Aloe Vera

What is Aloe?

Latin Names: Aloe barbadensis, Aloe capensis
Other Names: Aloe vera, Cape aloe

Aloe is a plant originally from Africa. The long, green leaves contain aloe gel and a sticky yellow residue called latex.

Sources of Aloe

The gel is the part of the aloe plant used most commonly, both topically and orally. Aloe latex (also known as drug aloe) contains anthraquinone gycosides, constituents that have strong laxative effects, so it is rarely found in commercial laxative products.

Why People Use Aloe

Topical Uses

• Burn healing
  
• Wound healing
  
• Sunburn
  
• Radiation-induced skin reactions
  
• Genital herpes
  
• Psoriasis

Oral Uses

• Ulcers
  
• Diabetes
  
• Crohn's disease
  
• Ulcerative Colitis
  
• Immune Support
  
• Constipation

What is the Evidence for Aloe?

• Burns
  One of the most popular uses of aloe vera gel is for healing burns and sunburns. So far, well-designed studies shown that aloe is effective for this.
  
  
• Radiation-induced skin reactions
  There is also no evidence from clinical trials that aloe is effective in preventing or minimizing radiation-induced skin reactions in cancer patients. For example, in a randomized controlled trial, 58 head and neck cancer patients received either oral aloe vera gel or placebo while undergoing radiation therapy. At the end of the study, oral aloe vera wasn't found to be significantly more effective than placebo in improving tolerance to radiation, mucositis, soreness, and well-being.
  
  Another study looked at whether topical aloe vera gel could help reduce skin redness, pain, itching, and other side effects of radiation compared with a non-aloe cream in 225 patients with breast cancer. Aloe vera did not significantly reduce radiation-induced skin side effects. The non-aloe cream on the other hand, helped to reduce pain and dry skin peeling.
  
  
• Ulcerative colitis
  A randomized controlled trial looked at the effectiveness and safety of aloe vera gel for the treatment of mild to moderately active ulcerative colitis. Forty-four people were given either oral aloe vera gel or placebo (100 mL twice a day for 4 weeks in a 2:1 ratio). At the end of the 4 weeks, oral aloe vera produced clinical and histological improvement more often than placebo.
  
  
• Psoriasis
  Aloe vera gel has also been used for psoriasis, however studies haven't shown it's effective for this skin condition. For example, in a randomized, controlled trial, 41 patients with stable plaque psoriasis took applied aloe vera gel or placebo. The researchers found that aloe vera gel was not better than placebo.

Safety Concerns

Aloe gel
There haven't been problems reported with the use of aloe gel, other than occasional allergic reactions. More research on the safety of aloe needs to be done.

Aloe gel should not be used for severe burns or wounds. People should seek medical attention.

The safety of aloe in children, pregnant or nursing women, or people with liver and kidney disease has not been established.

Aloe latex
People with intestinal disorders should not use aloe latex.

Overdose of aloe latex can cause dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, red urine, severe diarrhea, kidney dysfunction, and possibly death.

Aloe latex is not recommended for use internally for longer than 10 days, because it can cause laxative dependency. Long-term use of aloe latex may cause potassium deficiency and result in irregular heartbeat and weakness.

Potential Drug Interactions

Aloe latex should not be taken internally if you are taking the following drugs: digoxin (Lanoxin), diuretics, steroids, drugs for irregular heartbeat, and drugs that cause potassium loss.

Aloe taken orally may cause blood sugar levels to become too low, especially if combined with blood sugar medications.

Aloe appeared to interact with the general anesthetic sevoflurane in one report.

A preliminary study involving 18 people found that aloe vera increased the absorption of vitamins C and E.

Sources
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Vinson JA, Al Kharrat H, Andreoli L. Effect of Aloe vera preparations on the human bioavailability of vitamins C and E. Phytomedicine.(2005) 10:760-5.

Vermeulen H, Ubbink D, Goossens A, de Vos R, Legemate D. Dressings and topical agents for surgical wounds healing by secondary intention.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. (2004)2:CD003554.

Richardson J, Smith JE, McIntyre M, Thomas R, Pilkington K.Aloe vera for preventing radiation-induced skin reactions: a systematic literature review. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). (2005) 17(6):478-84.

Paulsen E, Korsholm L, Brandrup F.A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of a commercial Aloe vera gel in the treatment of slight to moderate psoriasis vulgaris. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. (2005)19(3):326-31.