Throw out your toxic first aid kid: Aloe vera makes everything else obsolete
Aloe vera is antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. This fact is well known by not just herbalists around the world, but also by anyone with even a hint of common sense. If aloe vera gel wasn't antibacterial, then any little nick or scrape of the aloe plant would result in the whole thing being eaten up by bacteria. Aloe has to be antibacterial simply to survive in the wild! Otherwise, the moist, nutrient-rich gel would be a perfect breeding ground for bacteria.
Aloe vera makes most first aid kits obsolete. You can get rid of all those silly, toxic first aid sprays (antibacteria sprays, lotions, bandages, etc.) and just replace them all with aloe vera. I've been known to pack small chunks of aloe vera gel inside wounds that ultimately healed with zero scarring. As the aloe vera dries, it actually contracts, pulling the wound shut and keeping it completely free of dangerous bacteria. Plus, it provides nourishment to the wound tissue itself. It's also perfect for use on animals, because if they lick the wound, they won't be licking the toxic chemicals found in most first aid products.
Now, I don't mean to imply that aloe vera is a replacement for an emergency room. If you chopped off your finger in a shop accident, you can't just glue it back together with aloe vera gel. Or if your daugher ripped a gash in her leg on a swing set accident, she's probably still going to need stiches, but before you get to the emergency room, aloe vera gel can protect the wound and set the stage for accelerated healing.
Aloe is so useful, in fact, that I take a leaf with me every time I go hiking. It's my portable first aid kit, and when you have aloe, you hardly need anything else. It treats cuts, scrapes, burns, bites, stings, punctures, sprains, sunburns and even bruises. And as a bonus, if you're dying of thirst, you can eat the gel for its water content. An entire multi-billion dollar industry in chemical first aid products and synthetic skin care products is made obsolete by aloe vera.
Aloe vera as a natural food preservative
A thin layer of aloe vera gel can be used as a natural food preservative, eliminating the need for chemical preservatives. Research conducted by Daniel Valero, Ph.D., of the University of Miguel Hernández in Alicante, Spain, showed that a thin layer of aloe vera gel was highly effective in preserving foods. For the experiment, they dipped table grapes into an aloe vera gel, then stored them at refrigerator temperatures. Untreated table graped went bad in 7 days, but the grapes dipped in aloe vera stayed fresh and tast for as astonishing 35 days!
Because of this remarkable ability, aloe vera gel could revolutionize food safety around the world. Dipping fruits and vegetables in aloe vera gel would eliminate e.coli, preserve freshness, and greatly extend shelf life. So why isn't anybody doing this with aloe? Probably because, once again, aloe vera gel can't be patented. And it's easier and cheaper for food companies to simply add synthetic chemicals to foods than to switch to something safe and natural.
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