Aloe: A History
Aloe Vera grows naturally in hot and arid landscapes, but is thought to have originated in South Africa. The variety with the most medicinal qualities and therefore of most use to man is Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis Miller). It contains a cocktail of 75 identified vitamins, minerals, enzymes, co-enzymes and amino acids. These form over 200 identified compounds and act in synergy i.e. the sum of the parts is greater than the whole.
Alexander the Great is said to have grown it in carts pulled behind his armies. When a soldier was injured in battle, raw Aloe Vera direct from the inner leaf would be applied to his wounds.
Interestingly, Dr. Peter Atherton at Green College, Oxford, in a two year clinical study into the use of Aloe Vera with leg ulcers, found that: Wounds healed more quickly and with less scarring when Aloe Vera was used as compared to conventional treatments. So he confirmed what Alexandra the Great already knew, all those years ago!