Blood-sugar Regulation | A Metabolic Plan

Aloe Vera is known primarily for its topical benefits on a scrape or burn. However, it is actually enormously beneficial when ingested. It’s like moisturizing your body from the inside out. Used on a daily basis, Aloe can help reduce the damage which occurs in the gastrointestinal system much like it helps heal a skin lesion.

How many people do you know who complain of heartburn, gas, acid indigestion, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation or diarrhea, to name a few? All of these ailments are related to the GI tract. Many things such as medication (antibiotics for example), affect the health of the GI tract and its ability to function properly by fighting off harmful bacteria and eliminating waste. When the gastrointestinal tract is damaged or stressed it effects the entire body.

For years people who consumed Aloe have testified to the its healing qualities and now there is more and more scientific research that supports those claims. Aloe has been added to hand and body lotion to help add moisture and heal the skin which is “epithelial tissue”. The GI tract is also lined with epithelial tissue and therefore aloe also heals and keeps it supple. Just like the skin, when the GI tract is dry and “cracked” it’s susceptible to infection.

Aloe is reported to aid in

digestion
blood-sugar regulation and cleansing
detoxification
healing by stimulating cell replication
reducing inflammation in joint and muscle tissue associated with arthritis
strengthening the immune system

Even consuming aloe daily may require several weeks to notice significant improvement and any continuing gastrointestinal issue should be addressed by a doctor.

There are many Aloe products on the market. Before selecting one, check to be sure it’s bioactive and that it has a good ratio of aloe to water. There is a company who produces Aloe which has 200 parts aloe to 1 part water, but they don’t want their name published . For added defense, active botanical compounds – Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and green tea extract are added to help support the growth of beneficial intestinal flora. Most aloe on the market has been heat processed thereby destroying the polysaccharides and therefore many of the benefits. Also much of the value of aloe is lost in about 6 hours after it is harvested. This aloe is processed near the fields in order to capture those active elements.