Health Benefits of Aloe Vera - Part II

I wrote recently about health benefits of Aloe Vera in general. Now I plan to be a little more specific about which type of Aloe is likely to give the best benefits.

Much has been said and written about 'whole leaf Aloe' and many people believe that this is better than just the inner Gel. They are helped in their belief by labelling that strongly suggests 'whole leaf' is best.

But is it more effective? Not necessarily! Consider the evidence:

Essentially, the Aloe leaf has four layers:

• Rind (a hard layer 15 cells thick)


• Sap (high in anthraquinones - powerful laxatives)


• Mucilage (acts as barrier, keeping the inner gel very sterile)


• Gel (where the leaf stores all its 75 nutrients)

So, if the area is at all polluted, or if chemicals (herbicides, pesticides etc) have been used on the Aloe plants during the four years they took to mature, which part of the leaf will these have reached?

The rind, for sure - and maybe the sap to a lesser degree. Well, it is in the rind that the synthesis of all the plant's nutrients occurs, while the sap is Aloe's circulation system where materials move up to the leaves and down to the roots. The mucilage, holding the plant together, is high in polysaccharides - including the immunomodulator, acemannan.

'Whole leaf Aloe' uses all four layers, which are then filtered and often concentrated via a heat process.
I leave you to judge for yourself whether this is better than just using the inner Gel!

Which brings me to the next relevant question in regard to health benefits of Aloe Vera - Gel or Juice? My personal choice is always a Gel in preference. And if it has been naturally stabilised, without heat treatment, filtering or diluting, I prefer it all the more!

Here's a test for you to try: shake a bottle of Aloe Juice and then shake a bottle of Aloe Gel. Better still, shake them simultaneously! That will tell you whether the Juice has been diluted, which is usually the case.

It's worth bearing in mind that under some countries' packaging laws there can be as little as 15% Aloe Vera content and manufacturers are still allowed to call it 100% Aloe Vera Juice, after the addition of water. A Gel must contain more than 90% Aloe Vera!

Back, though, to the health benefits of aloe vera! One of the most important things to remember about aloe is that it is an adaptogen. Rather than helping individual symptoms, the gel seems to help the body heal itself - inducing well-being and helping to restore the body's balance. So totally dissimilar conditions (e.g. both constipation and diarrhoea) can benefit.

Here's what distinguished doctor Peter Atherton says on the subject: 'Aloe Vera has a wonderfully beneficial action on bowel function which results in smooth and efficient transit of contents, often eradicating inconvenient colicky pain.'

You can use Aloe too for a detox. I often do and it works wonders for me, as I'm sure it will for you too. I rely on it also for supporting my immune system and helping - via its natural anti-inflammatory properties - to keep aches and pains of advancing age at bay.

Look for an Aloe Vera that has the International Aloe Science Council's Seal of Approval stamped on its bottle or tub, and preferably one that has Kosher Rating and the Islamic Society's approval.

If PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) approve too, then you've truly found an Aloe that could be right for you!