In his 20s, Bill Coats planned to become a pharmacist and a businessman until one college professor changed the course of his life forever.

Bill was fascinated by a lecture he’d heard at the University of Texas Pharmacy School touting the healing properties of Aloe Vera. The professor had thrown out the gauntlet to the class that Aloe Vera could be bigger than penicillin; but two problems needed to be solved:

1. Aloe vera leaves oxidize almost immediately, much like an apple does once its cut open.
2. Aloe gel starts breaking down immediately and loses its efficacy within four hours after harvest.

At the time, this explained why aloe was commonly used fresh from the aloe plant, kept in the kitchen windowsill of households around the world, yet not available commercially.

But the curious pharmacist couldn’t rest.  He began experimenting with Aloe Vera leaves in his kitchen trying to find a way to maintain aloe’s  healing powers. The first attempts were disastrous but he persisted where others had failed. After hundreds of batches and several blenders later, Bill had finally devised a process that solved the two problems that had plagued scientists for over 2,000 years. This new process enabled him to retain a higher percentage of aloe solids than the traditional methods. Because more potency is in the pulpy fiber of the Aloe Vera leaf, his process heightened the level of healing properties available.

Bill was ecstatic at his success, and applied for his first patent in 1963. In the beginning, he sold his homemade creams to his pharmacy customers. Because good news travels fast, he soon had so much demand that he sold his pharmacies and opened his first aloe company in 1968, Aloe Vera of America.

When Bill sold Aloe Vera of America 13 years later, he had turned a small investment into a multi-national company. Over the next six years, he traveled to 57 countries, teaching people about the healing powers of Aloe Vera.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Bill founded Coats Aloe International in 1987. Since his first foray into Aloe Vera production, he has developed a whole leaf process to capture even more active ingredients from the leaves, which improves both yield and efficacy.

Little did he know he would be the one to change the way the world used Aloe Vera by creating a process to ensure every drop of Aloe Vera is as potent as the day it was cut.  And today, nearly every Aloe beverage and skincare company follows the same processing technique that Bill patented in 1963.

Now 81 years old, Bill attributes his good health and longevity to his daily dose of Aloe Vera Juice. After all, if it was good enough for Egyptian royalty, it’s good enough for him.

For more about Bill Coats and his research, visit the book section.