Forever

What is Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera, often called The Miracle Plant, the Natural Healer, the Burn Plant, goes by many names which have survived the 4000 or so years during which this amazing medicinal herb has benefited mankind.
George Ebers in 1862 first discovered its antiquity in an ancient Egyptian Papyrus, dated 3500 BC., which was in fact a collection of herbal remedies. Other researchers have since found that it was used by both the ancient Chinese and Indian Cultures.

Greek and Roman physicians such as Dioscorides and Pliny the Elder used it to great effect and legend suggests that Aristotle persuaded Alexander The Great to capture the island of Sacotra in the Indian ocean to get its rich supply of aloe to heal its wounded soldiers. The Egyptian queens Nefertiti and Cleopatra rated it as a beauty therapy, for in those days, health and beauty were linked far more than they ever are today.

Although there are over 20 species of aloe, there are probably only three or four with medicinal purposes. Of these Aloe Vera Barbadensis (Miller), which is also known as Aloe Vera(Limne), is the most potent.
Aloe Vera Barbadensis is a succulent, looking rather like cactus, but is in fact a member of the Lilly family related to onions, garlic and asparagus. It reaches maturity in four years when the content of its leaves, a mixture of inner gel and outer sap can be harvested, preserved and bottled to produce a product as near to the natural plant juice as we can get.

To benefit from Aloe Vera, the gel can be taken internally for its nutritional effect, or it can be combined with other ingredients to produce tropical creams and lotions to nourish and improve the quality of the skin.

Why Does It Work
It works by providing a rich cocktail of nutritional elements whose combined action and balance produce a more powerful effect than would be expected from the addition of the individual components. This is because they work as a team, enhancing each other's effect - known as synergism. It also has adaptogenic properties which means it is a substance which increases non-specific resistance of an organism to adverse influences such as infection or stress.

Where Does It Work?
Aloe Vera, because of its nutritional qualities and antitoxident properties, helps firstly to prevent injury to epithedial tissues, an where they are damaged, it promotes healing.

Antitoxidants fight fight the destructive "free radicals", the unstable compounds produced by our metabolism and found in environmental pollutants. They are thought to cause various ailments including some cancers as well as contributing towards the ageing process.
An epithelium is an anatomical term defined as follows: "An epithelium is a layer of cells that covers the body or lines a cavity that connects it."

Our largest epithelium is our skin, but also included are the lining of the gut, the bronchial tubes an the genital tact. No wonder that aloe works just as well on damaged skin as it does, say, on an inflamed bowel or in asthma.

How Does It Work?
Its natural anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial action combined within its nutritional constituents promote cell growth and therefore healing. However, it is not only helpful for people with problems; most people taking it report a greater sense of well being - they just feel better or they report feeling calmer and less anxious.

I believe this last comment is due to aloe's second effect on the immune system which you may say becomes balanced or fine tuned and therefore more efficient at defending the body from attack.

In Conclusion
Aloe Vera is not a panacea for all ills and there is no magic about it. I believe it works primarily in the two areas mentioned previously - epithelial tissue and the immune system. This is largly backed up by anecdotal evidence, as many thousands of people over the centuries have reported benefit for various skin complaints such as eczema, psoriasis, ulcers, burns, acne, even stings and bites. They have found relief for bowl disorders such as colitis, diverticultis and Irritable Bowl Syndrome. Other conditions resulting from a disordered immune system such as arthritis, asthma and ME (post viral fatgue syndrome) and LE (lupus) have improved after a regular ingestion of Aloe Vera gel.

Aloe Vera therefore has a complimentary role to play in the management of various conditions. It is very important however that people should always seek the advice of their doctor when the diagnosis is in doubt or where a condition does not improve. Self diagnosis can be extremely dangerous as many serious conditions can mimic more simple ones.