JanH
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- Joined
- Apr 10, 2011
- Location
- California
From the HIS (Health Sciences Institute) e-mail newsletter 7/7/2016
You may think of Aloe vera as just a cooling gel to use if you get a sunburn.
But this cactus-like plant can do a lot more than just soothe skin. It turns out that it may be a diabetic's best friend!
A just-out study from researchers at an Air Force Medical Center in California has proven that this humble plant can do some amazing things when it comes to insulin and blood glucose.
And the best part is that the diabetics who may benefit the most from Aloe vera are the ones who need the most help managing their blood sugar.
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A real 'wonder plant'
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If there ever was a Swiss Army Knife of plants, it would be Aloe vera!
I'm sure you've used it on many a kitchen burn, maybe even squeezed some of the gel out of a leaf if you have one growing on your windowsill.
But Aloe vera has quite a long resume in natural healing. It's been used to treat everything from digestive disorders to skin conditions for around 6,000 years.
And it's loaded with essential vitamins, enzymes, minerals and amino acids.
So it doesn't come as a big surprise that one of its many benefits would be its ability to lower blood sugar.
The researchers took data from over 280 participants, looking at fasting blood glucose (FBG), A1c numbers and other types of tests that diagnose both diabetes and "pre- diabetes."
And what they found was that the patients who took Aloe vera capsules were able to lower their FBG by a whopping 46.6 mg/dl. Plus that, they were able to lower that all-important A1c -- which is derived from blood sugar numbers that are averaged out over several months -- by 1.05.
For some patients, that could make the difference between falling into the diabetic range -- or not.
But the best news from this research might be that those who had the highest FBG numbers were helped the most. The researchers found that diabetics with a FBG above 200 were able to drop it by an average of 109.9!
Can you imagine if Big Pharma had created a drug that could get these kids of results -- without all the horrifying side effects?
Along with what we now know about how it can help diabetics, Aloe vera has also been found to:
Ease dermatitis, psoriasis and even genital herpes when applied topically.
Stop bad breath when mixed as a drink with water or apple juice. An anti-inflammatory compound in the plant called B-sitosterol is thought to calm acid indigestion that is often the cause of bad breath.
Be just as effective as (and less abrasive than) commercial brands of toothpaste. The gel from the plant is also known to contain numerous anti-inflammatory compounds that can benefit the gums.
And that's just the short list of the amazing things that have been discovered about this plant!
For use on the skin, there is no shortage of Aloe vera products to choose from. Just make sure to get one with a high amount of the plant (above 90 percent) rather than a smidgen. You can also easily grow an Aloe vera plant at home and break off a leaf when needed.
There are also numerous supplements on the market containing this remarkable natural healer in both capsule and liquid form.
But just remember -- taken in large doses Aloe vera can have a laxative effect.
You may think of Aloe vera as just a cooling gel to use if you get a sunburn.
But this cactus-like plant can do a lot more than just soothe skin. It turns out that it may be a diabetic's best friend!
A just-out study from researchers at an Air Force Medical Center in California has proven that this humble plant can do some amazing things when it comes to insulin and blood glucose.
And the best part is that the diabetics who may benefit the most from Aloe vera are the ones who need the most help managing their blood sugar.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
A real 'wonder plant'
----------------------------------------------------------------------
If there ever was a Swiss Army Knife of plants, it would be Aloe vera!
I'm sure you've used it on many a kitchen burn, maybe even squeezed some of the gel out of a leaf if you have one growing on your windowsill.
But Aloe vera has quite a long resume in natural healing. It's been used to treat everything from digestive disorders to skin conditions for around 6,000 years.
And it's loaded with essential vitamins, enzymes, minerals and amino acids.
So it doesn't come as a big surprise that one of its many benefits would be its ability to lower blood sugar.
The researchers took data from over 280 participants, looking at fasting blood glucose (FBG), A1c numbers and other types of tests that diagnose both diabetes and "pre- diabetes."
And what they found was that the patients who took Aloe vera capsules were able to lower their FBG by a whopping 46.6 mg/dl. Plus that, they were able to lower that all-important A1c -- which is derived from blood sugar numbers that are averaged out over several months -- by 1.05.
For some patients, that could make the difference between falling into the diabetic range -- or not.
But the best news from this research might be that those who had the highest FBG numbers were helped the most. The researchers found that diabetics with a FBG above 200 were able to drop it by an average of 109.9!
Can you imagine if Big Pharma had created a drug that could get these kids of results -- without all the horrifying side effects?
Along with what we now know about how it can help diabetics, Aloe vera has also been found to:
Ease dermatitis, psoriasis and even genital herpes when applied topically.
Stop bad breath when mixed as a drink with water or apple juice. An anti-inflammatory compound in the plant called B-sitosterol is thought to calm acid indigestion that is often the cause of bad breath.
Be just as effective as (and less abrasive than) commercial brands of toothpaste. The gel from the plant is also known to contain numerous anti-inflammatory compounds that can benefit the gums.
And that's just the short list of the amazing things that have been discovered about this plant!
For use on the skin, there is no shortage of Aloe vera products to choose from. Just make sure to get one with a high amount of the plant (above 90 percent) rather than a smidgen. You can also easily grow an Aloe vera plant at home and break off a leaf when needed.
There are also numerous supplements on the market containing this remarkable natural healer in both capsule and liquid form.
But just remember -- taken in large doses Aloe vera can have a laxative effect.
