Aloe Vera Gel Health Benefits

The aloe vera plant has been used for its medicinal properties for centuries. The clear thick gel found within aloe vera leaves can be applied directly to skin, or prepared in other ways to help with a variety of health problems. This inner gel contains poly-saccharides, and carbohydrates, which stimulate skin growth and repair, and are thought to give the gel its renowned healing properties.

Healing Irritated Skin

• Aloe vera is best known for its ability to soothe and repair skin. When the gel is applied directly to skin, it not only replenishes lost moisture, but also heals minor wounds, burns, rashes and lesions. Many people use the gel to soothe painful sunburns and reduce itching from insect bites. It contains the mineral magnesium lactate, a natural itch inhibitor.

  Aloe vera gel has also been shown to heal third degree burns up to six times faster than traditional medical treatments. In addition to the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties of the gel, glycoproteins and salicylates found in aloe vera gel have powerful anit-inflammatory components, which aid in healing. The gel also supports the formation of collagen, which provides strength and structure to skin.

Fighting Disease

• Many studies have shown the beneficial effects of aloe vera gel on a variety of health problems ranging from poor digestion to diabetes to heart disease. When ingested, the gel has been shown to destroy harmful parasites and bacteria in the intestines. In addition, a study performed on lab rats at the University of Texas Health Science Center found rats that ingested aloe vera gel had a 10 percent greater life span, with lower occurrences of diseases including arterial thrombosis and leukemia and no adverse side effects.

  Aloe vera gel taken internally has also been shown to help with heart disease. A 1985 study reported in "The Journal of Vascular Diseases" required 5,000 patients with terminal or end-stage heart disease to take 100 grams of fresh aloe vera gel daily. During the five-year period, more than 93 percent of the patients experienced improvement in symptoms, blood chemistry, and EKGs. Patients with high blood pressure were able to decrease medications by half, and while statistically 305 of the at-risk patients were expected to have heart attacks during the study period, not one of the patients did.

Cosmetic Uses

• Aloe vera gel is included in many cosmetic skin treatments for its beneficial effects on the look of skin. It stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, which helps prevent aging of the skin. It also works as a powerful moisturizer, helping to slough off dead skin cells and increase the skin's ability to absorb beneficial substances. The gel is also known to decrease hyper-pigmentation, lessening the look of dark spots on the face.