Jul 17, Aloe and wound care

I have two open / ulcerated wounds on the inside of my left ankle resulting from having two screws removed from that site.

Since that surgery (three months ago) I have been treated with a variety of antibiotics and topical medications.

I have seen a neurologist, a podiatrist, my orthopaedic surgeon, a wound care specialist and an infectious disease specialist.

I have been undergoing in-home IV treatments with heavy doses of antibiotics for the past week.

During a conversation with my wound care specialist, she mentioned that many of her Hispanic patients treated themselves (successfully) with aloe vera gel squeezed directly from the plant.

I started this treatment yesterday; to my surprise I've been experiencing quite a bit of burning and pain. I am covering the gel with a Tegaderm bandage.

Am I applying this correctly? Or should I boil the leaves before harvesting the gel?

I am 58 yrs. old and otherwise healthy and active.
Thanks for your help.


Strato's answer:

Hi Nancy, thank you for your question.

I hope your wounds heal very quickly.

Somehow, I'm sure of that. You were lucky that your wound care specialist indicated aloe vera and its therapeutic properties to you.

Now, all you have to do is to insist on applying aloe vera gel on your wounds for some time. Aloe is a natural remedy and takes time to act, but acts without side effects. Unlike laboratory manufactured medicines, which 99% have side effects.

Do not worry about this "quite a bit of burning and pain" feeling. This is normal. Aloe penetrates the surface of the wound and reaches the deeper layers of skin, (to muscles and even bones) and tackles the problem at its root.

Aloe vera takes care your wounds and this "burning and pain feeling" indicates that it is acting fairly well. I'm sure that after a day or two, you will get used to it and you will recognize it as useful.

Tegaderm is a transparent medical dressing that it can be used to cover and protect wounds. Advantages of Tegaderm include its breathability and conformation to the skin as it adheres in places such as the fingers and toes.

But it can also cause a severe inflammatory response: blistering, burning, itching etc. This reaction may be exacerbated if the dressing is improperly stretched across the wound to enhance closure. Since your wounds are open and ulcerated, use it carefully.

If I were you, after applying aloe for some days and my wounds get better, I would not use Tegaderm any more. Since aloe protects us from inflammatory conditions, I would only applied aloe vera gel on my wounds and I would left them uncovered.

About boiling the leaves before harvesting the gel. Definitely don't boil the leaves because the temperature will destroy all aloe gel's healthful ingredients.

Use it raw. Be sure that the aloe plant is aloe barbadensis Miller and is mature (4 - 5 yrs old). Remove the outer hard green rind and use the inner gel of the leaves directly on your wounds.

Don't forget to keep the gel left over in the refrigerator, because if aloe vera gel stays too long in the environment's temperature, tans like a sliced apple or potato, ie oxidizes and loses all its value.

Nancy, I hope I was helpful. Be healthy soon.

For all those who keep not aloe plant, two very convenient products to take care wounds are FLP's Aloe Vera Gelly and Aloe First Spray.

Please read Vitiligo - Your True Stories for more information about Aloe Vera Gelly and Aloe Vera First Aid - Your True Stories for more information about Aloe First Spray.


Stay healthy,
Strato - AloeveraChangeslives.com

Aloe Vera Benefits Home page

Jul 20, Aloe vera cleanse liver?

Is aloe vera a natural cleanser for the liver?

Strato's answer:

Hello Linda, Thanks for your question. I will try to answer as objectively as possible, because there are conflicting views on the matter.

However, we should first consult our family physician if we are experiencing a medical problem before using any natural herb.

As I've already mentioned in an earlier answer, I'm not a doctor and all my answers are based on researches, my experience in the continuing use of aloe vera and other people's experiences.Various functions of the liverLiver is an important organ of our body, that has a lot of tasks to accomplish every day.

Some of the liver's tasks are:removes toxins from our blood
filters harmful chemicals
stores necessary glucose
maintains the level of blood sugar
helps digestion and to get rid of old blood cells
distributes nutrients from the food we eat
When there are already many toxins in our blood, our liver is under pressure. Our immune system is compromised, has to fight off internal toxins and so can not effectively fight invaders, as viruses and other infections.

It is therefore important to keep our liver clean and not to encumber it, so it is able to cope with its tasks.Cleansing the liverA liver cleanse is not something simple. It should be done in stages. Before cleansing the liver, someone first has to make colon cleanse and then a kidney cleanse. And there is a good reason for this.

During a liver cleanse, various toxins that are stored in the liver dumped within the body. The colon and kidneys must eliminate these toxins as soon as possible.

If these organs did not function effectively and did not release the body of toxins quickly, this could lead to several problems and could compromise our immune system.

Aloe vera juice is said to be one of the best cleaners for the colon and kidneys, (best known for colon cleanse) because aloe vera contains saponins which act as a natural cleanser.

The sponge-like molecules of saponins and their foaming properties, trap and toll most of the pollutants. The Indians applied raw inner gel from aloe vera leaves and water in their hair, and could have a hair wash.

Aloe vera gel cleanses gently, restores the natural balance of our digestive system, so there is no leakage of toxins to our blood and our immune system is not compromised.

Once we have done colon and kidney cleanse, then it is time to move on to cleanse the liver.Does aloe vera help in liver cleanse?Adaptogenic properties of aloe vera.

I don't claim that aloe vera is a 'cure all' but it should be noted that aloe is adaptogenic, and as such has the potential to help our body rebalanced and give it strength to fight back. Aloe can give our body all the essentials it needs.

Aloe vera therefore, does not fight a symptom directly, but rather helps the body to heal itself.

Most people have trouble understanding the logic behind it. It makes no sense that a product can be used to help a variety of conditions such as diarrhea, constipation, vomiting and poor appetite.

In standard medical practice, medicine used for diarrhea, for example, is the exact opposite of that used for constipation.

However, we can use aloe vera gel for a number of disparate conditions and we'll get this result, which is best described as an adaptogenic.

This property of aloe combined with its natural cleansing properties, it seems that helps cleanse the liver and improve liver problems for many people, especially those suffering due to alcohol or drugs usage.Side EffectsIt is reported that some people who were drinking aloe vera juice for other reasons have had some problems with their liver.

However, these side effects are rare and may well be the result of a rare intolerance to aloe combined with excessive consumption of juice. It is unwise to drink aloe vera juice as if it was orange juice.

If you stick at the recommended dose, I think there is no problem. How much and how often you should drink depends on how long and hard your liver is working.

However, at the begining it's advisable to drink small amounts (1 - 1.5 ounce or 30 - 40 ml), two or not more than three times a day to make sure there are no side effects.

Nevertheless, it is important to pay attention to side effects and stop drinking aloe juice, if spotted a reaction. Aloe vera definitely is not a magic potion or panacea.

Of the 350 varieties of Aloe Vera, only four of them have medicinal or therapeutic properties. Aloe Vera Barbadensis Miller is the stronger of them all, is more nutrient rich than other varieties and it must be preferred.

Proper diet also helps to liver cleanse. For 2 to 4 weeks eat only fresh raw foods such as salads, fruit and fresh fruit juices. Include carrot and cucumber juice every day. Avoid alcohol, all raw fish and shellfish, animal protein, saturated fats, sugar and highly processed foods.

I hope I was helpful.

Stay healthy,
Strato - AloeveraChangeslives.com

Aloe Vera Benefits Home page

Jul 29, Can I use aloe vera gel direct from the plant?

Can I use aloe vera gel direct from the plant or does it have to go through a process of purification first?

Strato's answer:

Hello, thanks for the question. There is already an answer at a "Your Answered Questions" page, the How and when to use aloe vera? which is relevant and explains all the ways we can use aloe vera gel.

But this answer does not explain the simple purification process to be followed if we want to use the aloe vera inner gel directly from the plant. So, I will explain detailed here how to do it.Aloe vera leaf purification processWell, if you have an aloe vera plant, cut the thickest outer leaf near the base of the plant. Then, wash up the leaf carefuly and cut it into several pieces.

Put the cut up pieces in a bowl full of water and let them soak in, for at least the rest of the day and whole the night. The next morning you will notice that the color of the water has changed to light red or pink color.

This shows that the impurities from the aloe leaf's pieces have been moved to the water. Throw out the colored water and wash the pieces once again to make sure you have removed all of the impurities.Peel off the rind from the leaf of the aloe plantKnow that, the inner gel of the aloe vera plant leaf is what is used to provide health benefits. So, peel off the green hard rind of the leaf to reveal the inner gel. You can use a knife or a spoon to scoop out the gel.

Now aloe vera gel is ready for use. It can be applied either on your face skin or your body skin. You can make it juice and drink it, or ingest it by eating small slices of the gel.

Add a bit of honey or brown sugar on it. It makes it easier to consume, since the aloe vera gel isn't a pleasurable flavor for many.

Make sure you keep the gel left over in the fridge or else it will oxidise and lose all of its properties.Use aloe leaf for first aid
without the purification processWhen you need to use it immediately, for first aid in a burn or a wound, and you have not gel left over in your fridge, ignore the purification process and just remove an outer leaf from the plant, slice it open, and apply the gel on the affected area.

And don't forget! If you may not keep an aloe vera plant in your house, you can always shop online juices, creams and other products made from stabilized aloe vera --aloe barbadensis Miller-- (as close to the nature as possible) from the Retail Aloe Store.

I hope I was helpful,


Stay healthy,
Strato - AloeveraChangeslives.com

Aloe Vera Benefits Home page

Aug 11, Dry feet solved with aloe vera cream

I use some sort of mildly fatty cream with aloe vera to solve my dry feet problem in the winter. When the air gets dry so are my feet.

The skin even burst open up to the bleeding point and to be honest I tried everything, even some hormonal cream from the doctor.

This is all solved now. When I feel the dryness coming, I just rub my feet in with aloe vera cream and within two to three days the dryness is gone.

I never have big feet problems again!

Strato's Note:

Jan-Willem thanks a lot for contributing your aloe vera true story.

Aloe vera skin cream is ideal for dry skin because it moisturizes the skin much more than water does. It is also easily absorbed into our skin and left no trace of oiliness or greasiness behind.

Aloe Vera cream not only moisturizes and nourishes dry and tired feet and heels but also relieves of itching and the odor caused due to dry cracked feet.

Stay healthy,
Strato - AloeveraChangeslives.com

Aloe Vera Benefits Home page

Aug 18, How long to use aloe vera?

How long to use aloe vera? Two months, three months or forever and what is the best time to drink it?

Strato's answer:

Hello Sanjay. Thanks for your sensible question.

It's amazing, how effective can be the contribution of all of you with your questions, so you are better informed about aloe vera and how, what and why on its use.

In my effort to give you all the information you need, sometimes I omit some, either because I forget them or I think they are obvious. And they are to me, because (I think) I know the most about aloe, after several years of continual personal use and related research.

At this point, there comes a question of yours to remind me of an omission or to force me to explain what I thought was obvious to everyone.

And I am grateful to all of you because your questions contribute to the plenitude of AloeveraChangeslives.com and help me in my work.

So, thank you all and keep asking me!

What is not aloe vera?Sanjay, you asked me for how long to use aloe vera? Well, to answer your question, I must say first what is and what is not aloe vera. Let me start with what is not the aloe vera.

Aloe vera is not a panacea. It is not this essence, which we will take it once and in a miraculous way will cure all our ailments. There is no such substance in nature, or have been prepared in the laboratory.

Aloe vera is not a drug that you will use it for a month or two to get rid of a health problem.

Aloe vera is not an isolated active ingredient with a specific action (and several side effects).

What is aloe vera?Aloe is a natural combination of various substances that act synergistically, ie, complement each other and act together jointly for the benefit of the man who consume it.

Aloe vera is a food. It contains almost all the substances that our body needs daily to work properly without problems and to face the various attacks from the contaminated environment we live.

So, we should consider it as food or perhaps more appropriately as the best supplement to the nutrient-poor food that are available nowadays.

So as long as we eat, we should use aloe vera.

What is the best time to drink aloe vera?As for the best time to drink aloe vera, general rule is to always ingest it on an empty stomach, two to three times a day.
More about this, please read this detailed answer:
How and when to use aloe vera?

I hope I was helpful,

Stay healthy,

Strato - AloeveraChangeslives.com

Aloe Vera Benefits Home page