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How nice, then, that nature should jumpstart this process for me. As I lay awake in the middle of the night last week suffering from the affects of the flu and a coughing fit, I smiled (yes, I really did) at nature’s sweet irony. If I wasn’t going to clean out my toxins on my own, nature was going to do it for me! And with the smile of a noble warrior plotting to kill its attacker, I launched into an acute plan of action, taking any and all steps I could think of to boost my immune system and kill off the germs. This included taking hefty doses of herbal tinctures specifically formulated to work as anti-viral and anti-bacterial agents. And I loaded up on remedies to kick my immune system into double-time. This naturally included drinking Aloe vera, long known for its immune-boosting capabilities. Not getting sucked into other people’s negative beliefs that this particular flu bug would hang on for two or three weeks, I decided I would be Susie Super Hero and beat this thing in a day or two. Other friends who’d recently been sick laughed and shook their heads in quiet amusement. On day two of being sick I smugly did an “I told you so” as I felt myself getting stronger and warding off the enemy. Unfortunately the tables turned, the flu bug prevailed, and I wound up getting worse before finally getting better. The bad news for many people with this year’s flu strain is that they continue to get hit hard and require significant bed rest. Now don’t get me wrong, I think getting plenty of rest when sick is a smart move so that the body can repair itself and gain strength. The good news for me is that, aside from a much lower energy level than usual coupled with delicate breathing passages, I’ve been able to work and function in a fairly clear-thinking fashion without much more sleep than usual. I remain absolutely convinced that were it not for faithfully taking my herbal remedies and drinking lots of Aloe vera, I’d have been in a lot worse shape and experienced a lot more “down time.” So my New Year’s flu propelled me in the right direction of being focused on health and detoxification. I’ve decided to keep nature’s cleansing and healing momentum going in my life and am continuing to take steps to achieve more balance. With the help of vitamins and minerals, herbal supplements and teas, and healthy eating, I plan to keep myself strong and healthy through this new year in which I hold great dreams and aspirations. And I wish you and your loved ones a spectacular year filled with love, peace, abundance and your own personal form of perfect balance!
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During the past several months everyone at Aloecorp has been involved in developing personal business and departmental plans for 2004. I have had the opportunity to review these personal business strategies, and I am very impressed and excited with the prospects for a landmark year in the aloe business. Strategies are in place for enhanced farming, harvesting and processing of Aloecorp aloe, facility updates, improved safety, quality, compliance and shipping and handling procedures, increased product certifications, larger inventories, innovative research and development, new and improved product offerings and customer service, additional strategic partnerships, an innovative sales and marketing campaign, more efficient accounting procedures and, perhaps best of all, meaningful personal development goals. All key players on the Aloecorp team are committed and excited about individual and collective corporate objectives. Our entire employee base is committed to not only maintaining Aloecorp as the world leader in quality aloe raw material production, but in providing products and services in this new year that will become the Gold Standard in the Aloe Industry. New manufacturing equipment, along with completed enhancements and additions to both the Texas and Mexico processing facilities, will provide what we believe is the highest quality of aloe heretofore unavailable anywhere in the world. Aloecorp’s mission is in “Setting the Standard of Excellence in Aloe Worldwide” and “Bringing The Best of Nature to Mankind.” In 2004 we will set a new industry standard in research, manufacturing, and quality, which we hope the industry will soon follow, thus helping to raise aloe to a new level. For your information, we just received our ISO 9001 certification for the Texas facility, with plans for our Mexico facility and corporate offices to be ISO-certified in 2004. We also expect to be Organic Certified within the next few months. In many ways we feel we are at “new beginnings” with aloe, as we will be releasing new and important research that further validates its benefits and future potential in the Pharmaceutical, Personal Care and Natural Health markets. As you know, Aloecorp has spent, and continues to spend, considerable monetary resources for aloe research and its many benefits. This year we will release more and more of the past and current research to help with your marketing efforts. Our core company values are:
We appreciate our customers who value the importance of high standards and progressive advancement, and who themselves have established excellent strategies, high standards, and values for this New Year. We stand by ready and eager to provide the assistance you need to successfully grow your business, therefore, please, invite us to do so!
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One of the many aspects of working at Aloecorp that brings me great pride and satisfaction is the company philosophy to do the right thing – without hesitation – without debate. This philosophy carries through ownership, management and all employees. In our history, a leading catchphrase we hear a great deal about is “breathing the same air.” It was instituted by the late Chairman Yun Ho Lee and successfully instilled in his son and Aloecorp’s Chairman, Bill Lee. Doing the responsible thing often comes with a price. Sometimes it takes longer to do the responsible thing. Usually, it comes with a financial cost. Over the past fifteen years Aloecorp has added significantly to its list of responsible actions. • Aloecorp has all of its products certified pure by the
International Aloe Science
2004 brings to us a new year of exciting anticipation. As I move into the presidency of the International Aloe Science Council (IASC), we certainly are looking to continue to do the right thing. We are discussing higher standards of certification, stronger influence as a council in Europe, and a continued and enhanced presence in the Asian and Pacific markets. The IASC Office in China (Hainan Island) continues to grow and prosper, and provides insightful knowledge and guidelines that positively influence its member companies in conducting business. 2004 also brings to Aloecorp a year of new relationships – both on the customer side as well as a number of new distributor representatives serving new areas of the world. We will continue to enjoy our strong relations with many of our international representatives who have been with us since the very founding of Aloecorp, as well as additional representatives in parts of the world never tapped by Aloecorp in the past. “Doing the right thing” has been a very important core principle at Aloecorp and that is not going to change. Being responsible has been, and will continue to be, a pleasurable part of our day-to-day activities. Here’s wishing everyone a healthy, prosperous, peace-filled 2004. ___________________________________________________
The company has purchased forty acres on which to build a corporate campus, which will house corporate facilities in a wooded area that is rich in natural beauty. This has been a long-time dream of Mr. Bill Lee, Chairman of the board of all three companies. Meanwhile, to celebrate this momentous event, Washington State Governor Gary Locke met with Univera officials for fifteen minutes which was followed by Senator Paull H. Shin hosting a welcome luncheon on January 16 at the Senate Hearing Room on the Capital Campus in Olympia. The event was attended by a prominent group of senators, congressional representatives, city officials and state and local dignitaries. After being officially welcomed by Lieutenant Governor Brad Owens, Bill Lee had an opportunity to express thanks to all who were instrumental in helping Univera decide to move to Lacey. Univera’s move to Washington State is the first of two stages, which involves an initial relocation to an interim facility in Lacey by July 1. Stage two is to design and build a world-class, state-of-the-art campus just one mile from the interim facility. The permanent campus will include cutting-edge laboratory facilities, warehouse, distribution and production capabilities, as well as other buildings as needed. It will be environmentally friendly, incorporating botanical gardens, walking paths and generous use of naturally occurring ponds. It is estimated that the permanent campus may take up to four years to complete. Part of that building project will include a Botanical Garden for employees and guests to enjoy. So, we look forward to sharing much of God’s beauty with you, and will keep you informed as plans progress. INDUSTRY NEWS: Aloe vera just continues to expand its presence across the globe. I have reported more than once this year on some of the neat products in which Aloe vera is being used, but a German magazine called SOFW reported this year that Aloe vera was the highlighted ingredient in 1,557 new product launches worldwide. Grape Seed Extract was the second most popular ingredient with 350 new product launches within the same period of time, 2001-2002. While Aloe vera is one of the oldest plants known to man, it continues to thrive because of its great benefits to mankind. ___________________________________________________
In my Aloe Science column of May 2003 I reported a study by the research team of B.O. Lim, R.W. Choue, J.D. Kim, B.P. Yu, T Jeon and DK Park who described the results of their study on the anti-oxidative and hypocholesterol effects of aloe in their paper titled, “Efficacy of Dietary Aloe vera Supplementation on Hepatic Cholesterol and Oxidative Status in Aged Rats.” And in a one-page summary many of you have probably seen I described the paper by Rana P. Singh, titled “Chemomodulatory Action of Aloe vera on the Profiles of Enzymes Associated with Carcinogen Metabolism and Antioxidant Status Regulation in Mice,” published in the journal Phytomedicine in 2000. In that paper the author states that, “oral consumption of Aloe vera induces the phase II enzyme system, reducing oxidative stress and oxidant-mediated damage of DNA that can lead to the development of cancer.” This is as strong an endorsement of aloe’s remedial potential as you could ever hope for, and one that is supported by solid research. Yet we can add more weight to this list with the big brute of oxygen radical scavengers, SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE. In a 1996 paper titled “Isozymes of Superoxide Dismutase from Aloe vera,” Sabeh reports that our favorite plant contains seven SODs. Sabeh compares the specific activities of these seven aloe SODs to those in Popeye’s favorite source of strength, spinach. So, if you want to make a “radical” change to a healthier lifestyle, or you just can’t find a can of spinach when you need one, Ask Ken. To submit an “Ask Ken”
question or to provide comments, send an email to ___________________________________________________
December also comes with a reminder—a reminder that I am getting older. I like to joke that I am not getting older but getting better, like fine wine aging to perfection. But let’s face the facts—we are all getting older. Time marches on and waits for no one. Can we hold back the years a little bit each birthday? Sure we can. We can eat right, exercise, take our supplements and, of course (here I go again), drink Aloe vera. The human body naturally produces chemicals that can cause irreversible damage to cells. These chemicals can open your body to cancer, cardiovascular disease, degenerative diseases like arthritis, and advanced aging. The chemicals your body naturally produces are called free radicals, and the irreversible damage to the cells is called oxidation. If you leave something made of metal outdoors, unprotected and exposed to the elements, it will rust; rust is another name for oxidation. Luckily, our bodies have a natural antioxidant system that can protect us from most cell damage. However, certain environmental factors, such as exhaust fumes, cigarette smoke, overexposure to sunlight, certain drugs and stress, can increase the production and presence of free radicals in our bodies. Many foods contain antioxidants. Vitamins E and C, garlic and beta-carotene are excellent antioxidants. Aloe vera helps to stimulate the body’s own antioxidant system—another solid reason to drink Aloe vera every day. A major cause of early aging and death is cardiovascular disease, and a big cause of cardiovascular disease is the buildup of cholesterol on your artery walls. Researchers believe that the main cause of arterial plaque is the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). In a recent study and paper published in 2003, Beong Lim et al reported 30% lower cholesterol levels in the group being fed Aloe vera. In a controlled clinical trial with 60 patients, the groups receiving Aloe vera had an 18% drop in LDL cholesterol. Here again are a couple of compelling reasons to drink Aloe vera—but not just any Aloe vera. Choose Aloecorp’s ACTIVEaloe® Aloe vera. Why? Because it was Aloecorp’s ACTIVEaloe® that was used in the study. And it is Aloecorp’s ACTIVEaloe® that is guaranteed to contain 10% by weight polysaccharides Did I mention that vitamins C and E are antioxidants? Of course I did, and here is another great reason to drink Aloe vera when taking your vitamins. In another human clinical trial conducted recently, when vitamins C and E are taken along with Aloe vera, the results show an increase in the bioavailability of vitamins C and E. This clinical study was conducted by Dr. Joe Vinson and sponsored by the International Aloe Science Council (IASC). Yet another reason to drink Aloe vera, so I ask…why wouldn’t you? Getting older should make you wiser, and a smart thing to do for your health and wellbeing is to drink Aloe vera on a daily basis. The fact is that we are all getting older, though some of us are not getting any wiser. There are so many valid, scientifically proven and logical reasons to drink Aloe vera, and yet so many of us do not. The health benefits of drinking Aloe vera are not a myth, and we can cite human clinical studies for solid facts showing these benefits. Aloecorp and I wish you and your loved ones a Happy New Year filled with wonderful health and wellness! ___________________________________________________
In the process of investigating the mechanism of action for a known medicinal application, such as wound healing, researchers occasionally demonstrate a method of administration that surprises me. This is the case with this month’s featured paper. The authors, Chithra, Sajithlal and Chandrakasan, found that Aloe vera influences the wound healing process by enhancing collagen turnover in wound tissue when applied topically to a wound, and interestingly, by oral application as well. Researchers in this field of study know that the initial process of wound healing involves an acute inflammatory phase followed by the synthesis of collagen and other extracellular macromolecules which are later remodeled to form a scar. In this study the authors report the effects of aloe applied topically and orally on the levels of collagen biosynthesis and its degradation in dermal wounds on rats. In this paper the aloe gel fillet was ground in a blender and centrifuged to remove fibers. The resulting supernatant was lyophilized, and 30 milligram portions were resolubilized in a small amount of water for the test articles. These portions were administered twice a day either orally or topically on the wound. The researchers then measured the following markers of wound healing: collagen biosynthesis, lysyl oxidase, collagenase, gelatinase, cathepsins and urinary hydroxyproline at 4, 8, 12 and 16 days. In general, topical administration of aloe performed slightly better than oral administration. But both forms of treatment showed marked improvement over untreated control. More specifically, aloe-treated groups had significantly higher levels of collagen biosynthesis, and on day 8 topically treated animals had about 77%, and orally treated animals 65% higher values than the control. Lysyl oxidase, which is the enzyme involved in the formation of newly synthesized collagen crosslinks, reached the highest levels on day 12 and were significantly higher in both aloe-treated groups. Increase in lysyl oxidase activity may result in an increase in the tensile strength of treated wounds such as previously reported by Chithra, Ethnopharmacol, 1998. Collagenase, which is necessary for initial degradation of collagen during wound repair, was significantly higher in both aloe-treated groups on all days with a maximum on day 4. Total gelatinase activity was highest on day 4, with the topical treated group 77%, and orally treated group 54% higher than control. Cathepsins, peptidases that further break down the fragments of collagen cleaved by collagenase, peaked on day 8 and were found to be significantly increased in comparison to controls. Finally, this breakdown of collagen liberates free hydroxyproline and its peptides, which are excreted in the urine. Measurement of hydroxyproline is therefore used as an index of collagen turnover. It is no surprise that maximum excretion of hydroxyproline was found during the first four days of the study. Topically and orally treated groups had about 31% and 26% higher levels of urinary hydroxyproline respectively. Wound healing is one of the earliest reported therapeutic benefits of aloe. So it makes sense that it is now one of the most well-researched and best-proven medicinal applications of aloe. Since many of us who use aloe daily take it as an oral supplement, it is gratifying to know that we can reap so many of aloe’s benefits by this route of administration. So for myself, and on behalf of all of us at Aloecorp, Happy New Year. I salute you with a toast of aloe. ___________________________________________________
Miracle plant, indeed! It is well known that Aloe vera, when used topically, has wonderful cosmetic properties and true therapeutic value. In addition to moisturizing and beautifying the skin, it also can soothe and heal minor wounds and burns. Indeed, most of the serious cooks I know have an Aloe vera plant in their kitchens ready at hand. The FDA as well recognizes the time-honored medicinal benefits of Aloe vera, beyond its cosmetic benefits:
...click here to read the whole article
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