Aloja vera....how to use it?

Created by popular request. Share what you know about man's past and present use of cacti.
dimales
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Aloja vera....how to use it?

Post by dimales »

Hi,
I have a cuple of aloja vera ( Aloja barbadorensis) and would like to use it. On the net there are a lots of recepies but I am interested in practice. It could be dangerous if one dont know how to use it,...
Do someboady have a knowledge about covering the wounds with the leaf soup, about eating it..or somethins similar?
Cabal
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Post by Cabal »

Hey!

I know that you can throw the leaves in a juicer. The juice is quite bitter, but I mix it with fruit juice and I can't even taste it. It's very good for your digestive system, and can help relieve symptoms of IBS.
You can either peel the leaf first, or juice it with the skin on, it shouldn't make a difference.

For burns, you should apparently lacerate the leaf lengthwise and just dab the gel onto the wound.

I hope that helps a little :)

EDIT - I just read that at least one type of Aloe is toxic, so just make sure you really do have a A. barbadensis before you juice any of it :D
dimales
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Post by dimales »

Thank you for the advice, anyway i am afraid just to cut the leaves abd make frash juice of it ..i have read that it can couse dairea or some digestic problem...
daiv
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Post by daiv »

Yeah, if it comes to consumption, I would be very cautious. As Cabal mentioned, make sure you've got the right stuff for sure.
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
dimales
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Post by dimales »

daiv wrote:Yeah, if it comes to consumption, I would be very cautious. As Cabal mentioned, make sure you've got the right stuff for sure.
Dont vory Dave, I am agronomist and have a good colection of cacti and succulents for more then 17 8) years now..it is right stuf, but I am afraid to use it just like that. 8)
SupFellas
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Post by SupFellas »

Hey, I worked in an asian restaurant for years and one of the old ladies there would cut the leaves off, skin them with a knife and eat them jsut like that. She claims they work wonders for your health. I tried a few pieces once and the taste was very mild, not at all like drinking the nasty bitter aloe juice and they are easy to swallow. The things are so slimy that I could swallow big chunks of the leaf without any water or anything. For burns just break off a piece of the leaf and rub the juice on. Living in south florida for the majority of my life I can tell you that this plant really does work wonder for sunburn. We always kept some growing at our house just for this purpose.
Saguaro123
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Post by Saguaro123 »

You don't have to make it yourself. You can go to an Asian supermarket and buy some there. Their aloe juice actually isn't bitter, it is actually sweat with the aloe pulp blended into the juice. :tongue8:
DzienDobry
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Post by DzienDobry »

I found aloe vera a brilliant treatment for burns. Cut a blade off and split it lengthwise with a sharp knife and rub the jelly on the burn. I wasn't aware of oral consumption before, id be tempted to stick to over the counter stuff to ingest! hehe
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daiv
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Post by daiv »

Yep, my grandmother had an Aloe vera plant and there was more than one occasion when she used it to doctor me up like you describe. It really worked too!
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CelticRose
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Post by CelticRose »

I've read that aloe taken internally can have an unpleasant laxative effect -- be careful.
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Saguaro123
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Post by Saguaro123 »

Interesting, The Korean juice I drink with the aloe pulp and skin in it doesn't seem to do any harm to me.
rebrich
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Re: Aloja vera....how to use it?

Post by rebrich »

try cutting up the chunks and freezing it. take them with a glass of water or juice. Have a friend that has done this for over 10 years. he's a healthy 67 years old.
kam
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Re: Aloja vera....how to use it?

Post by kam »

It is a belief in Asia that it is good for high blood pressure. I do not have high blood pressure so never used it. As an aside I have a variety of Kalanchoe which people swear by that it is good for sugar.
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Peterthecactusguy
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Re: Aloja vera....how to use it?

Post by Peterthecactusguy »

I would be very careful ingesting Aloe. Many of them have toxins in them. At least one is toxic and can cause burns, so putting it on a burn can cause an even worse burn.
Here's to you, all you insidious creatures of green..er I mean cacti.
kam
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Re: Aloja vera....how to use it?

Post by kam »

Only one and that is Aloe vera :). Ask the nest Asian snacking on them as to it's medicinal properties but then herbal is herbal and more belief based then scientific.
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