Sunday, November 30, 2008

The Medicinal Aloe Vera Plant

Aloe Vera Plant Video

 

A common medicinal herb, the aloe vera plant is frequently used in many households around the world. Unique to many domesticated plants, the aloe vera plant no longer thrives in the wild. It is currently only known to live in captivity or cultivated by people for commercial use. This alone makes the aloe vera different in the world of environmental sciences.

The Aloe vera plant is believed to have many properties, ranging from the soothing of burns, the promotion of faster healing to the treatment of diabetes. Because of the special compounds in the plant, including acetylated mannans, polymannans, anthraquinone C-glycosides, anthrones and anthraquinones and lectins, aloe tends to be added to a broad range of products to entice users to purchase them.

The aloe vera plant is a succulent plant, which thrives in zones 8-10. It is suitable as an ornamental plant for low-water gardens, as well as indoors. Aloe does not tolerate snow or frost, dying under such conditions. If you want to keep aloe in chilly, it must be kept indoors or in a greenhouse to prevent frost from killing it. Being a succulent, the aloe vera plant resembles cacti and other common desert plants. As it is suited for dry climates, the exposure to too much water will cause the death of this plant. The aloe plant should not be watered until its soil has gone dry, making it one of the easiest plants to tend, so long as you pay attention to the soil. The soil used for potted aloe vera should be compatible with good drainage, as too much sitting water will cause root rot.

When grown at home, the aloe vera plant is typically used as a topical treatment for burns and cuts. Studies are conflicked on aloe vera affects the rate of healing. There are some indicators that  the rate of healing may be dependent on the type and depth of the burn, and how it is bandaged.Some data state that the healing rate is slowed from aloe vera. Aloe vera may also be digested as a general cure.

Despite the lack of scientific proof on the increased healing and other properties of aloe vera, it has gained a good reputation by the average individual, granting the aloe vera plant a place in shampoos, lotions, soaps and a wide range of cosmetics. However, the gains garnered from the presence of aloe in these products is based on belief, not on concrete proof.

The aloe vera plant is believed to have once come from in Africa, with cousins of the aloe vera plant still living to date. There are references to aloe in the bible, which makes it one of the oldest documented species of plants known.

More ideas on outdoor landscaping and plants will be found here Plant Life Cycle

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