Numerous lifestyle diseases, like diabetes, high blood pressure, inflammation, and skin diseases, are prevalent, especially among the urban population in our country. In this post, we will introduce you to some of the evidence based health benefits of Aloe Vera that you can extract through its appropriate usage to keep you safe and healthy.
But first, let us look at the nutritional makeup of Aloe Vera that makes it one of the most powerful ayurvedic herbs with a variety of health benefits especially for skin conditions..
Nutritional Composition of Aloe Vera
| Vitamins | Vitamins A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin B12, Choline |
| Enzymes | Liaise, Amylase, Bradykinase, Carboxypeptidase, Catalase Lipase |
| Minerals | calciumcoppersodiumzinc |
| Sugars | monosaccharides (glucose and fructose)polysaccharides: (glucomannans/polymannose) |
| Hormones | AuxinsGibberellins |
| Fatty acids | CholesterolCampesterolβ-sitosterolLupeol. |
Top 10 Health Benefits Of Using Aloe Vera
1. Skin Health
One of the most universally acknowledged health benefits of Aloe Vera is its healing properties for topical skin conditions owing to its gel-like component that heals the skin from various ailments.
The skin healing and nourishing properties of this wonder herb is one of the reasons why this wonder plant is considered one of the most powerful herbs in Ayurveda.
How does Aloe Vera provide skin health benefits?
- Protects from harmful UV radiation: The Aloe Vera layer will work as a shield against harmful UV radiation as it is enriched with the antioxidant protein metallothionein, which provides a protective effect against radiation damage to the skin.
- Prevents skin ulcers: The presence of mucopolysaccharides along with amino acids and zinc in Aloe Vera makes it suitable to prevent skin ulcers.
- Moisturize skin: Aloe Vera helps in the integrity of the skin, moisture retention, prevents ulcers, and ultimately helps in getting moisturizing and hydrating skin.
- Reduce the fragility of the skin: Aloe Vera is beneficial for reducing the fragility of the skin since 99% of the gel is water.
- Anti-aging properties: scientific studies have proven that the gel has the potential to reduce fine lines and marks due to its anti-aging properties and flexibility.
- Prevent hypersensitivity: Aloe Vera is enriched with the glutathione peroxidase, and once they are induced in our skin, they reduce the production of skin keratinocytes like interleukin-10 that helps prevent UV-induced suppression and thus contribute to delaying skin hypersensitivity. [1]
2. Wound Healing
One of the most significant benefits of Aloe Vera intake is its support in the process of wound healing, especially if you are clumsy enough to get several wounds daily. Rather than applying synthetic drugs, wouldn’t you like to take advantage of Aloe Vera’s healing properties?
The topical application of Aloe Vera can be effective in treating wounds. The method is mentioned below in detail:
- Fibroblast growth: According to the findings, Aloe Vera enhances wound healing by increasing the growth and development of fibroblasts and keratinocytes. By protecting keratinocytes from dying, which is mostly caused by the preservative-rich meal. [3]
- Prevents skin injury: Aloe Vera is particularly known for being potent and can be used for the treatment of skin injuries such as cuts, burns, frostbite, radiation, and electrical injuries.
It has a natural component that is already recognized and approved for use in clinical practice as a means to heal the wound. - Healing ability: Aloe Vera has phytochemicals and potent bioactive elements, and several studies have shown that they are beneficial for wound healing.
- Stimulate Growth Hormone: Aloe Vera has a vital component called fibroblast that plays a crucial role in the healing process.
- Aloe Vera promotes wound healing by stimulating the active growth of fibroblasts and keratinocytes that stimulate the healing process.
- Aloe Vera has glucomannan, which, along with gibberellin and growth hormone, helps stimulate the growth of fibroblasts, which plays a pivotal role in Aloe Vera’s healing mechanism.
- Protects healing cells: Aloe Vera also shields the keratinocytes that support the healing process against preservative-induced mortality. Furthermore, after applying and taking a topical Aloe Vera treatment, the enzymatic production of hyaluronic acid and dermatan sulfate rose significantly in the granulation tissue, which plays a part in the healing process.
- Enhance Blood Flow: Applying Aloe Vera gel to the wounds also helps in the production of angiogenesis and helps in enhancing the blood flow to the wounded part, thus playing a part in the metabolic requirements as well.
3. Health Benefits of Aloe Vera in Sunburn Relief
If you are a sportsperson or someone who has to work on a highly sunny day, then you must have encountered the situation of sunburn.
Sunburn usually turns the skin pink or red. But a severe sunbath or sun exposure could also cause severe problems like blistering, second-degree burns, scarring, or third-degree burns. Let’s go through some amazing health benefits of Aloe Vera owing to its antibacterial properties to cure sunburn by the following means:
- Prevent skin inflammation: Experts recommend using a gel that contains 100% Aloe Vera to cure sunburn. Aloe Vera gel topical application can help with inflammation due to its anti-inflammatory and relaxing properties.
- Provides relief: Due to its soothing properties, Aloe Vera is effective for healing sunburn and can provide instant relief from the discomfort and swelling associated with sunburn.
- Prevents sunburn: Aloe Vera gel or juice is antibacterial, so applying it over sunburn can help prevent peeling skin following overexposure to the sun.
- Moisturize skin: Aloe Vera also has a high water content, which keeps the skin hydrated and moisturizing and minimizes the probability of sunburn. However, Aloe Vera is useful in treating first- and second-degree sunburn; in cases of severe sunburn, consult a proper doctor.
- Relieve discomfort: Aloe contains medicinal and soothing properties that have been found effective in relieving sunburn discomfort and inflammation while also boosting skin growth and repair. It is also a good moisturizer, so it may be useful as a sunburn remedy.
However, it is advisable to use Aloe Vera in its natural form.
4. Anti-Inflammatory Effects
As growing age takes a toll on your joints and muscles and causes joint immobility and pain, Aloe Vera is a must for you due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Thanks to its natural anti-inflammatory properties, Aloe Vera also serves as an excellent treatment for the following problems:
- Cure inflammation problems: Recently, it has been demonstrated that aloe gel acts as an effective gel base to prepare nimesulide emulgel into the body with a significant anti-inflammatory effect that can help in curing inflammatory problems by gentle application of Aloe Vera.
- Acne treatment: Thanks to its natural anti-inflammatory properties, Aloe Vera also serves as an excellent acne treatment. So you can take advantage of the benefits of Aloe Vera by applying it to pimples or general areas of redness and irritation. Aloe Vera has been found to soothe and diminish the appearance and prominence of acne and even acne scars.
- Prevent inflammation-causing leukocytes: One of the significant benefits of using Aloe Vera is that, due to its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties, it can reduce the number of leukocytes present in the body, which helps prevent inflammation.
- Aids in removing inflammatory cytokines: The benefit of Aloe Vera in inflammation is that it assists in increasing bacterial clearance and decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokine production.
But you must be thinking about how Aloe Vera provides an anti-inflammatory effect. Here is the answer to your question.
- In human immune cells, aloe gel inhibits the generation of pro-inflammatory proteins that are generated by bacteria.
- Aloe Vera consists of a C-glucosyl chromone that has high anti-inflammatory properties.
- It also contains 8 enzymes, one of which, bradykinase, helps to reduce excessive inflammation when applied topically to the skin, while others help in the breakdown of sugars and fats. In
- It provides four plant steroids: cholesterol, campesterol, β-sitosterol, and lupeol, and each of them has anti-inflammatory action.
5. Gastrointestinal Health
Are you also facing gastrointestinal disorders like ulcers and inflammatory diseases? Then you should inculcate Aloe Vera for the treatment. Aloe Vera is rich in the following properties that are widely promoted for the treatment of gastrointestinal health:
- Effective against gastric injury acid: The human body creates gastric acid, which is considered an important aggressive factor in the stomach and is known to produce gastric injury. However, the benefits of Aloe Vera intake are that it decreases gastric acid secretion into the body. Having Aloe Vera also increases mucus secretion in the human body, which is widely promoted for the treatment of gastrointestinal health.
- Anti-inflammatory properties: Aloe Vera reduced oxidative stress and inflammation and improved stomach histology in rats during IMN-induced gastropathy. Aloe Vera possesses anti-inflammatory characteristics that can aid in the reduction of gastrointestinal irritation. [4]
- Helps in mucus secretion: Aloe Vera can decrease gastric acid secretion and increase mucus secretion, aiding in maintaining gastrointestinal health.
So, if you are looking for a cure against inflammation and ulcers, then you should think about taking advantage of the benefits of Aloe Vera.
6. Dental Health
As the number of preservatives in our food keeps increasing, so do dental problems. Curing dental problems is not only painful but expensive, but what if you can solve the issue by only using a plant? Consider using Aloe Vera gel for your dental health, as it provides the following health benefits:
- Cure dental inflammatory problems: Constant application of Aloe Vera gel helps in removing or killing harmful microorganisms due to the presence of compounds like anthraquinones, which have anti-inflammatory properties.
- Aloe Vera gel does not contain the abrasives that are mostly present in most toothpaste. The absence of this content helps deal with the sensitive teeth that get swollen easily.
- Prevent bacterial contamination: If you are wearing dental implants, then constant application of Aloe Vera gel also helps in preventing bacteria contamination that further causes inflammation.
- Aloe Vera can also be used around dental implants to control inflammation from bacterial contamination.
- Kills bacteria: Aloe Vera tooth gel is more effective at controlling bacteria that cause cavities than other commercially available toothpaste.
- Scientific research has shown that those who apply Aloe Vera gel have a better treatment response in terms of reduced burning sensation and enhanced mouth opening than the other antioxidant groups. Hence, it can be applied topically and effectively in the treatment of OSMF.
- Cures oral mucositis:
- The topical application of Aloe Vera has been found effective only in preventing radiation-induced mucositis through its wound healing.
- But its constant application helps in the antiinflammatory mechanism as well.
- It provides the benefit of reducing oral candidiasis in patients who are having any head and neck radiotherapy, as Aloe Vera has rich antifungal and immunomodulatory properties. Hence, Aloe Vera mouthwash is the perfect solution if you are looking for a means of treating radiation-induced oral mucositis. []
- Cure plaque-induced gingivitis: Aloe Vera has a high level of anti-inflammatory properties, so when taken as a mouthwash, Aloe Vera can benefit mechanical therapy for treating plaque-induced gingivitis as well. as
- Aloe Vera has a growth substance called mannose tath, which plays a pivotal role in curing inflammation and wound healing.
- Cure ill-fitting dentures: Denture patients who have sore ridges, ill-fitting dentures, and partial gaps can benefit from applying Aloe Vera gel. It is effective against fungal and bacterial contamination, which further aids in reducing inflammatory irritations.
7. Health Benefits of Aloe Vera in Blood Sugar Control
Aloe Vera has wonderful therapeutic capabilities that help diabetic individuals decrease their blood glucose levels.
In fact one of our ayurvedic formulations Dr Madhu Amrit for diabetes management and blood sugar control also contains Aloe Vera as its key ingredients.
So if you are wondering how to control blood sugar naturally and looking for herbs for diabetes management, then you will definitely like to anow about the amazing health benefits of Aloe Vera in blood sugar control:
- Stimulate body tissues: it improves the responsiveness of the body tissues towards insulin, thereby making insulin even more effective. In addition to that, active components present in Aloe Vera also help in lowering high blood pressure.
- Reduce sugar absorption: According to the report of the Mayo Clinic, Aloe Vera dietary supplements reduce sugar absorption, enter the gastrointestinal tract after meals, stimulate sugar breakdown, prevent further sugar production, and aid in keeping sugar levels in control.
- Stimulate basal secretion: Aloe significantly increased both basal and stimulated insulin secretion from isolated islets compared to controls. The antidiabetic effects of aloe are found to be effective in the treatment of type II diabetes in the long run as it stimulates both basal and insulin secretion.
Also Read: Ayurveda 101 for Blood Sugar Control: 12 Home Remedies
8. Anti-Inflammatory Skin Conditions
Aloe Vera is a powerful anti-inflammatory that works wonderfully on inflammatory skin disorders. If you are also facing face-inflammatory-related problems, then you can consider the topical use of Aloe Vera to cure inflammatory skin conditions. Inflammation is usually caused by oxidative damage caused by free radicals in the human body. Other than that, using Aloe Vera will benefit you in the following ways:
- Prevents Radicals: Gentle application of Aloe Vera aids in fighting against free radicals, as it has many antioxidant properties that reduce the chances of anti-inflammatory skin conditions.
- Cures bacteria: Aloe Vera has antibacterial properties like gibberellins that eliminate acne-causing bacteria from the face, narrow pores, and remove sebum, dirt, and dead cells. So Aloe Vera also helps in providing a radiating, moisturizing face.
- Prevents inflammation in skin: Aloe Vera also provides soothing properties and provides a mark-free face, as the natural anti-inflammatory agent present in Aloe Vera can help reduce inflammation and redness associated with acne.
- Reduces acid production: Aloe Vera aids in the reduction of arachidonic acid production, which is the main reason behind inflammatory skin diseases.
If you are using Aloe Vera regularly on your face, then your skin will be infected with vitamins A, C, E, and B12. These vitamins will not only shield your skin from anti-inflammatory conditions but will also provide a natural glow, radiance, and healthy skin.
9. Digestive Health (Inflammatory Bowel Disease)
Digestive health is especially important if you are living a sedentary lifestyle and want to live a life where you can engage in regular exercise. However, studies have shown that taking Aloe Vera can help improve overall digestive health. Let’s have a look at health benefits of Aloe Vera for digestive health.
- Ease of indigestion: Regular intake of Aloe Vera helps ease stomach pain and indigestion, and it provides the following health benefits to the digestive system:
- Promotes Nutrient Absorption: Aloe Vera promotes nutrition absorption and general digestive health while alleviating stomach pain and indigestion.
- Although Aloe Vera gel is primarily water, it also contains small amounts of minerals and plant compounds. Taking them also supports nutrient absorption and overall digestive health and, thus, can reduce stomach discomfort and indigestion.
- Although Aloe Vera gel is primarily in water form, it can be used as a digestive tonic that can be ingested to soothe the stomach and prevent digestive problems.
- Reduce acid production: Additionally, an independent study found that consuming Aloe Vera juice reduced intestinal discomfort and inflammation. Other independent research suggests that aloe may reduce acid production in the stomach, which causes digestive problems.
- Balance intestinal functions: Aloe Vera helps balance the intestinal flora. Aloe Vera aids in maintaining a healthy balance of the microbes in the gut.
- Removing parasites from the intestine: Aloe Vera has a laxative that plays an important role in removing parasites from the gastrointestinal tract. Aloe Vera intake also helps in dealing with irritable bowel syndrome by eliminating parasites from the digestive tract.
- May elp in Piles: And it is an ancient treatment for piles, which provides quick relief by soothing the swollen veins in the anal and rectal area.
Aloe Vera in the form of juice can also benefit by increasing the water content in the intestines, which can aid in stool movement. Aloe Vera juice helps make stools smoother and easier to pass through the intestine.”
Appropriate and timely use of Aloe Vera juice might help keep your gut healthy and cure intestinal problems and may also benefit you in case of constipation and piles care.
Related Post: Top 10 Effective Home Remedies for Hemorrhoids (Piles)
10. Antioxidant Effects
Having good antioxidant properties helps us get proper nutrients and proteins from the food that we eat in our daily lives. Thus, having Aloe Vera will not only benefit your antioxidants but will also ensure your overall body health.
- Stimulate antioxidant enzymes: Aloe Vera has enzymes like SOD and catalase. They both play an important part in the antioxidant defense system.
- Stimulate antioxidant properties: Having Aloe Vera indirectly helps with the antioxidant properties in the body. So, if you’re seeking a method to boost your antioxidant levels, Aloe Vera is your way to go.
- Still confused about how Aloe Vera will benefit your antioxidant mechanism? The following part will describe how it aids in the antioxidant effect:
- Aloe Vera contains polyphenols, plant compounds known for their antioxidant properties.
- This aids in the prevention of the growth of bacteria that are capable of causing illnesses due to the failure of the antioxidant process in the human body.
Aloe Vera also has glutathione, a potent antioxidant that protects the body from further oxidative damage and provides antioxidant benefits. - Glutathione assists other antioxidants found in the human body. For example,
- The human body contains antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, and Aloe Vera oral consumption helps them renew, making them more efficient. Aloe Vera contains a variety of amino acids, like cysteine, an effective antioxidant that helps make the antioxidants in the body stronger.
As a consequence, using Aloe Vera topically or orally on your skin can provide your body with a variety of antioxidants.
Although the above-mentioned health benefits of Aloe Vera are general, did you know it can also provide antiseptic, antiviral, and anti-tumor benefits by preventing the formation of potentially cancer-initiating benzopyrene-DNA adducts and providing a healthy immune system?
How to Use Aloe Vera
Following are the methods a person can use to apply the Aloe Vera gel to the sunburn:
- Using Aloe Vera in the form of gel after taking it from leaves
- Using it in the form of juice
- Using the Aloe Vera gels that are prepacked in the market
- Applying Aloe Vera-rich balms and lotions
Aloe Vera Side Effects
There are several benefits to Aloe Vera, but at times, its extreme application can cause side effects as well. Here, we have mentioned some.
- Allergy: Topical application of Aloe Vera at times can cause problems like redness and stinging sensations due to the presence of anthraquinones in Aloe Vera. So it is always advisable to apply it in a small area to check whether you are allergic to it or not.
- Contraindication: Not to be used if you have a known allergy to plants that come under the Liliaceae family.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Oral Aloe Vera consumption is not recommended during pregnancy due to the potential activation of the uterine muscles, as it can cause issues such as nausea and vomiting during the breastfeeding process.
- Potassium deficiency: Applying aloe gel to the skin may enhance the absorption of steroid creams like hydrocortisone. Because of its potassium-lowering action, it lowers the efficacy and may aggravate the side effects of digoxin. The use of Aloe Vera and furosemide together may raise the risk of potassium deficiency.
- Lower sugar level: Constant usage of Aloe Vera can lower blood sugar levels as it causes potassium deficiency and may thus interact with oral hypoglycemic medications, including insulin.
Conclusion
Thus, while Aloe Vera has a wide range of qualities and applications, some of them may be myths and others may be true magic.
It is always advisable to take preventive measures and consult the doctor in case you feel one of the above-mentioned side effects while using Aloe Vera gel. Remember, every human body is different, and so are their needs; therefore, Aloe Vera can be a boon for one person and can cause side effects for another.
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