Can Aloe Vera Help The Immune System

Aloe Vera And The Immune System

Aloe Vera and the benefits of Aloe Barbadensis Miller (pure Aloe Vera) works to improve the body’s immune system. The human immune system is incredibly complex, and when you think of the billions if not trillions of cells which go to make up our bodies, and how they work together to protect us via an organised communication and response system, it’s almost mind-boggling.

The Immune System

Essentially the immune system works through triggering a wide array of chemical processes. The simple job is to discriminate between ’self’ and ‘non-self’ cells and organisms; ie. things that belong in body and things that don’t.

Examples of some the things which don’t belong are viruses & bacteria. When our immune system is working correctly, it reacts swiftly to the foreign particle in our bloodstream, usually by detecting certain proteins or chemicals on the cell wall of the potential threat.

There are times when our immune system won’t work quite as it’s supposed to; and when this happens, the immune system becomes less able to discriminate between ’self’ and ‘non-self’. It begins to see certain types of normal cells as foreign, and so reacts against them.

Autoimmune Disease

These types of diseases are known as autoimmune diseases. A few examples are rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosis, and ulcerative colitis. All of them very different, with different symptoms and treatments; but all similar in that the immune system is no longer recognising certain of the body’s own cells as normal. The effects can be quite devastating and debilitating for people.

There are certain substances which can be called immune system modulators or enhancers, because they help the immune system react as it should do; and helps regulate the cellular response of the immune system. They either work by helping the body to identify its own cells as ’self’, or by helping moderate the response to perceived threats. Clearly, immune system modulators could be very valuable.

Aloe Vera is one such substance. It gives our immune system the boost it needs to ensure it can continue to differentiate between ’self’ and ‘non-self’ and react accodingly. Scientists are still divided in the mechanism of how Aloe Vera works - whether it helps the immune system recognise its own cells; or it works by helping to modulate its response. But the weight of evidence seems to indicate that Aloe Vera works primarily in helping the immune system repond appropriately to threats.

There are hundreds of testimonials of people who swear by Aloe Vera, and say that it has helped with a range of auto-immune diseases, from arthritis to ulcerative colitis and lupus. It also helps in less severe conditions, but where the immune system is over-reacting - in things like asthma and allergies.