Aloe vera is a plant that is highly valued and valued among Venezuelans. It is common to find it in any patio, garden, window. Each family manages to have their aloe vera plant nearby. Some attribute esoteric properties to her by placing her behind the doors to scare away, evil eye or witchcraft. However, its most valuable contribution is its benefits in our health.


Aloe vera is a type of succulent and belongs to the Asphodelaceae family. It is said that its origin goes back to the Egyptian people, being used to treat various diseases and cosmetic uses. Its name derives from the Arabic word alloeh, whose meaning is a bitter and bright substance and Vera that descends from Latin and means truth.


This plant is used in natural medicine to cure irritations and burns, such as anti-inflammatory, cleansing, healing, antibiotic, moisturizing the skin. Likewise, it is used to treat problems with ulcers, clean the colon, and as an expectorant. It is also used to improve the appearance of the skin and hair, giving it vitality, strength and shine.


The cultivation and care of this plant is not laborious. If you have adequate space, you can plant a child (as they say in Venezuela) of this plant and that's it. If you have a flowerpot, you can also have it. You just have to fill the pot with earth, moisten it a bit, put the cutting, cover its roots and go. It does not need a lot of water (you should water it once a week), but it does have a lot of light.

Some studies suggest that the benefits of this plant are obtained after two years of planting. To identify this time, it is necessary to observe that the plant, before completing its maturation process, has some white specks and, upon completion, they disappear, then, at that moment, it will be ready to use.

To start using this plant, we have to be careful not to damage it, cutting it off impulsively. It is recommended to make a slight cut in one of its leaves (or pencas as we say in my country) and with a firm movement remove the leaf from the root. This will prevent damage to the plant.

Once the leaf is cut, it is washed and peeled. For this you can cut one side of the leaf of the aloe and then with a spoon extract its pulp. By doing this you will notice that it is slimy. Do not worry, precisely, that is one of its main attributes. Then, it will be ready to use it. You can keep it refrigerated.

Applications:

In this part, I will use empirical data, because everyone uses it in the way that they know. In my case, if I use it to treat a burn or irritation, I only place a portion of the pulp in the affected area. There are people who put a bandage and leave it for 12 hours, I prefer to place it and leave it for up to an hour and remove.

To treat flu-like discomfort, the crystal of the aloe is liquefied and honey is added and taken twice a day. According to our grandmothers, this serves to expel accumulated phlegm.

For the hair, you can liquefy the crystal of the aloe and add olive, coconut or sesame oil. Put on the hair, leave for at least an hour and then wash the hair well and dry. The result is wonderful.

Finally, my mom has always had problems with her stomach: ulcers, slow digestion, inflammation of the colon, among others. She to relieve these discomforts, prepare aloe vera capsules how? She cuts the aloe crystals into small pieces, wraps them in aluminum foil and then freezes them. In the morning, fasting take out one of the wrappers, take out the glass and swallow it. This way of using aloe vera has reduced your digestive problems.