Aloe vera is one of the oldest recorded medicinal plants. The first known record of aloe vera was 6000 years ago in Ancient Egypt, where it was viewed as a god-like plant, and they even illustrated the walls of their sacred temples with pictures of aloe. When a Pharaoh died, the ‘fee’ to enter the funeral ceremony was a pound of aloe. Wealthy families would gift hundreds or thousands of pounds of aloe to show how highly they regarded their recently deceased Pharaoh. The aloe was then used to make a mixture of embalming fluid. The common belief at the time, was that in stopping the physical decomposition process, eternal life could be attained – both on a physical and a spiritual level. Aloe was known as the “plant of eternity “. The first detailed description of aloes is probably in the Ebers Papyrus. The description gives twelve medicinal aloe recipes to treat both internal and external disorders. 

These recipes used by the Ancient Egyptians were used to treat worms, relieve headaches, soothe chest pains, burns, ulcers, skin disease, and allergies. The Muslims of Ancient Egypt and the Mesopotamians considered the plant a sacred religious symbol, and hung it above their front doors in the belief it would protect them from evil spirits and ill intentions. The tradition has lasted thousands of years, and Muslim inhabitants of modern Mesopotamia plant aloes on graves today, to protect the deceased’s spirit. Many important historical figures for thousands of years have praised the benefits of aloe, showing how predominant it was throughout all of human history. 

The Ancient Mesopotamians, who lived 6000 years ago, are famous for developing one of the first written scripts- and even they made sure to write down the healing uses of aloe! They were already well aware of the cleansing and laxative effects of aloe on the intestines and digestive system. In this period, it was common belief that demonic possession was the cause of illness, and only divine plants like aloe had the ability to cleanse the body of them.

Aloe is mentioned on six occasions in the bible. It was clearly highly prized and considered one of the finest spices at the time. The bible also says that aloes were used to embalm the body of Jesus, the same tradition used in Ancient Egypt for their deceased Pharaohs. 

“And they took the body of Jesus and wound it in linen clothes with the spices and aloes as the manner of the Jews is to bury.”-John 19:39-40.

 The Knights of Templar would drink ‘The Elixir of Jerusalem’, a healing concoction of aloe pulp, hemp, and palm wine, for longevity and vitality. King Solomon highly valued its usage and grew his own. It is even mentioned in the song of Solomon, 4:14b says

 “…myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest spices”. Psalm 45:8a says “All your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia”

Alexander the Great even went to the extreme lengths of having mobile carts filled with planted aloes that he brought with him to battles so that he could have a continual fresh supply. The island of Socotra was renowned for its aloe vera plantations 2500 years ago. Its high-quality aloe was primarily exported to China, Tibet, and India. Aristotle persuaded Alexander the Great to seize control of Socotra, to secure a vast supply of aloe, which was used to treat wounded soldiers and civilians. 

Christopher Columbus said, “Four vegetables are indispensable for the well-being of man:  Wheat, the grape, the olive, and aloe.  The first nourishes him, the second raises his spirit, the third brings him harmony, and the fourth cures him.

Aloe Vera’s potency for healing diminished when it was imported. The plant worked best when fresh. This hindered Aloe Vera’s use in countries where it didn’t naturally grow. Two thousand years ago Pliney and Dioscorides, two great Ancient Greek physicians, noted difference in the quality of different Aloe vera plants and how processing weakened its healing powers. Scientists have since discovered that it is the oxidation process of harvested aloe that weakens its healing abilities. However today, aloe plants are pretty accessible all over the globe, and easily grown indoors

The Ancient Hindis believed aloe was from the Garden of Eden and called it ‘the silent healer’. In Ayurvedic medicine, they used aloe for treatment of skin diseases, such as wounds, insect bites, rashes and eczema. The antibacterial and antifungal properties of Aloe Vera help to increase blood flow to the affected area, which speeds up the healing process. In fact, its wound healing powers are so strong that aloe vera is the only substance known to man that can heal atomic burns. After the U.S.A dropped two atomic bombs on Japan in WW2, aloe was used to treat the burns of the survivors. 

Interestingly, aloin, one of the active ingredients of aloe that has been proven to stop cancer cells multiplying, has been made illegal by the FDA. The FDA has claimed they made it illegal because its bitter and has laxative effects. For this reason, it can only be recommended to use aloe straight from the plant, as processed aloe has all the benefits stripped out. 

So, as you can see, Aloe has a long and rich history, with written medicinal reports dating back over 6000 years ago. We put together all of this information to show you that natural medicine is NOT alternative medicine, but original medicine that has been used for millennia. The Pharmaceutical industry is pushing a false narrative that natural medicines have no evidence base, because they limit clinical trials on natural medicines. The opposite is actually true. The pharmaceutical industry only came into existence a short 150 years ago in comparison. That means that no pharmaceutical drug on the market today has been sufficiently tested to see long term effects. Essentially, everyone taking pharmaceutical drugs is a guinea pig. You are paying money to have dangerous new drugs tested on you, when you could spend nothing and allow your body to heal with the help of nature.