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Click on Here to Find Out More About the Health Benefits of Aloe Vera |
A
team from the Barts and London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry
have carried out tests which show that the herb has a beneficial effect on the
production of substances which help boost the healing process in cases of
ulceration in the gut.
The
researchers believe aloe vera could be
particularly valuable in treating ulcers caused as a side effect of taking
anti-inflammatory NSAID drugs.
The
aloe vera gel was tested on a
culture of gastric cells at a concentration that is likely to be found in the
stomach after swallowing a dose.
Aloe
has been recognised as a painkiller, and since ancient times it has been used
to treat burns.
Aloe is also a common
ingredient in cosmetics and lotions because it naturally balances the pH of the
skin.
Internally,
it has been used as a mild laxative. There is also some
evidence to suggest that it might enhance the functioning of the immune system.
Researchers
at Morriston Hospital, Swansea, are conducting trials to establish whether aloe
vera is an effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Gastroenterologist
Professor John Williams told BBC News Online:
"IBS
the most common condition we see and the most difficult to treat.
"It
is entirely benign, but extremely troublesome for people who have it.
"We
have some anecdotal evidence that aloe vera may help, but we need to know if
this is genuine effect, or simply linked to the fact that the condition
improves and then relapses."
Results
on the IBS trial, in which approximately 250 people will take part, will not be
known for two years.
The
research was presented at a meeting of the British Society of Gastroenterology.
Millions of people could benefit from pioneering
research at three south west Wales hospitals which are investigating the
medicinal properties of a desert plant.
Neath, Morriston and Singleton hospitals are the first to trial
aloe vera as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which affects
around 20% of the UK population.
More than 250 IBS sufferers in the region are taking part in the
two-year study, which will cost £50,000.
One of the volunteers Glyn Stevens, from Swansea, said the
condition, which ranges from acute diarrhoea to constipation, has had a
profound effect on his life.
"The pain is really bad and affects me on a daily
basis," he said.
"It makes me cough so much it almost chokes me."
Sufferers often desperately need to go to the toilet with little warning,
which severely limits their lifestyle.
Claire Hopkins, 26, from Penclawdd, said: "I have terrible
stomach problems which have really affected my life.
"A cure would be marvellous."
So far clinical research has failed to identify the causes of IBS
or a remedy for the condition.
However, experts working on the aloe vera trials
are hopeful they can exploit the plant's healing properties.
Professor John Williams, consultant gastroenterologist, said:
"IBS is very debilitating, causing troublesome symptoms which interfere
with the social and working life of the individual.
"This is a study to look for an alternative treatment.
"There is a lot of anecdotal evidence of the beneficial
properties of aloe vera but this has never been proven."
Healing benefits of Aloe Vera - Alternative medicine
Aloe vera is not a drug but is derived from a plant which is part
of the lily family.
It has been used as a complementary treatment since the 18th
Century.
Each aloe vera plant takes about five years to mature and has a
life span of about 12 years.
The leaves are harvested between three and four years of age which
is used to make the liquid, which will be the basis of the research.
The study is being funded by the Foundation for Integrated
Medicine.
From
BBC News
To discover more about the health benefits and uses of aloe
vera, look no further than Yulia Berry’s e-book - “Aloe: Your Miracle Doctor”.
From here, you will learn about the wide array of internal and external uses of
aloe vera.
Yulia also dishes out tips on how you can prepare aloe in
your kitchen, depending on the condition that you would like to treat. She also
shares the history of aloe, why it is a must to take care of an aloe plant in
your own home. what its chemical composition is, what the biogenic stimulation
method is, and how it can be used for 130+ home remedies to treat more than
eighty different disorders.
