Aloe Vera -- Lilly of the Desert

I have to admit, when I began this project I sure didn't
realize how many different nutrients could help improve
our immune systems.

Of course I'd heard of aloe vera -- as a good treatment
for burns, wounds and other skin problems. It's also
a natural laxative.

But when I first saw it listed as an immune system, I
thought someone was being generous -- until I did
the research . . .

Aloe is originally from Africa, and has been used
for thousands of years to help heal wounds and burns.
That's why it's called the "Lilly of the Desert."

Aloe vera usually refers to aloe gel -- the clear gel
produced by cells in the center of the leaf. Diluted
aloe gel is commonly referred to as extract. The gel
is 99% water, and also contains mono- and polysaccharides.

These are more important than they sound, and we'll
get back to them.

Aloe juice is made from this gel.

Aloe gel also contains lignan, salicylic acid,
saponins, sterols, and triterpenoids. When it's
fresh aloe gel contains the proteolytic enzyme
carboxypeptidase, glutathione and several isozymes
of superoxide dismutase. Also vitamins A, C, E, B12,
thiamine, niacin and folic acid, and the minerals
sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese,
copper, zinc, chromium, and iron.

Part of aloe's ability to improve our immune systems
comes from at least 6 antiseptic agents: Lupeol,
salicylic acid, urea nitrogen, cinnamonic acid,
phenols and sulphur. These kill or control mold, bacteria,
fungus and viruses.

Aloe contains at least 23 polypeptids, which are
immune stimulators.

Studies of mice in the early 1980s first verified that
extracts of aloe gel helped them defeat bacterial
infections.

Some researchers have pointed out that aloe vera
helps improve immune system functioning simply
by improving your digestion. This gets more
nutrition into your cells, including the cells
of your immune system.

Probably most important, however, are the
saccarides found in aloe vera. Aloe vera contains
a high level of mannan saccharides.

Mannan/mannose molecules are found throughout the major
signal pathways of our innate immune systems. Mannan
glycoproteins protect us by distinquishing between
Self and Non-Self. Ideally, our immune system protects
Self and destroys Non-Self. Glycoprotein mechanisms
detect the membrane signatures of infections, such as
the bird flu virus.

Some researchers say that mannans, including
glucomannans and galactomannans, found in
aloe vera, are as effective in
boosting the immune system as glucans.
Readers of my
book How to Protect
Yourself and Your Loved Ones From Bird Flu know
how highly I recommend beta glucans.)

The most prominent monosaccharide in aloe gel is
mannose-6-phosphate, and the most common
polysaccharides are called gluco-mannans (beta-(1,4)
acetylated mannan). These are long-chain sugars
containing glucose and mannose.

Aloe vera contains the greatest concentration
of acetylated polymannans, which is the most
active form of mannans. These long-chain complex
polysaccharides are often called beta-glucomannans,
mucopolysaccharides or Acemannan.

The mucopolysaccarides in aloe perform many key
functions, including strengthening immune system functioning.
However, after puberty we stop manufacturing mucopolysaccharides,
and therefore must obtain them from our diets.

They interject themselves into all cell membranes. This allows
nutrients to enter the cell more easily and toxins to flow out.

Among many other good things, mucopolysaccharides:

Makes cell walls more resistant to viruses and bacteria

Have anti-inflammatory properties (important for the deadly acute
phase of bird flu)

Help make white blood cells up to ten times more effective

Help modulate the immune (vital for someone in the acute phase
of bird flu)

Increase the production and release of antibodies -- and interferon, interleukins and others

Increase the cells in the spleen and the number of killer T-cells and their activity

Although some products have isolated some of the beta-glucamannas,
they work best in conjunction with all the other saccarides in
aloe gel.

You can obtain get high quality here:

Aloe Vera gel


References:

Ro J, Lee B, et al. Inhibitory mechanism of aloe single
component (Alprogen) on mediator release in guinea pig
lung mast cells activated with specific antigen-antibody
reactions. Pharmacology and Exper Therapeutics.
2000;292:114-121.

Womble D, and Helderman. Enhancement of allo-resposiveness
of human lymphocytes by acemannan (Carrisyn). Int J
Immunopharmacol. 1988;10(8):967-974.

Peng S, Norman J, et al. Decreased mortality of
Norman murine sarcoma in mice treated with the
immunomodulator, acemannon. Mol Biother.
1991;3(2):79-87.

Hart L, Nibbering P, et al. Effects of low
molecular constituents from aloe vera gel
on oxidative metabolism and cytotoxic and
bactericidal activities of human neutrophils.
Int J Immunopharmacol. 1990;12(4):427-434.

Sydiskis R, Owen D, et al. Inactivation of
enveloped viruses by anthraquinones extracted
from plants. Antimicrob Agents Chemother.
1991;35(12):2463-2466.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1991 Dec;35(12):2463-6:
Inactivation of enveloped viruses by
anthraquinones extracted from plants.
Sydiskis RJ, Owen DG, Lohr JL, Rosler KH,
Blomster RN. Department of Microbiology,
University of Maryland, Baltimore 21201.

Womble, D., and Helderman, J.H. Enhancement
of all-responsiveness of human lymphocytes by
Acetylmannans. Int. J. Immunopharmacol 10(8):967-74, 1988.

McDaniel, H.R., Ph.D., et al. CD4 and CD8
lymphocyte levels in Acetylmannans (ACM)-treated
HIV-1 infected longer-term survivors. Int. Conf.
AIDS 9(1):438, 1993.

McDaniel, H.R., et al. An increase in circulating
monocyte/macrophages (MM) is induced by oral
Acetylmannans (ACE-M) in HIV-1 patients. Am. J.
Clin. Pathol. 94:516-17, 1990.

McDaniel, H.R., et al. Extended survival and
prognostic criteria for Acetylmannans(ACE-M)
treated HIV-1 patients. Antiviral Res.
13(Suppl. 1):117, 1990.

Werbach, Melvyn R., M.D. and Murray, Michael
T., N.D. Botanical Influences on Illness:
A sourcebook of clinical research. Tarzana,
CA: Third Line Press, 1994.

Kahlon, J.B., et al. In vitro evaluation of
the synergistic antiviral effects of
Acetylmannans in combination with
azidothymidine and acyclovir. Mol. Biother.
3:214-23, 1991.

Ghannam, N. The antidiabetic activity of
aloes: Preliminary clinical and
experimental observations. Hormone
Res. 24:288-94., 1986.

Sheets, M.S., et al. Studies of the effect of
Acetylmannans on retrovirus infections:
Clinical stabilization of feline leukemia
virus-infected cats. Mol. Biother.
3(1):41-5, 1991.

Grindley et al., Journal of
Ethnopharmacology, 16:117-151 (1986)

Thank WHO for no pandemic, instead of criticising them

Humanity's biggest enemy is not a virus --
it's our short attention span.

This is being demonstrated today in a news
story from Reuters that had the World
Health Organization (WHO) reacting to
criticism that it had exagerated the
danger of a bird flu pandemic.

If an expert predicts some kind of
disaster, then by God, that disaster
better happen -- STAT!

Or that expert's in trouble for
"exagerating" the threat.

Of course, if an expert does NOT
predict a disaster that does
occur, then that shows how
unreliable they are, too. If you
don't have a 100% crystal ball to
predict the future, the press and
unnamed critics will sharpen
their knifes to have you and your
reputation for lunch.

The news story from Reuters does
not even bother to tell its
readers exactly who has been
criticising WHO -- or why. Or why
we should even care what they
think. For all we know, it was
some bums hanging around on a
streetcorner.

Yes, there has been no bird flu
pandemic -- so far. Thank goodness.
But instead of being grateful,
somebody has criticised WHO for
this. Probably somebody in the
media who wouldn't know a flu
vaccine from an anthrax spore but
who thinks their opinion is
automatically news just because
they're so important because
they're in the media.

And this despite the spread of
human cases and deaths to China
and just very recently to Turkey.
(4 children dead there -- I guess
they don't count to these unnamed
critics of WHO.)

But because we don't (yet) have
thousands or millions of people
dead, somebody must be to blame.

After all, these predictions have
been in the mass media for all
of 2 or 3 months. If a disaster
can't kill lots of people in that
time, what good is it?

So what if H5N1 is a virus with
its own timetable? So what if
its mutations and recombinations
are random and therefore inherently
unpredictable, especially if you
want a time table?

WHO is supposed to be in charge so
if H5N1 doesn't mutate to a highly
contagious form before the media
moves on to another show, then
too bad for bird flu.

And it's just remotely possible
that WHO's efforts to publicize
the danger of bird flu and to
combat its spread have actually
been somewhat effective in
preventing more deaths.

Why not give the experts some
credit for that?

And of course, the mass media
never makes mistakes. It's obvious
they are totally fair and
balanced. It's not like the most
respected newspaper in the US and
one of the best in the world -- THE
NEW YORK TIMES -- has been caught
making numerous mistakes and even
making up stories. It's not like
the former CBS news anchor was
caught using a forged document in
a major news story -- and then
defended himself for doing so even after
caught by Internet bloggers.

Oh no, those things haven't happened
in the past few years.

Of course, the danger is NOT over
yet -- by a long shot.

H5N1 is still out there in ducks,
geese, chickens and who know in
how many other animals. It's still
infecting and killing people in
Asia and it's killing kids in
Turkey -- and Syria, Iran, Iraq, the Ukraine,
Georgia and Azerbaijan are considered
at risk.

It's a virus, folks. It can't be
controlled or predicted. It IS
dangerous. We do know that its
nature is to spread into more
and more hosts -- and then kill
many of them.

It's ridiculous for people who are
not experts to sit back and gripe
about WHO's predictions.

If you yourself are a public health
expert and you know a better way to
solve the problem of bird flu and
other emerging diseases -- then fine,
correct their mistakes.
I'm sure not saying WHO is perfect.

But just because we don't (yet) have
millions of people dead and dying
from bird flu -- that's a reason to
thank WHO, not criticise them.