Aloe Vera has been a very popular plant for a long time. Today, it is an ingredient in many cosmetic items. Did you know that it can help you with your menopause too? Learn more about the goodness of using Aloe Vera for skin and body care, especially during menopause.
What is Aloe Vera?
In Sanskrit, Aloe is Kumari, which means a young girl or a virgin. The healing properties of Aloe Vera are, according to Sanskrit, its ability to give women healthier skin and hair, calm menopausal symptoms and perhaps help reclaim youth.
Aloe Vera is a succulent plant that gained positive reputations from its vast list of use: from a valuable plant used for cosmetics to its proven medicinal properties. Aloe Vera has been used as an herbal medicine in many parts of the world since the first century AD. Early literature says that even Cleopatra used it to have soft skin. Many studies have proved that Aloe Vera contains effective compounds for fighting certain types of virus, reduces tumor growths, a potent source of anti-oxidant, vitamins, promotes healthy teeth and gums, and a lot more.
Recently, Aloe Vera’s use marked a trend in the nutrition world as a healthy drink that would aid tons of people in gaining a better and qualitative life. Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Mr. Barth Brai, and other nutritionists even recommended Aloe Vera-based drinks for refreshment and health-optimization. One use of Aloe Vera that caught the fascination of women, especially those at a later age, is its effect on the relief of menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.
How Aloe Vera Works
A website that mainly gives out information about Aloe Vera has mentioned that it is known as the “burn plant”. Studies in the ’80s showed that burnt patients recover a lot faster with Aloe Vera’s use. But what is so unique about aloe? How does it work so well? When Aloe Vera gets applied to the skin, it works deep into its root and not just superficial. It provides better oxygenation in the skin tissues because it helps dilate the area’s blood vessels.
As a whole, when you use Aloe Vera for skin conditions, your skin will experience regeneration. New skin cells will replace dead cells. Also, the plant is an excellent ingredient when it comes to keeping the skin adequately moisturized. It also helps in protecting the skin from bacteria, fungi and even viruses.
Aloe Vera For Menopause
How Aloe Vera helps women is not yet officially proven. But some studies show significant positive results of its effect on women in the menopausal stage. One way of how Aloe Vera helps is through its cleansing property. As we age and consume different products, food, medications and environmental toxins, a build-up of harmful substances get left in the body. And because our body cannot metabolize and excrete everything we ingest, this build-up also affects our hormonal balance. The cleansing property of Aloe Vera demolishes this build-up that would help the body absorb the nutrients and remedies better and more effectively.
Another study on how Aloe Vera helps menopausal women is due to its phytoestrogen compound. This compound is a property found in plants that imitate the estrogen hormones in women. And we know that as women approach the menopausal stage, the levels of estrogen hormones drastically drop, resulting in several symptoms women experience, such as hot flashes and night sweat. A study published in “Archives of Pharmacal Research” in 2008 states that aloe extracts activate the estrogen receptors and produce the hormones that menopausal women need to minimize the symptoms.
Home Aloe Remedy
Consumption of Aloe extract varies depending on its concentration and the patient’s case. One recommended way of taking Aloe Vera for health optimization is taking one Aloe plant and getting its gel part. The gel is inside the leaves and has a gel-like consistency.
- Take one part of the gel, then mix it with one part of water and one-fifth of salt. Boil the concoction while also adding a bit of sugar to taste. The recommendation is to take a spoon-full daily of this remedy.
You will not see the positive effects of Aloe Vera overnight. Aloe Vera as an alternative cure is a chronic treatment. This means the result of Aloe as a home remedy for symptoms of menopause is usually felt first after a long time of use.
Aloe Vera for Skin and Body Needs
Detoxifier
As mentioned earlier, Aloe extract is an efficient cleanser of the body as it contains immense amount of amino acids, vitamins and minerals. It regulates digestion by eliminating nasty wastes in the gut. It also gives a cooling sensation that reduces inflammation and heat, which helps menopausal women. It is also a natural remedy that dries acne and rosacea faster.
Immune System Booster
The soothing action of Aloe extract greatly helps in the reduction of inflammation. Aloe’s immune-boosting polysaccharides help the immune system by reducing inflammation in some instances like asthma, Crohn’s disease and eczema that might disrupt the immune system. It also reorders the immune system to avoid episodes of certain conditions.
Lowers Blood Cholesterol and Glucose
Several studies show that Aloe extract effectively lowers LDL or bad cholesterol in blood and glucose or sugar in the body. That is why some experts recommend the use of Aloe to help obese patients lose weight and lower the levels of blood sugar of those who are suffering from diabetes.
For Better Digestion
Apart from Aloe’s calming effect in painful consequences of bowel problems, like IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), its latex part (the yellowish fluid acquired from the inner lining of the leaves) is an effective laxative, which can cleanse the bowel by flushing the undigested contents.
Rich Source of Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins such as folic acid and vitamins A, C, E, vitamin B group are only some of the nutrients found in Aloe Vera juice. Some minerals that’s good for the body like magnesium, zinc, calcium, iron, selenium and potassium can as well be consumed in its extract.
For Healthy Hair and Skin
Aloe extract aids on hair growth by removing dead skin cells in the scalp that clog hair follicles for better absorption of nutrients. Aloe Vera also gets rid of accumulated sebum and oil on the scalp that could lead to baldness, therefore improves hair growth. Unlike synthetic shampoos, Aloe Vera brings a more desirable pH for hair and scalp that eventually promotes hair growth while maintaining the hair and scalp’s natural water and moisture.
The soothing action and vitamins that Aloe Vera has make the skin smoother and healthier. Its natural pH also heals the wounds and burns effectively without damaging the skin cells because of aloe’s specific polysaccharides that speed the healing process.
Learn more about all the benefits of Aloe Vera with Dr. Josh Axe (4.21 mins)
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Gita is the founder of My Menopause Journey. Since 2014, she has been supporting midlife women by sharing hard-earned learnings from her own experience. To advance her knowledge, Gita puts a lot of her time and effort into understanding the broad spectrum of women’s health. She immerses in extensive research about the physical, mental and emotional aspects of menopause. Gita believes in the life-changing power of healthy, holistic living — this is where she anchors her message to all women. Learn more about her marvelous mission in About us - My Menopause Journey.