The secrets of aloe vera

Do you want to know one of Cleopatra’s beauty secrets? The Queen of Nile, recognized as a timeless epitome of beauty, uses the clear and viscous gel of aloe vera, the cactus-like plant with the green dagger-shaped leaves.

However, aloe vera is not only skin-deep. Its benefit extends not only externally but also internally. Studies have confirmed that the aloe, which is the gel that comes out of the plant, is packed with naturally occurring antioxidants and nutrients in the form of Vitamins B complex, C, E and amino acids, plus beta carotene which hunts down cell-damaging compounds called free radicals.

Aloe vera contains dietary nutrients such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, chromium and sodium, which are all essential for maintaining a healthy metabolism.

In other words, aloe vera is virtually a gold mine of both beauty-maintaining and health-supporting phytonutrients, which have been shown to have anti-cancer and anti-aging effects.

Aside from enhancing beauty in and out, aloe vera is also known as the "potted physician," a title it earned because of its many healing and medicinal properties. Aloe vera acts mainly as a wound healer and an anti-inflammatory agent. One of its most popular uses is in the treatment of minor burns and bed sores. It enhances skin regeneration, minimizing unsightly scars.

Aloe vera also contains anti-inflammatory plant sterols, which further explains why it is a highly effective treatment for wounds, burns, ulcers, arthritis, allergic reactions and other inflammatory conditions of the digestive system.

Aloe vera is also useful in infections because it contains antiseptic agents. It is also known to aid in the healing of stomach disorders, ulcers, constipation, hemorrhoids, rectal itching, colitis and basically, all colon problems.

But probably the most recent curative potential of aloe vera is boosting the immune system’s response to antigens or foreign elements in the body which trigger reactions causing all sorts of diseases. This is a new prospect for the treatment of cancer.

Researchers have discovered that lectin, a compound from aloe, when injected directly into tumors, activated the immune system to attack the harmful cells. The use of aloe vera also enables the body to heal itself from the damage done by conventional cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy.

"The action of substances in aloe vera does activate and intensify the immune response, and this constitutes one of the fundamental scientifically established actions of aloe in the body," said Dr. Lawrence Plaskett of the International Royal Society of Chemistry.

Patients cannot take advantage of all these promising benefits of aloe vera by merely using aloe vera-based soap or shampoo. The aloe gel should be taken internally in order for its active ingredients to be utilized by the body.

Now, pure aloe vera in soft gel capsule is made available to all those who want to share Cleopatra’s secret and reap all the health and beauty benefits of the wonder plant. Trianon Aloe Vera is now available as an over-the-counter food supplement in Mercury Drug Store outlets nationwide. It is manufactured by Now International, a leading manufacturer of food supplements in the United States, and is distributed exclusively by Trianon International Inc. (892-0723 to 24, 894-0843).