It seems everyone has a gut issue these days, and it’s really no wonder. From the very beginning, we have been deprived of nourishment and filled with various toxins that have slowly eroded our inner ecology to the point that it has become partly to nearly completely dysfunctional. Thankfully, the right nourishment and detoxification protocols can help reverse that damage, and the healing benefits of aloe vera just may top that list in both categories.
Aloe vera nutritional profile
Aloe vera has been considered one of the most healing plants on the planet. It’s known as the “lily of the desert”, the “plant of immortality’, and the “medicine plant”. It’s historical use has been mainly around the treatment of wounds, ulcers, burns, infections, and parasites.
However, aloe vera has been studied extensively over recent years and it turns out that many of its amazing healing properties are best taken internally. This stands to reason as its soothing action on external body parts are exponentiated when taken orally.
So what’s in aloe vera gel that makes it so medicinal for our bodies? Check out the highly condensed profile:
20 minerals
12 vitamins
18 amino acids
200 active plant compounds (phytonutrients), including enzymes, triterpenes, polysaccharides, and glyconutrients
Strong antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties
In a world full of diets lacking nutrients and enzymes that create an open door policy for menacing gut pathogens, its safe to say that aloe vera could very well be one of the smartest things you can include in your diet. Combine its healing power and reduce or remove processed (dead) foods, and you can quickly improve your gut and overall health.
For the most dramatic benefits, choose a raw (not pasteurized) aloe vera gel with no artificial ingredients or preservatives (like sodium benzoate), and consume 1 to 2 oz a day on a consistent basis.
Healing action of aloe vera
Due to the wide variety of nutrients and anti-inflammatory properties of aloe vera, it can be used for a wide variety of health benefits, including:
Easing inflammation and soothing arthritic pain
Helps heal ulcers, IBS, Crohn’s disease, colitis, and other digestive disorders
Helps treat and prevent candida and parasite infections
Accelerates healing from wounds, burns, and ulcers (externally and internally)
Relieving constipation
Stabilizes blood sugar
Protects kidneys
Oxygenates your blood and protects the body from oxidative stress
Helps repair “sludge blood” and reverses “sticky blood”
Reduces high blood pressure
Provides electrolytes
Improves physical performance, and recovery
Improved skin
Helps reduce and reverse acid reflux
Helps heal gum disease
Reduces heart attacks and strokes
Helps halt growth of cancer tumours
Aloe vera is such a healing plant because it addresses the core reasons most people are sick – systematic inflammation and compromised immune systems due to a poorly functioning digestive system harboured by an infestation of pathogenic bacteria. It does this mainly through its highly oxygenated, nutrient rich, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti fungal properties.
How to use aloe vera in your diet
Aloe vera has a very strong taste, and doesn’t have a lot of practical solutions to incorporate into food. This shouldn’t deter you from making it a steady part of your diet, as it can be easily taken in supplemental form.
One method you can try and incorporate is through a daily smoothie. Simply add 1/2 to 1 oz (go low first if you are particular about taste) into your smoothie, and adjust other ingredients to help mask the somewhat bitter taste (some aloe vera formulas have removed this component), if desired.
If you find it it a bit too bitter for your smoothie, simply add it to a glass of water and shoot it back each morning. You can also get it in freeze dried format that retains all the nutrients and helps eliminate the bitterness.
To keep a fresh supply of aloe vera in your home, consider buying a few aloe vera plants. Since they are native to the desert, even the blackest of thumbs can keep an aloe vera plant alive. This way you have it on hand for any sunburns, wounds, or skin irritations, and can harvest it fresh on a daily basis for internal use as well.
The healing benefits from aloe vera are endless. Use it liberally, and wisely.
Derek Henry
Derek Henry, Founder of Healing the Body and the THRIVE Academy, used nutrition, supplementation, and a holistic lifestyle to naturally unravel 13 chronic disease conditions that conventional or alternative medical professionals couldn't help him resolve. As a result of this one-in-a-million health transformation and the knowledge acquired in the process, he now educates, coaches, and inspires others to transform their health through a natural and holistic approach. Since 2014, he has helped his THRIVE Academy participants heal over 20 different chronic disease conditions, primarily related to digestive and autoimmune concerns.
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