Aloe is a perennial succulent native to East and South Africa that also is cultivated in the West Indies and other tropical countries. The tissue in the center of the aloe leaf contains a gel that has healing properties. When applied externally, aloe vera softens and restores skin tissues and may aid in the healing of burns and sores. It can also be used on blemishes and dandruff.
Aloe vera is sometimes taken internally for stomach disorders. Dried aloe latex, a substance derived from the leaf, is a strong laxative. Physicians have used aloe to treat burns from xrays, sun exposure, and chemical spills, as well as traumatized tissue, decibitus ulcers or bedsores, skin inflammation, stomach ulcers, herpes simplex, periodontal surgery, insect bites and stings, irritating plant stings, and other minor skin irritations. When used as a mouth rinse, it may be an effective treatment for cold sores.
Some of the other health applications for aloe vera include: amenorrhea, asthma, inflamed or diseased breasts, burns, bursitis, colds, colic, conjunctivitis, constipation, coughs, dysmenorrhea, dysentery with bloody stools, ear infections, eye problems, fat and sugar metabolism, fever, gonorrhea, heart pain, hemorrhoids, hepatitis, herpes, infant pneumonia, insomnia, worms, jaundice, kidney disorders, enlarged liver, menopause, rheumatism, skin inflammations, skin rashes, sores, sore throat, enlarged spleen, toothache, tuberculosis and other lung diseases, tumors, chronic ulcers, vaginitis, and venereal diseases.
