Benefits of Aloe Vera
Dr. Brice E. Vickery
In his article, “the Immune Effects of Aloe,” Dr. John Pittman MD, states:
“The most striking commonality found in individuals suffering with immuno-depressive conditions (Epstein-Barr virus, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, systemic candidiasis, HIV infection and others) is their high incidence of digestive dysfunction and indigestion. This has several effects that contribute to stress on the immune system and therefore its weakening."1
In my over fifty years of working with immuno-depressive conditions such as these and others, I too, have found mal-digestion and mal-absorption to be a leading symptom of many illnesses. I also discovered that the cause for this gut malfunction to be a basic deficiency throughout the body of systemic protein. This deficiency presents as one of its major symptoms, a gut in various stages of degradation. The lining of the gut can be inflamed, thickened, and porous, it may be creating polyps, lesions, or pits in the walls.
Heal Intestinal Malfunction
The absorption cells of the small intestine may become flattened, thick and resistant to allowing nutrients to pass through. These symptoms can be bad enough to present as Crohn’s disease, ulcers, or Fibromyalgia or mild enough to just cause bloating, mild fatigue, or allergies of all kinds.
In treating these illnesses, I found that replenishing the body’s stores of systemic protein would allow the gut to heal and rebuild itself. In order to make this possible I had to patent a very specific essential amino acid blend known as Platinum Plus Essential Amino Acids. However, in cases where the gut degradation has gone on for a significant period of time the healing process can take a long time, so extra measures should be taken to speed the healing.
A common stumbling block in the healing of the protein deficient patient is gut malabsorption Most of the food we eat is not useable by the body and it is the job of our digestive system to break down the food, extract the beneficial part and neutralize and flush the parts that could be harmful to the system. It is for this reason that the intestine is considered the “largest lymphoid organ in the body.” 2
In the words of Dr. Pittman: “The absorptive surface of the small bowel is in a constant state of turnover, with the absorptive cells (enterocytes) sloughing from the tips of the villi and being replaced by mitosis from the crypts. This tremendous daily wastage is due to the toxicity of the intestinal luminal contents, one of the most poisonous environments in the world.“2a
The protein deficient gut has several problems: it cannot make the enzymes needed to completely break down foods, it does not have the protein available to deal with enterocyte turnover and it cannot make the immune system in the small bowel (the Peyers patch route)that effectively protects the body from harmful foreign particles of food. This specialized immune system of the gut mucosa keeps the harmful particles from reaching the blood and circulating through the system. When protein deficiency keeps the body from maintaining this immune system, the food particles act as irritants to the gut mucosa, causing inflammation. This will cause the tight junctions between the absorption cells of the small intestines to open and allow more of the harmful particles through. This condition is malabsorption.
Crohn’s, colitis, and IBS are all examples of severe malabsorption
One of nature’s finest healing agents for the gut is aloe vera (aloe barbadensis)
In the 1960’s studies were performed on duodenal ulcer patients giving them aloe vera, the tests showed a complete healing of the ulcerated areas and the areas did not re-ulcerate for twelve months.3 If the patients had also been taking Platinum Plus, it is my opinion that the areas would not have re-ulcerated at all. One study giving oral aloe to patients with severe ulcerative colitis, showed aloe effective in inducing remission of symptoms.4 A Russian study showed that aloe significantly boosted the healing process of stomach lesions. 5 Several studies showed that mice given aloe exhibited anti-inflammatory responses as well as faster wound healing.6
A biologist from the University of Dallas, Dr. Shupe found that aloe killed staph, strep and e. coli; all bacteria that the gut can harbor. I have seen them many times in my immune compromised patients
Jeffery Bland Ph.D., of the Linus Pauling Institute looked at several studies of oral aloe concerning gastric pH, stool specific gravity, protein digestion/absorption, and stool microbiology. In the subjects using oral aloe, the stool moved more quickly through the bowel, protein digestion and absorption improved, an increase in water in the stool made it bulkier, In the subjects with high yeast, stool bacteria normalized, suppressing yeast overgrowth. He found the results all favorable indicating the positive effects of oral aloe supplementation for inflammatory bowel conditions.7
In his study of aloe, Dr. Peter Atherton, a research Fellow at Oxford University, says “My investigation showed that Aloe Vera seemed to work in two definite areas, firstly on damaged epithelial tissue and secondly on the immune system. An epithelium is an anatomical term that is defined as ‘a layer of cells that covers the surface of the body or lines a cavity that connects with it.’ So the skin, the largest of our body organs, is the largest epithelial tissue. It connects through the mouth with the lining of the gastrointestinal tract as well as the lining of the nose and sinuses, the lining of the lungs and the genital tract. It is not surprising, therefore, that Aloe Vera will speed up the healing of a burn or some damaged eczematous skin just as well as it will heal a mouth ulcer or even a stomach ulcer or a problem of the bowel lining ‘all epithelial tissue’”7a
The gel contains vitamins A, C, E, B12, thiamine, niacin and folic acid, as well as the minerals sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, chromium, selenium, and iron. It also contains mucilaginous polysaccharides that I feel may act as a surfactant in the gut, reducing the surface tension of the liquefied food and enhancing its absorption
Aloe is also an extremely rich source of the essential sugars. In a process is known as pinocytosis, these sugars are not broken down like other sugars, but ingested whole from the gut, appearing unchanged in the bloodstream. Once in portal circulation, the sugars become immune system enhancers.
Some of the polysaccharides stay on the gut wall and forming a protective barrier against undigested food particles, helping to protect the system from “leaky gut”8 while Platinum Plus works to heal the gut wall.
Aloe also contains anthraquinones, compounds found only in the latex layer of the aloe leaf. They help with gut absorption, kill bacteria and viruses and have pain killing properties. They also have gut stimulant properties and the latex is often used to make laxative tablets. Aloin, barbaloin, aloe-emodin, and aloectic acid, are a few of the anthraquinones contained in the latex layer. Use of the latex layer of aloe leaf should be done with care as overuse is associated with lowered electrolyte levels, most particularly potassium.9 The latex layer is found directly next to the outer wall of the leaf, it is distinct from the aloe gel found in the center of the leaf and is not used in Sea Aloe Gold.
The most recent discovery about the aloe leaf, still in the process of being researched, is the presence of large amounts of polysaccharides, especially the one known as acetylated mannose (acemannan). This has been shown to boost the immune system, speed healing, and help fight viruses.10
Boost the Immune System, Speed Healing
Aloe has also been used successfully in connective tissue cancers with animals, and is also being researched in human cancers. A 1989 study published in the Japanese Journal of Cancer research showed aloe to be protective to the lungs against cancer.11 Out of all the plants tested, only aloe demonstrated this effect. A 2002 Japanese study shows aloe to be protective against pancreatic cancer induced in hamsters.12 Another Japanese study indicated that aloe was preventative in the development of colorectal cancer in rats.13
Oral aloe has been used successfully in studies with diabetics showing that it normalizes blood sugars.14 In 1994, studies showed that orally administered aloe vera speeded up wound healing in rats (topically administered aloe delayed deep wound healing).15 Orally administered aloe vera has also been implicated in the healing of conditions such as asthma, HIV, arthritis, and many others.
Benefits of Kelp
Sea Kelp is a rich source of mineral salts: iodine and chlorides (Na, K, Mg), hydro and liposoluble vitamins (A, C, B1, B2, PP, K, B12) and trace elements (Mn, Fe, Cu, Co, B). Iodine is an essential element involved in protein metabolism in the body. If the body is iodine deficient, protein synthesis will be hampered, leaving the body in an immunodeficient state. Also, the thyroid needs to have at least 60 mcg. of iodine daily in order to make adequate amounts of thyroid hormone. Iodine is stored in the breast tissue, gastric mucosa of the stomach, and sweat glands. According to Dr. Jorge Flechas MD, iodine deficiency is prevalent today as the soil no longer provides enough in the plants, we no longer put it into milk and bread, and the amount we put in table salt is not enough to meet our requirements. Iodine deficient breast tissue tends towards fibrocystic breast disease and iodine deficient sweat glands produce chronic dry skin.
Lack of iodine in the gastric tissues of the stomach results in a lack of stomach acid needed to digest food in the stomach.16 Incomplete digestion of food in the stomach can lead to irritating particles of food in the gut causing inflammation and malabsorption syndrome.
Maintain Metabolic Balance
In this condition important elements of protein absorption such as iodine cannot get into the body. Inflammation can also damage enterocytes, leaving less of them capable of absorbing nutrients like iodine, very necessary for protein metabolism. If a person on the Platinum Plus protocol remains iodine deficient, their gut is suffering from malabsorption Studies show that protein deficiency causes morphological changes in the gut wall that impedes the absorption of iodine.17 Therefore there will be immunodeficient patients who will not be able to utilize the iodine they need to fully cure their protein deficiency. In order to address this common problem, I have combined an organic dehydrated aloe powder, concentrated at 200:1 together with organic kelp in order to heal the gut and provide it with an incredible source of plant processed vitamins, minerals, iodine and essential sugars. Sea kelp also helps to nourish the thyroid and pituitary glands, helping to maintain the body’s metabolic balance.
These two “Treasures of Land and Sea” provide an incredible boost to the healing process, nourishing and repairing the gut at the same time that the Platinum Plus is working to give you the protein/sulfur you need to rebuild your whole body. Used together, Sea Aloe Gold and Platinum Plus, as a rule, provide complete healing.
Brice E. Vickery, D.C. graduated from Lincoln Chiropractic College in 1951 and took post graduate work at Lincoln College and Spears Chiropractic Hospital. He has appeared on radio and television and has authored The Pocket T.S. line Manual, The Two-Edged Sword Diet as well as numerous magazine articles. He also served two terms on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Chiropractic Association. He is a certified Applied Kinesiologist and has accreditation in Electroacupuncture according to Voll ( EAV ). He is listed in the 1999-2000 Who’s who in Medicine and Healthcare. After 50 years of practice most of which was in the CT Holistic Chiropractic Offices , he is now president of SuperNutrient Corporation, is a nutritional consultant, and teaches his methods in seminars (on DVD and VHS).
