Aloe Vera

Why....use aloe vera?

Asthma rates double in 10 years, eczema and psoriasis now affects 1 in 3 people, 1 in 5 suffer from Irritable Bowel syndrome.

Millions more suffer from arthritis, chronic fatigue, stomach and digestive problems. Every year the flu epidemic gets worse and more and more people get cancer and there is nothing we can do....

Consider this:

In the UK alone 100,000 illnesses and 5,000 deaths were recently attributed to lack hygiene in hospitals - that's not even counting the deaths due as a result of prescription drugs.

In addition many of the drugs, antibiotics and prescriptions that we are given on a regular basis can do such damage to us that we might never recover.

So what's the alternative?

Well, over the past 20 years, there has been a revival of the use of natural organic products that alleviate many problems and symptoms and support our immune and body systems so that we can reduce our use of chemical drug treatments.

The beauty of 'natural' is that it is safe and harmless..

..and this is the main problem. There are so many companies touting their latest 'natural healing cure all' that we all get a bit sceptic.

However, there are natural solutions to many (but not all) of our problems, and prominent amongst them all is the famous..

I was actually suffering from a stomach complaint (sort of ulcer with acid burn at night - sort of IBS with wind and bloating in the day - you're glad I told you that aren't you?) when I came across aloe vera.

Getting started

Perhaps you are suffering from:

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Eczema, Psoriasis or skin problems
• Asthma
• Arthritis

Then aloe vera - may be an option for you.

However, even if you are perfectly healthy and don't suffer from any of the above - aloe vera still has a lot to offer.

Perhaps you are wondering (as I did)...

Why don't doctors prescribe aloe vera?

Well, the medical fraternity is still sceptical - but changing!

Although many doctors are themselves now witnessing the benefits of herbal plants like aloe vera, I also know how skeptical many of the so-called conventional medical fraternity have been whenever they have heard of or have been exposed to anything like aloe vera.

This is especially the case with plants like aloe vera that often seem to have an almost 'panacea-like' and sometimes almost 'unexplainable' healing properties and benefits or that the plants or plant extracts/products have not been clinically trialled in the US, UK or other western country.

However, it's a fact that people are using complementary therapies and natural remedies successfully. Not least because we have become more aware that conventional medicine (which includes the use of pharmaceutical drugs) does not and will never hold all the answers to ill health.

.....and doctors like anyone else can be fallible.

Very often such natural remedies, which sometimes have thousands of years of healing history behind them may not have gone through 'official' clinical trials. But that does not mean to say they do not have a part to play in maintaining good health and improving overall well-being.

Many drugs that have gone through 'official' trials have had to be withdrawn at a later date because of the damaging or toxic side effects they have had.

It is important to note that the vast majority of the world's population still, to this day, relies on natural remedies and herbal medicines for the treatment of illnesses and diseases.

To my knowledge there is no documentary evidence anywhere that would suggest that taking aloe vera might be harmful in any way, provided the product is of the highest quality and is used correctly.

Getting more out of....using Aloe Vera

When the aloe vera gel is used fresh from the leaf or when it is properly stabilised and processed to retain the essential 'freshness and efficacy' of the raw gel, it has:

potent healing, immune boosting, anti-inflammatory, nutritional, general health-giving and rejuvenating properties,

…..for a wide range of ailments and disorders in both humans and animals alike.

It is no less impressive to see the incredible range of disorders affecting animals which aloe vera can help, from the smallest domestic pets to the largest commercial animals.

So, how do ensure you are getting the right quality of aloe vera?

Over the last few years the growing awareness and subsequent increase in demand for aloe vera products has led to a 'rash' of poorer quality products being introduced to the market.

These products which tend to contain much less aloe vera (as a percentage by volume) are being marketed on the back of the extensive and positive publicity of the effects of high quality aloe vera.

Unfortunately, the huge disparity in quality, potency, purity and efficacy between the different brands of aloe vera it is not always obvious.

This is important when you consider that the largest producer of aloe vera in the world and the company whose products are most often featured in the media only sells its products direct to the end user. In other words, they are not available directly through shops.

This is also increasingly the case as more and more people purchase nutritional supplements, natural products and herbal remedies on a direct sales basis from manufacturers/suppliers or through the Internet.

Bear in mind the old saying 'you pays your money and you takes your choice'. The use of the words 'aloe vera' could simply mean there is a small percentage by volume in that particular product.

Very often there simply is not enough aloe vera content to be of any real benefit but the very presence of the two 'magic' words - aloe vera - on the label is often enough to sell the product.

Potential buyers should take heed of the words of a well known US grower of aloe vera who, when asked to comment on the huge proliferation of aloe vera drinks on the market (and this is now very evident in the UK and many other countries in Europe) said,

I have tried well over thirty different aloe vera drinks, in the UK, the USA and Europe. And I know, from personal experience that there is a huge disparity in the stabilised aloe vera gel content, the polysaccharide content and the purity, quality and strength of the products currently being sold (both drinks and topical products).

I also feel that it is important for you as a potential consumer of aloe vera, to receive good and ongoing advice about the aloe vera you are buying, whether it's a drink or a topical product. So, make sure you keep contact with your local supplier and ask their advice if you need help.

Additional criteria to consider are

Kit and caboodle

Spoil yourself

How about treating your self to:

Open Outcry

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