Also known as-
Latin : Aloe Vera
English : Aloe
Sanskrit : Kumari
Hindi : Ghritkumari
Marathi : Korafad
Tamil : Kattalai
Telugu : Kalabanda
Malayalam : Kattuvala
Kannada : Kathaligidi
How it looks—It is a coarse perennial with a short stem and shallow root system. The leaves are fleshy with horny prickles on the margins, and the flowers are yellow or orange in colour.
What we use—Leaf juice
What it does—It is bitter, cooling, anthelmintic, carminative, diuretic, stomachic and emmenagogue.
How we use it—
In jaundice—A few drops of aloe juice is instilled in the nostrils to control jaundice.
In liver disorders and splenomegaly—Aloe juice with turmeric powder should be taken twice a day to combat these conditions.
In difficult urination—In high fever, sometimes, this condition arises. Consume diluted aloe juice from time to time to alleivate this condition.
In wounds—Boil aloe leaves and take the fleshy part of the inside of the leaves to use as a poultice over wounds.
In burning sensation—Paste cumin seeds with aloe juice and apply over the area. Even in burns, the above mixture may be applied from time to time to hasten healing and prevent scar formation.
As a cosmetic—Aloe is one of the best known moisturisers and is used freely in creams and shampoos to retain moisture in skin and hair.You can make your own home-made moisturiser and cleanser in the following way—
Take Vi tsp of lemon juice and Vi fsp of aloe juice. Dilute this with about 4 tsp of water. After filtering apply this mixture over the face and neck and wash off after 15 minutes.
Modern Studies
1. Aloe was found to significantly inhibit gastric acid secretion in experimental studies, and was thereby seen to protect gastric mucosa from Hcl-induced gastric tension.
2. The aqueous extract of aloe also exhibited antiparasitic activity against trichomonas vaginalis, a vaginal fungus.
3. Aloe is found to be good against Piles.
4. Aloe is also found to be soothing for arthritis and rheumatic pains.
5. It is also found to be of high value in treating blood dysentery.