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Aloe Vera, And The Vitality Of Youth Essay

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Aloe Vera, also called simply Aloe, is a flowering, cactus-like succulent plan that thrives in dry, hot climates, and is believed to be at least 6,000 years old. Kumari is the Ayurvedic name for aloe, and is translated as “the vitality of youth” (Chopra & Simon, 2000, p. 66). Native to Africa ("Aloe," 2016), it is grown in tropical and sub-tropical areas ("Aloe UMMC," 2015). Different parts of the plant have different uses. The leaves, which are thick (cactus-like) and fibrous, have three layers. The central pulp contains gel that is extracted for use both topical and internal use (Chopra & Simon, 2000, p. 67). The fibrous part of the plant is used to make a laxative from the Aloe latex that is extracted. Some products are made using the whole crushed leaf, and contain the latex and gel ("Aloe WebMD," 2016).
The gel made from Aloe Vera, either pure or as part of a mixture, is commonly used in moisturizing products for skin, is often included in sun block/sunscreen ("Aloe," 2016).
It also has a wide variety of medicinal purposes, including “burns, wounds, skin irritations, and constipation” both historically and currently. Recently, it has not been recommended for use as a laxative. Today, Aloe is still one of the most common herbs used for a multitude of purposes ("Aloe UMMC," 2015, para. 1). It is also considered as a “tonic for the liver” (Lad, 2009, p. 130).
The Aloe Vera plant is also known as the “burn plant” (Dossey & Keegan, 2016, p. 374) and, as mentioned

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