Long before an aloe product is bottled, it has already been decided whether it will be a high-class product or an inferior mass product (in the following, we always speak of fresh products only, i.e. no freeze-dried concentrates or similar).

In the end, an aloe leaf becomes natural gel, juice or cream, i.e. medicine, food and cosmetics. Therefore, agricultural cultivation should always be controlled organic: this means, among other things, not using fertilisers and, in the case of the Canary Islands, irrigating with real spring water, i.e. no desalinated sea water, which of course makes production considerably more expensive.

If science were working on an elixir of life, the model would be aloe vera. The supposed secret is called synergy effects! In most cases, a single active ingredient is of little use to the body, as it can only develop its effect efficiently in combination with another.

Due to its antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties, Aloe Vera can help control fungal overgrowth and restore the natural intestinal flora. The intestine, our largest immune organ, is disturbed in almost all people: digestive disorders and fungal diseases cause many to resort to chemical remedies, which, however, often have the opposite effect (mutation to resistant and/or more aggressive fungal forms).

Laboratory experiments show that acemannan contained in Aloe Vera acts as a bridge between foreign proteins and our "phagocytes". The "phagocytes" can thus - to put it simply - neutralise the "invaders" much more easily.

Until puberty, the human body produces acemannan itself. This is one of the main substances responsible for the fact that injuries heal so quickly in infants and children and that they survive the various childhood diseases well. At puberty, the human genetic code is "finished" for the time being, acemannan production is stopped, although this substance is of course still needed (all the more so). It must now be supplied as a food supplement. Acemannan is stored in all cell membranes of the body, where it ensures the immune strengthening of the entire organism against viruses, bacteria and disease-causing parasites. It is the basis for skin, vascular walls, tendons, joints, cartilage and ligaments, ensures sufficient joint lubrication (e.g. prevention and relief of arthritis).

External Applications

Apart from wound care, the oldest aloe application is probably cosmetic use. Aloe vera is the largest moisturiser known from nature. In the 20th century, science increasingly studied the desert plant, including the Sorbonne in Paris. Prof. Mahilewsky explains the healing effects of aloe vera by the fact that its gel has an extremely high degree of skin penetration:
While almost all cosmetic active ingredients only reach the first two layers of the skin, aloe penetrates much deeper.

History of Aloe Vera

As early as 5000 BC, the Egyptians had hiroglyphs and wall paintings of the plant of immortality, which was regarded as a symbol of eternal beauty, youth and health. An aloe leaf was a popular gift to wish good luck and health at a wedding or the opening of a business. The Papyrus Ebers (ca. 1550 BC) contains a variety of medicinal and cosmetic uses for the blood of the gods that still exist today.

It was Arab traders who brought the medicinal plant to Sumatra, India and Persia around 600 BC, mostly as a powder, which then served as the basis for various potions, medicines and cosmetics. We probably also owe the name to the Arabic language ("aloe" - Arabic. alohina - "bitter"). The largest aloe plantations were discovered on the island of Sokrota off the coast of Africa, which was later conquered by Alexander the Great. It is said that he only went into battle when he had enough aloe to treat his wounds.

Aloe has been used in Indian medicine since around 400 BC. It is described here in detail as one of the most important components of Ayurvedic treatments for internal use (dietary fibre, immune system, cramps etc.). At the same time, the intensive intake of aloe juice was already described in China at that time, in addition to the known external benefits. An impressive mention of this can be found in the Gospel of John, chapter 19, verses 39-40, where 32 kilos of aloe and myrrh are listed as a gift for the tomb of Christ.

Aloe was a widely used remedy among the Greeks and Romans. Long before Pliny the Elder, the Greek physician Dioscorides (100 AD) had a beautiful "short version" that has lost none of its relevance even 2,000 years later: "Aloe has the power to close wounds, relieve pain, dry wounds, strengthen the body and cleanse the stomach ..."

The Crusades and the great influence of the Arabs in Spain helped to promote the spread of aloe in Europe. Columbus knew and valued the plant for healing wounds and against scurvy. When he discovered the new continent, he was delighted by the large quantities of aloe.

The Majas and Incas had long used it for body care and as a medicine.
While in southern Europe, Asia, Africa and America aloe could be used "fresh from the plant", in northern Europe (almost like today) only dilutions, powders and pills were available. Nevertheless, the Apothekerbuch des Deutschen Reiches (Pharmacist's Book of the German Empire) from 1873 contains an extremely comprehensive list of the most diverse modes of action.

The "doctor in a flower pot" was part of the normal inventory of a German kitchen in the 18th and 19th centuries. After all, the cooker with its open fire was a constant source of burns, which were then immediately treated with a piece of aloe.

With the First World War, this miracle fell into oblivion...supply problems!

The rediscovery began with the Hiroshima disaster: here, aloe did a great job of alleviating the terrible burns and the effects of radiation. Since then, by the way, the American Civil Defence has been obliged by federal law to keep a strategic minimum supply of aloe in its bunkers ...

The invention of X-rays also began with overdoses and severe burns. But here we remember the healing knowledge of our ancestors in good time.