Useful, practical information about a simple idea

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Here is information that the group might find very interesting. It's

a very simple idea actually and it pertains to aloe vera...

Aloe vera, a member of the lily family, is a spiky, succulent,

perennial plant. It is indigenous to eastern and southern Africa, but

has been spread throughout many of the warmer regions of the world,

and is also popularly grown indoors. There are about 300 identified

species, but Aloe vera ( " true aloe " ) is the most popular for medical

applications. It has also been known as Aloe vulgaris ( " common aloe " )

and Aloe barbadensis. The plant has yellow flowers and triangular,

fleshy leaves with serrated edges that arise from a central base and

may grow to nearly 2 ft (0.6 m) long. Each leaf is composed of three

layers. A clear gel, which is the part of the plant used for topical

application, is contained within the cells of the generous inner

portion. Anthraquinones, which exert a marked laxative effect, are

contained in the bitter yellow sap of the middle leaf layer. The

fibrous outer part of the leaf serves a protective function.

History: Aloe vera has been in use for thousands of years, and is

mentioned in records as long ago as 1750 B.C. Use of the plant is

thought to have originated in Egypt or the Middle East. It was

reputedly used in Egyptian embalming procedures, as drawings of Aloe

vera have been found on cave walls in the region. Legend has it that

Aloe vera was one of Cleopatra's secrets for keeping her skin soft.

Pliny and Dioscorides of ancient Greece wrote of the healing effects

of this plant. Additionally, the Great is said to have

acquired Madagascar so that he could utilize the Aloe vera growing

there to treat soldiers' wounds. It is also a remedy which has long

been used in the Indian practice of Ayurvedic medicine .

In the United States, Aloe vera was in use by the early 1800s, but

primarily as a laxative. A turning point occurred in the mid-1930s,

when a woman with chronic and severe dermatitis resulting from x-ray

treatments was healed by an application of Aloe vera leaf gel.

Success with this patient encouraged trials with others suffering

from radiation burns. Evidence of the effectiveness remained

anecdotal until 1953, when Lushbaugh and Hale produced a convincing

study, using Aloe vera to treat beta radiation lesions in rats. Other

experimental protocols have been carried out using animals since that

time, but there is little human research data to describe the degree

of effectiveness of Aloe vera treatment. Some evidence suggests that

it is especially helpful in the elderly and other people with

impaired health or failing immune systems.

Biologic components: Aloe vera contains a wealth of substances that

are biologically active. The laxative, and in large doses, purgative,

effects of Aloe vera latex are attributable to a group of chemicals

known as the anthraquinones. Aloin, barbaloin, and aloe-emodin, and

aloectic acid, are a few of the anthraquinones contained in the latex

layer. The latest, and perhaps most exciting component discovered in

Aloe vera is a biologically active polysaccharide known as acetylated

mannose, or acemannan. This substance has been shown to be a highly

effective immune stimulant, with activity against the viruses causing

the flu, measles, and early stages of AIDS. It has been used

effectively against some veterinary cancers, most notably sarcoma,

and is being investigated as an agent to be used to treat cancer in

humans. Acemannan is one of many saccharides contained in Aloe vera.

Some of the others are arabinose, cellulose, galactose, mannose, and

xylose. Prostaglandins are a third important set of compounds, and

are thought to play a major role in wound healing. Aloe vera also

contains fatty acids, enzymes, amino acids , vitamins, minerals, and

other substances. The interaction of all these components produces a

favorable environment for wound healing.

Read the whole story. Go to http://www.findarticles.com/ then

search for " Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine aloe vera " to

locate this information.

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http://www.myliquidity.com/winner