Aloe Vera's Thirteen Major Benefits 1-3

1. HELPS HEAL WOUNDS

The bulk of the aloe leaf is filled with gel, 96% water with the other 4% containing 75 known substances. Applied to wounds, aloe gel is a mild anesthetic, relieving itching, swelling, and pain; it also is antibacterial and antifungal, increases blood flow to wounded areas, and stimulates fibroblasts, the skin cells responsible for wound healing.
An animal-based study in the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association found that both oral and topical aloe preparations speed wound healing. Animals were given either aloe (100mg/kg body weight) in their drinking water for two months or 25% aloe vera drinking water for two months or 25% aloe vera cream applied directly to wounds for six days.
Aloe had positive effects in both cases. The size of wounds decreased 62% in the animals taking oral aloe compared to a 51% decrease in the control group. Topical aloe produced a 51% decrease in wound size compared to 33% in the control group.


2. SUPPORTS SURGICAL RECOVERY

Aloe decreases surgical recovery time, according to a report in the Journal of Dermatologic Surgery and Oncology. Eighteen acne patients underwent facial dermabrasion surgery, in which lesions are scraped away. Dressings were applied to their faces, with half of each person's face receiving the standard dressing coated with surgical gel, and the other half with aloe added to this dressing. The half of the face treated with aloe healed approximately 72 hours faster than the other side.
Dermatologist James Fulton, M.D., of Newport Beach, California, principal author of the report, uses topical aloe in his practice to speed wound healing. "Any wound we treat, whether it's suturing a cut or removing a skin cancer, heals better with aloe vera on it," he states.


3. SOOTHES BURNS

In a study in the Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand, 27 patients with moderate burn wounds were treated with a gauze coated in either aloe gel or Vaseline (petroleum jelly). The burns healed more quickly in the aloe group, with an average healing time of 12 days compared to 18 days for the group using Vaseline.