Homemade aloe grows in almost every home. It is a very popular herb that is known for its medicinal properties. Below are some surprising aloe facts that few people have heard of.
Aloe water content 97%
In nature, aloe grows in hot tropical and even arid places - in Madagascar, the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, India, Southeast Asia, Mexico and Cuba. This plant can survive both in deserts and on mountain slopes.
A distinctive feature of aloe is the ability to accumulate water in the leaves. This plant has a specific composition - almost 97% of it consists of water, the remaining 3% contain esters. In addition to water, its leaves contain vitamins, enzymes, resinous substances, some essential oils, organic ones - protein, glucose, cholesterol and inorganic compounds.
The anthraglycosides contained in them are a bitter-tasting crystalline substance that has laxative, analgesic, choleretic, bactericidal and antifungal effects. Aloe leaf juice is a versatile drink that will help increase the amount of water in the intestines, normalize the balance of healthy bacteria, and support the health of the digestive system. It will help with vitamin deficiency, lower cholesterol, it is used for sore throat, treatment of allergies, hypertension, heart disease and has a healing effect on teeth and gums.
Aloe becomes medicinal only after 5 years
The beneficial properties of aloe have been known since ancient times: the medicinal plant has a rich history, it was used by many famous personalities to maintain health. The ancient Egyptians considered it a sacred plant that positively affects the skin and complexion. It was often used to preserve its beauty - for example, Cleopatra applied aloe juice to her skin.
The Greeks at that time used it to prepare ointments for the treatment of burns and wounds, as well as for tuberculosis, diseases of the stomach, liver and skin infections. Alexander the Great conquered the island of Socotra only for the sake of aloe, Aristotle advised him to do this, arguing that there are large thickets of plants on the island that heal wounds and without it, medicinal drugs cannot be perfect. The Macedonian ruler evicted the inhabitants of the island and sent a group of Greeks there, who were to take care of, guard and send aloe to Syria, Greece and Egypt.
Aloe brings great health benefits only after 5 years: then it acquires its medicinal properties. The older the plant, the more nutrients it has. You can figure out which leaves are more suitable for treatment by the tip. As soon as they begin to dry out, it means that a sufficient amount of medicinal properties have accumulated in them, and the plant sap has become as useful as possible. It is necessary to cut off the leaf at the very base or stem, only freshly cut leaves can be used for treatment, they cannot be left for a long time, since they lose all their medicinal properties.
Aloe can live without water
This plant is very unpretentious, and it is almost impossible to ruin it. Aloe is able to live without water for seven years and at the same time start up new shoots.The plant has a short stem or trunk, densely covered with xiphoid leaves arranged in a spiral.
Its thick, fleshy leaves are capable of storing large amounts of water, while significantly increasing in size. They close the pores on the thick peel, and this prevents the evaporation of water from them, due to which the plant retains moisture for a long time if it does not get enough from the outside.
In the pulp of the leaf there are special cells that retain water: during a drought, their size can decrease due to the gradual consumption of moisture necessary to maintain the life of the plant. If the drought is prolonged, the aloe sheds the lower leaves to keep itself alive. Even at home, the leaves can reach 65 cm in length, 4.5 cm in width and up to 3 cm in thickness.
Aloe can bloom
This medicinal plant can bloom, but this happens very rarely, since the aloe prefers to do it in nature, and not at home. There is a widespread misconception that aloe blooms once every hundred years. This is not true, as with proper care, aloe flowers can be seen every 10 to 20 years.
The shrubs of this plant bloom at the age of at least 10 years, its numerous flowers are collected in an inflorescence-brush, which is located on a long peduncle, sometimes reaching 90 cm in height. During the period of prolonged flowering, the plant is crowned with spike-shaped inflorescences of yellow, pink, red or orange flowers in the form of tubes or bells. Its fruit is a triangular capsule filled with many dark flying seeds.
Aloe can be a giant
The perennial evergreen shrub plant has more than 300 varieties. The smallest of them are dwarf, reaching a height of no more than 10 cm. Some types of aloe in the wild can reach a height of more than 5 meters, their leaves grow up to one meter in length and 20-30 cm in width.
Indoors, large aloe species, with proper care, can grow up to 1.5 - 2 meters in height. A perennial plant can protect itself thanks to the thorny thorns that are on the leaves. These sharp thorns prevent animals from killing it, and the bitter disinfecting juice protects the plant from diseases and insects, so it is rarely affected by diseases or pests and can reach gigantic proportions.
Aloe can be used in cosmetics
The beneficial properties of aloe are widely used in cosmetic skin care products. They will help with redness, chapping, rashes, relieve irritation, remove red spots and reduce itching.
Aloe juice helps fight wrinkles, uneven skin color, enlarged pores and excess oiliness, its components perfectly moisturize dry and protect sensitive skin.
