Aloe Vera.
You can now read about it in magazines, newspaper ads and all over the internet.
Just do a simple search with any browser and you will come up with over Thirteen million (13,000,000) possible results.
Results ranging from everyday uses of the whole plant to hundreds of ailments alleviated through the use of production forms of the plant.
Related searches show drinks, acne treatments, sunburn relief, and recipes.
All stemming from the uses of that funny looking succulent that slightly resembles some cacti.
So do we have a miracle plant here? Back to searches.
One dictionary site defines a miracle thusly: "an extraordinary event manifesting outstanding or unusual event, thing or accomplishment: and a divinely natural occurrence that must be learned humanly".
Might be just a bit of a stretch however us humans have been learning about this plant for over two thousand years.
Along with miracle plant this bit of vegetation has been called the "silent healer" and the "first-aid plant".
So miracle, healer, first aid plant or not the world has relied upon the plant for centuries for common ailments and now science is transforming it into various form for commercial usage.
So how has industrialization changed aloe vera? For hundreds of years when someone burned their hand on a stove they broke off a leaf or two, squeezed the gel out, and applied it to the "owee" area.
Now? Open up a bottle of ointment specifically formulated for burns.
Summer time has the kids out bothering the honey bees? Again, treatment was always snap/squeeze and rub.
Now? You have choices to include a spray bottle of the liquid or a tube of cream, both ready for an analgesic effect on the wound.
On and on we could go but we have other ground to cover.
We know the aloe vera plant originated somewhere on the African continent.
Once benefits were discovered mankind began to slowly introduce it into other areas.
Value was high due to the difficulties of transportation.
The plant was either dried for long voyages or made into a liquid gel for transport in small vials.
Sailors and farmers worked in unison to spread cultivation of aloe vera in a slowly widening circle of the globe.
Prior to industrialization it took hundreds of years to spread the benefits of this plant.
Now we can distill, combine, reproduce and mix for easy of transport and use.
No longer do we need snap a leaf from mama's houseplant for that bee sting.
Take your choice of various lotions, creams or sprays.
Essentially the healing qualities of aloe vera extolled by generations has now been discovered by the pharmaceutical companies for ease of use and maximum profit.
Bumps, burns, bruises common cold or digestive ailments.
Asthma, chronic fatigue, Chrohn's disease, or allergies.
You can now find at least one or two manufactures that will claim the miracle plant to indeed be the all powerful healer of the ages.
Marketed for sunburn, boils, dandruff, skin rashes and hemorrhoids (ouch!) you can pick up aloe vera in forms such as sprays, lotions, gels or capsules.
Externally or internally you have choices of treatment for your choices of boo-boos! I could go on for sentence to paragraph to page regarding the abilities of aloe vera to combat many ailments and infirmities.
Scientific research has broken down the ingredients of our plant.
Key? Something called "mucopolysaccarides" (or MPS for tongue-tied individuals).
This sugar has been proven to have very strong antiseptic, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory qualities.
The carbohydrates of the plant have been shown to have the ability to pass through our digestive tract and into the circulatory system unharmed by gastric juices.
In the circulatory system positive benefits have been shown to our immune system.
And it is thought that aloe vera binds with cholesterol and by removing it from our system is beneficial to our hearts.
OK.
Now we know we can use it for just about anything except waxing your car! A drawback to commercialization of the product is quality.
Many many manufactures will put out a very inferior quality of the products.
So until standards are put in place we must be extremely careful from whom and where we get this miracle.
If you choose to use gels, pills, sprays or lotions that you pick up over the counter or through the mail (or internet) you should know the source of your product.
A little research as to quality and quantity of the true ingredients and then apply this knowledge to the source of your purchase and away we go.
Good health to you!! Oh yes, still no problem snapping a leaf from mama's kitchen plant and rubbing that nasty old bee sting!