Aloe and It’s Contribution to Your Healthier Heart

For thousands of years, aloe vera has been used medicinally to relieve digestive issues, inflammation, coughs, headaches, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol and a host of other health conditions. The healing power of the aloe plant was used by the ancient Greeks, Romans, Indians, Chinese and Egyptians for both skin care and medicinal use. Aloe Vera contains a vast array of two hundred nutrients. Some of these nutrients include B vitamins, amino acids, iron, manganese, calcium, zinc, and enzymes. In addition, the plant also contains antiseptic agents such as lupeol, salicylic acid, urea nitrogen, cinnamic acid, phenol and sulfur. Aloe vera is used both externally and internally. One of the most important benefits of aloe vera is to promote heart health and to restore normal cholesterol levels.

What is Cholesterol?

People usually hear the word “cholesterol” from their doctors and start shaking in their boots. But cholesterol itself is important to the body, as it helps you stay strong and healthy. So where do we get this necessary cholesterol come from? Well, some of it is produced naturally by our bodies, specifically the liver and other cells (the amount your body creates varies and can depend largely on our family history), and as for the other 25%, we get that from eating animal products. Not only are there two sources of cholesterol, but there are two types: “good” and “bad” cholesterol. But again, don’t be fooled! An excess or deficiency of either type can increase your risk of a heart attack or coronary heart disease!

High Cholesterol Endangers Heart

High cholesterol is a risk factor that may often lead to coronary heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. This occurs when the cholesterol level becomes elevated and this leads to fat build-up in the arteries. It is this fat build-up that can potentially cause heart disease. High cholesterol and triglyceride levels can be lowered naturally with Aloe Vera. According to medical studies that were conducted, the benefits of the Aloe Vera gel when taken internally were proven. The results confirmed that when the Aloe Vera gel was administered to patients with heart disease and high cholesterol, these conditions were reduced to a lowered risk. The patients were given 100 mg of Aloe Vera for three months with decreased cases of heart attacks, strokes and chest pains. These positive results were due to the anti-oxidant and dietary properties of the aloe vera plant that caused the reduction of high cholesterol.

The Relationship Between Aloe and the Heart

Aloe vera is known to contain the special ingredient B-sitosterol that prevents the absorption of cholesterol in the body. The plant also has immune-system boosting properties which is essential to eliminate toxic elements in the body. Further studies have shown that a contributing ingredient in aloe known as carboxypeptidase is an additional factor to fight high cholesterol.

How Does Aloe Vera Work In The Body?

Aloe vera contains detoxifying agents that remove impurities from the blood, enlarges blood vessels, and promotes new growth of blood cells. When ingested, the aloe vera gel enhances the quality of the blood and rebalances the composition of the blood, and this causes a reduction of high cholesterol and triglyceride levels in people. When it comes to reducing high cholesterol, Aloe Vera is considered to be a safer alternative in contrast to taking drugs that are harmful and may have side-effects. There are various forms of Aloe Vera that can be taken to reduce cholesterol levels. Various forms of aloe vera include:

• Pulp juice
• Whole leaf dried powder
• Whole leaf concentrate
• Aloe Vera gel concentrate
• Aloe Vera whole leaf freeze dried powder

With all these choices, you can experiment to find out which form works the best for you.

The most beneficial and active ingredients can be found in the gel and juice of the plant. For medicinal purposes, patients are advised by doctors to either take Aloe Vera juice or take the whole leaf tablets. People who suffer from high cholesterol can achieve optimal results by taking the recommended dose of 20 ml of high quality Aloe Vera juice in a cup of water twice per day. When combined with a low-fat-diet, Aloe Vera can make a great improvement by restoring high cholesterol levels to normal. Aloe Vera is gentle and non-toxic and can be taken for long-term use to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Consult a physician if you are currently taking prescription medication and considering adding Aloe Vera to your course of treatment. It is safe to combine aloe vera with other natural supplements such as curcumin and saw palmetto.

Get that Cholesterol Screening–And Those Aloe Products!

Although aloe products are always good to keep in your medicine or kitchen cabinet (in case of sunburn, sore throat, or many other health issues), how do you know if you should be putting them to another important use: getting rid of that high cholesterol? A cholesterol screening, that’s how! It is recommended that adults older than 20 get their cholesterol checked at least once every 5 years. Doing so will keep your heart pumping strong. And the cholesterol-checking process is easy and relatively pain-free–just a small prick of a needle! The doctor will draw some blood from your arm and send it for testing at a laboratory to determine your cholesterol levels. Keep in mind that you will also have to fast beforehand (food can affect your cholesterol levels, remember?). If the report comes back that you have too much LDL (the “bad” cholesterol), you’ll want to start stocking up on aloe. Get tested today!