Aloe Vera, A Very Common Herb
**The full soul loathes an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.**
Aloe Vera is a very common houseplant that most of you are familiar with and it is fairly simple to grow. If you have ever eaten Aloe raw you will understand why the meaning of the word is grief. Aloe can be used dried or fresh, although it is best used fresh, because it looses a lot of its nutritional value when it is dried. There are 240 different species of aloe, but only four are recognized as nutritional value to humans and animals. Aloe Vera also contains over 20 minerals and has seven different vitamins which are A, B1, B2, B6,B12, C and E, so it is a very valuable plant to grow. It is very versatile meaning it can be used externally and internally.
**Use Aloe Externally**
Aloe Vera is used externally by applying the juice to burns, scalds, rashes, mouth ulcers, heat rashes, and I even used it for sun burn. To obtain the juice from the plant simply break off a stem and squeeze out the sticky juice from within. It works so well on burns that we usually keep a plant around the kitchen in case one of our cooks get burned.
If you would like to revitalize your completion, check this out! The women in the East Indies used it to maintain beauty and counteracting symptoms of aging. Aloe Vera gel is considered an estrogenic, which accounts for its vitalizing and tonic properties for women.
**How To Apply It Externally**
First shave off the spike borders of the leaves and cut the leaf crossways; then apply the fresh sticky juice to the area, or simply do like we do here: tear a stem off and squeeze.
**Use It Internally**
It is also very beneficial internally. You will find it extremely bitter, but if you can tolerate it, it is a sure healer for mouth ulcers. The dried powder of aloe is considered one of the best herbal laxatives, and benefits the liver. Aloe should not be taken during your first three months of pregnancy.
I recently read an article where a woman with arthritis faithfully took aloe everyday for three months and she began to feel better. She was able to move her joints better. We have a sister here with arthritis and she is taking a tea daily that consist of Aloe, cayenne and rosemary. She says she feels a little better. One thing about herbs is they do not work overnight, nor should you depend on them for healing since YAHWEH is our healer.
Feel free to contact us with your questions or comments on our herb information or growing questions.
May YAHWEH Bless You
Sister Kathy