Aloe vera: soothing inside and out

• Arthritis: animal studies and anecdotal reports claim that drinking aloe vera juice or taking it as a tablet or capsule can reduce swelling and inflammation in arthritic joints
• Asthma: drinking aloe vera juice may help those asthmatic patients who are not dependent on cortico-steroids
• Digestive uses: at low doses, a tincture of bitter aloes can stimulate the appetite - take three drops with water before meals; at higher doses (up to ten drops a day) the anthraquinone compound in the bitter aloes causes the colon to contract, generally producing a bowel movement after 8 to 12 hours. However, bitter aloes, unlike aloe vera juice, is a strong irritant laxative (even more concentrated than Senna) and you are advised to see a practitioner rather than self- prescribe at high doses.
• First aid: aloe vera is an excellent home remedy to soothe burns, grazes, scalds and sunburn. Either use an over the counter product or, if you have an aloe plant, break off a leaf and apply the gel.

Nutritional supplement
Aloe is one of the only known natural vegetarian sources of Vitamin B12, and it contains many minerals vital to the growth process and healthy function of all the body's systems. Numerous studies worldwide indicate that aloe vera is a general tonic for the immune system, helping it to fight illness of all kinds, including general infections and even cancer and HIV.

In 1994, the US Food and Drug Administration approved aloe vera for the treatment of HIV. On-going studies worldwide show that aloe taken in highly concentrated doses can stimulate the production of white blood cells that may help fight viruses and also tumours.

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