Beneficios del Aloe Vera
The silent remedy for Hindus.A medicine full of harmony, they said in ancient China.A spot of war that led Alexander the Great to conquer the island of Socotra (Africa) to guarantee the plant capable of healing the wounds of their soldiers.His green and pointed leaves appear in the sacred scriptures, in the work of Avergores and in the recipe of the elixir of Jerusalem to which the longevity Templar is attributed.Even Christopher Columbus fell under his influence, turning Aloe Vera into an essential element in his trips to the New World.This cheap and easy -to -care plant has gone from being listed as miraculous to becoming a nutraceutical of the 21st century: a food that nourishes and provides both internal and external health benefits.
In 2008, the Aloe Vera Museum was opened in Lanzarote, declared a center of tourist and cultural interest.Every year 100.000 visitors are interested in this plant less than extraordinary, both for its properties and the ease with which to benefit from it.
From this vegetable of desert airs, of the family of garlic and the asparagus despite its appearance of cactus, everything is used.The pulp is consumed in tacos, crushed (juice) or dehydrated (extract).If it blooms, do not hesitate: the flower, the chefs that promote the use of Aloe Vera in the kitchen already do so.Even a three Michelin stars like Quique Dacosta has fallen under its powerful influence, incorporating it into its Mediterranean recipe book.
"The best is the aloe vera leaf.With one you have for the whole week ".Andrés López Raya, owner of the Las Coronas plantation (Seville), gets carried away by enthusiasm despite recognizing that, if its advice, your company will lose market share.Simply remove the cortex (green) and get the pulp, which can be kept in the fridge.It is colorless, toilet and tasteless, so do not be fie of those products that are promoted with "smell of aloe vera".
Can you trust Aloe Vera's juices and gels that are presented with green?Yes.Francisco Antonio Macías, Professor of Organic Chemistry of the University of Cádiz, and recognized authority in the study of the uses and benefits of Aloe, clarifies that this appearance results from maintaining part of the sheet during the crushed process.Consumers fooled ourselves when thinking that everything that comes from a plant should be stained with chlorophyll, hence marketing requires green products.
The composition also makes us fall into errors: if a product with Aloe Vera does not have at least 10% of the plant, its effects will be minimal.The cosmetic legislation is difficult for the user, since the brand is only obliged to mention the ingredients in decreasing order.If this appears among the last ones, it distrusts, surely it is another marketing maneuver to get into the car of this product that triumphs in supermarkets, herbalists and garden centers.
Consumption recommendations
This compilation of uses and warnings is the result of the conversations held with Professor Macías, producers López Raya and Martín Pérez (Aloe Plus Lanzarote) and José Miguel Zapata, expert in botany and cell biology at the University of Alcalá de Henares.
HEALTH
Body beauty
FEEDING
Chefs Quique Dacosta and Rodrigo de la Calle have put Aloe Vera in the kitchen.In addition to providing originality to the dishes, it facilitates digestions and is ideal as binder for sauces.If used instead of flour, meals will be suitable for celiacs (they do not tolerate gluten) and for those who take care of their weight because it does not fat.In addition, iron levels increase.
Fruit conservation: During storage, before reaching the market, cut fruit suffers fungi infections and bacteria.Spray the harvest collected with a water spray with Aloe Vera prevents these attacks.As Aloe Vera is tasteless, it will not modify the taste.
TEXTILE
The Zaragoza Nurel company has patented a nylon fiber with encapsulated aloe vera that protects the active ingredients of the plant during the spinning.It is used to make underwear that helps keep the skin hydrated to those who suffer from psoriasis or dermatitis.Its effect, according to the manufacturer, remains up to 100 washes.
