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The Aloe Vera Plant, Barbados Pocket Guide

Aloe

Ancient history tells us that mankind has been enjoying the therapeutic benefits and the healing properties that have been associated with the Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadense) plant for more than 5,000 years. The Aloe Vera plant has been used for medicinal purposes to heal a variety of conditions, most notably burns, wounds and skin irritations.

 

The leaves of the Aloe plant tend to be organised in a rosette manner and are large, thick, fleshy and lance-shaped with a sharp apex and serrated edges. Aloe flowers are tubular, frequently yellow, pink or red and are borne on densely clustered, simple or branched leafless stems.

 

Many species of the Aloe plant in Barbados tend to be stemless, with the rosette growing directly from ground level. Varieties include from grey to bright-green and are sometimes striped or mottled along with the being plain.

 

The Aloe leaf structure is made up of four layers: the Rind, the Sap, The Mucilage Gel and Aloe Vera.

 

The Rind is the outer protective layer of the plant
The Sap is a layer of bitter fluid which helps protect the plant from being attacked by animals
Mucilage Gel is the inner part of the leaf that is filleted out to make Aloe Vera gel
Aloe Vera (inner gel) contains the eight (8) essential Amino Acids that the human body needs but is unable to manufacture on its own

 

In its raw state, the Aloe Vera plant has a bitter taste but can easily be digested with the help of your favourite fruit juice.

 

As per the rest of the world, the Aloe plant is quite beneficial in Barbados. Amongst its medicinal benefits and soothing properties, many mothers and grandmothers have applied this plant on to the thumbs of young children so as to have a deterrent effect on their 'bad' thumb-sucking habits.

 

Healing Properties of the Aloe Vera Plant

The gel of the Aloe plant is 99% water but it also contains substances known as Glycoprotein and Polysaccharides that speed the wound-healing process via cell proliferation and repair. Aloe gel also contains a total of 75 different substances including vitamins, minerals, enzymes, sugars, anthraquinone or phenolic compounds, lignin, saponins, sterols, amino acids and salicylic acid.

 

The Aloe plant, often referred to as Nature's Silent Healer or Miracle Plant is renowned for its magical healing power with the majority of its healing abilities being attributed to its extracted juice. Medicinal benefits of the Aloe plant are as follows:-

 

• Cleansing of the digestive system
• Supplies the body with vitamins, minerals and amino acids since it contains over 200 compounds out of which 76 are vitamins, minerals and amino acids
• Aloe gel has been used for topical treatment for minor wounds and burns and skin irritations for centuries. Aloe Vera used to be known as the "burn plant'
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One of the home remedies for asthma was to boil some Aloe Vera leaves in a pan of water and breathe in the vapor
• Others have reported benefits of Aloe Vera in treating Eczema and Psoriarsis, and a product called Aloe Propolis Creme is favoured by many for these conditions
• For pharmaceutical use as a laxative, the aloe juice is taken from the tubules just beneath the outer skin of the leaves. It's a bitter yellow and dried to become aloe granules that are dark brown in color
• Made into a beverage and taken internally, it has been used to help many other conditions. Some of them are constipation, ulcers, diabetes, headaches, arthritis, and coughs. Taking aloe internally does have side effects, which can include pain, electrolyte imbalances, and diarrhea
• It has been determined that it can also help with treating minor vaginal irritations
• Aloe Vera is best used when used fresh from the plant. It doesn't store well but can be bought as a preserved product. Aloe Vera can be used topically as well as taken internally. It has been used for mouth sores, what we call stomach sores, or cold sores
• Aloe Vera has been especially helpful of patients with severe and various skin diseases. It acts as a rejuvenating action. It acts as a moisturizer and hydrates the skin. After being absorbed into the skin, it stimulates the fibroblasts cells and causes them to regenerate themselves faster. It's the cells that that produce the collagen and elastin so the skin will get smoother and look younger
• Because Aloe Vera is natural, it works gently within the intestinal tract to help break down food residues that have become impacted and help clean out the bowel. When the bowel is cleaned out, it greatly reduces bloating, discomfort, and helps ease stress

Care of the Aloe Vera Plant

Based on the fact that over 90% of the Aloe Vera plant consists of water, when planted outdoors, they should be exposed to full sunlight or partial shade with moderately fertile and well-draining soil. The practice of having Aloe plants indoors is not one that is common on the island of Barbados but in the event this is preferred, the plant should be near a window that offers it lots of sunlight. The root system of the Aloe plant is a shallow, spreading one and as such chosen pots should be wider as opposed to deeper.

 
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