You will find it as part of the ingredients in a variety of products, such as skin creams, laundry detergents, toilet paper and toothpaste and you can even eat and drink it, but what exactly is the secret of aloe vera and what are its unique characteristics?

Contrary to popular belief, the aloe vera is not related to the cactus family, but more surprisingly to the lily family, which also includes the onion and garlic plants. There are more than 400 known types of aloe and they are commonly known as desert plants, because they thrive in warm, dry climates.

The aloe vera, aloe barbadensis miller, is also known as the Curaçao aloe and is famous for its medicinal effects. The aloe vera has been part of the top 10 most medicinal plants in the world. Inside the leaves of the aloe vera, you will find the pulp, the aloe gel, which is the most important part of the plant. When this pulp is processed at the production plant, a clear, brownish liquid is extracted, which is referred to as aloe vera juice and is drinkable and highly recommended as a nutritional supplement.

Pure aloe vera gel contains more than 75 nutrients, among which you will find vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, and various fyto nutrients. In addition, aloe vera contains Gluco-Mannan, a complex poly saccharide which consists of ‘short’ and ‘long’ sugar strains. The ‘short’ sugar strains play a very important role in the healing process of damaged human cells and they activate the immune system. The ‘long’ sugar strains protect the human body against attacks from bacteria and viruses by eliminating them. The aloe vera produced in Curaçao has an exceptionally high concentration of these substances, which can presumably be contributed to the climate on the island in which aloe vera thrives.