Aloe vera

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After a long break, I decided to dedicate my first post of 2020 to one of the most popular medicinal plants, one with so many possible uses that it has inspired expressions such as the following, which I read once referring to a Central American politician: "Mr. X is like aloe vera: the more they investigate him, the more properties they find".

There is a lot of information that can be written about this multifaceted plant, so a good place to start is its botanical classification. The genus Aloe comprises about 500 species of succulent plants, which are probably native to southern Africa, but are now present all over the world. An interesting fact for taxonomy fans (in case any ever reads this blog) is that for a long time the genus was classified in the Liliaceae family (together with lilies and tulips, among others). However, more recent revisions based on DNA analysis have put it in a new family called Asphodelaceae. The species that is most commonly used as a medicinal plant has the scientific name Aloe vera, although it is also known as Aloe barbadensis.

Inside aloe vera leaves one finds a clear mucilaginous gel, which contains mostly water and polysaccharides. The green skin has a yellow, bitter-tasting latex, which contains anthraquinones and glycosides. One of these substances, known as aloin, has been used as a laxative. However, due to its numerous side effects and contraindications it is no longer recommended for internal use. In fact, in the United States the FDA ruled in 2002 that aloe laxatives were not safe to use, so their use in over-the-counter products was suspended For this reason, it is best to use only the gel and avoid ingesting the yellow substance that oozes from the freshly cut leaves.

Aloe plants require little care. While in an adequate environment they can grow to be 1 meter high, they don't do well in low temperatures, so I keep them inside in pots all year round. When I got my first plant, I was surprised by how quickly a "pup" or baby plant developed at the base of the stem. It's very easy to propagate aloe vera by separating the pups and planting them in new pots. In my case, it reached a point in which I had so many aloe plants that I didn't know what to do with them. Having run out of space for pots and of friends willing to take the plants, I now concentrate on the adult plants that I have, and remove the pups as soon as they emerge. 

Three of my aloe vera plants are now sharing a bit of a crowded living space.  

Being a succulent, aloe vera is very drought-resistant. However, if one wants to use the gel, it's not wise to let the plant spend a long time without water. When they have not been watered for some time, the leaves get thinner and there is almost no gel to use. This happened to me once, but the leaves regained their fullness when I started watering them once a week without fail.

Aloe vera gel is widely used in skin care products and for treating burns and skin conditions such as psoriasis. I have experienced the refreshing and soothing effects of applying a freshly cut leaf after a kitchen burn, and I also feel that it helps speed up the healing process. However, I've never conducted an experiment that involves burning myself and testing how long it takes to heal with or without aloe vera, so I have no data to support this claim.

The first step to extract the gel.

To get the aloe vera gel, I cut a leaf with a sharp knife, put it vertically on a paper towel to let the yellow latex out, and then I carefully remove the thorns and the green skin and scrape out the gel. 

The gel can also be taken internally (for example as part of a fruit smoothie). Some studies have found that it might help lower blood sugar levels in diabetics. However, the evidence for this is not yet conclusive.

Aloe vera gel ready for use.