and author Laura Dawn, who launched Happy and Raw:³ Aloe vera’s got you covered at least eight different ways, as it’s:

Disinfectant	Antibiotic	Antimicrobial	Antiseptic
Antibacterial	Germicidal	Antiviral	Antifungal

These capabilities come from aloe vera’s many compounds and phytonutrients, such as vitamins A, C and E, choline, folic acid and B1, B2, B12 and B3 (niacin). Minerals include selenium, zinc, calcium, iron, copper, manganese, potassium, magnesium and chromium. You’ll also find high amounts of:

• Polyphenol antioxidants — These help combat free radicals, which contribute to disease, infections and hasten the aging process.⁴
• Fatty acids — Aloe contains plant sterols, which are valuable fatty acids, including campesterol and B-sitosterol, as well as linoleic, linolenic, myristic, caprylic, oleic, palmitic and stearic acids.⁵
• Amino acids — There are about 22 amino acids, called the “building blocks of protein,” that are necessary for your body, and aloe vera contains 18 to 20 of them, including all eight of those considered essential for human health.

One study shows aloe vera contains 75 potentially active compounds, including lignin, saponins and salicylic acids and amino acids, 12 anthraquinones, which are phenolic compounds traditionally known as laxatives. It also provides campesterol, β-sisosterol and lupeol, and the hormones auxins and gibberellins that help in wound healing and have anti-inflammatory action.⁶

As an adaptogen, aloe boosts your body’s ability to adapt to external changes and increases your ability to deal with stress, be it physical, emotional or environmental. Scientists believe adaptogens balance your system and stimulate your natural defense and adaptive mechanisms, further helping to combat illness and disease. Also:

“Aloe alkalizes the body. Disease cannot manifest in an alkaline environment. Most people are living and subsisting on mostly acidic foods. For great health, remember the 80/20 rule — 80 percent alkaline forming foods and 20 percent acidic. Aloe vera is an alkaline forming food. It alkalizes the body, helping to balance overly acidic dietary habits.”⁷

Topical and Internal Benefits of Aloe Vera

The first aloe vera-based ointment for sunburn entered the marketplace in 1959, but studies allow that it’s effective for first- and second-degree burns. Whether it’s a burn, puncture wound, cut, psoriasis⁸ or bug bites, topically applied aloe vera exerts powerful healing benefits.

Aloe’s analgesic qualities help with pain relief while preventing and relieving itching as an antipruritic. Being astringent, aloe gel causes body tissues to contract, which helps reduce bleeding from minor abrasions. As an antipyretic, it’s used to reduce or prevent fever, and being 99 percent water, it’s great for hydrating your skin. Happy and Raw asserts:

“Aloe increases the elasticity of the skin making it more flexible through collagen and elastin repair. Aloe is an emollient, helping to soften and soothe the skin. It helps supply oxygen to the skin cells, increasing the strength and synthesis of skin tissue and induces improved blood flow to the skin through capillary dilation.”⁹

The Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry notes that aloe helps the body cleanse itself,¹⁰ and a four-study review acknowledged that it could reduce the healing time of burns by as much as nine days in comparison with conventional medicine’s remedies.¹¹ In addition, aloe vera:

Reduces dental plaque, kills plaque-forming bacteria and Candida albacans12	Helps heal and alleviates pain of canker cores13	Improves cardiovascular health as beta sitosterol helps optimize cholesterol
Aids digestion; reduces constipation due to the compound aloin, or barbaloin14	Lowers blood sugar levels15	Reduces inflammation
Helps detoxify your body	Boosts your immune system due to polysaccharides	May improve skin, increase collagen production16 and alleviate wrinkles

From all the above advantages from using aloe vera, weight loss is considered to be a secondary benefit simply because things like improved digestion, reduced constipation (aka regularity), detoxification and lowered blood sugar are all related, and have a varied but direct impact on your weight.