Herbs & Supplements

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Uses

Aloe vera plants provide two separate liquids:

• Aloe juice is watery, yellow, and bitter tasting.
• Aloe gel is clear and thick.

Note: The oral use of aloe juice is not recommended.

In 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required manufacturers of non-prescription aloe-containing laxative products to remove those products from the market because no credible evidence showed aloe laxatives to be either safe or effective to use.

Aloe juice may also be called aloe latex or aloe resin. It is a very strong laxative (also called a cathartic or a purgative) that belongs to the stimulant laxative group. By irritating the inside layer of the large intestines and colon, aloe juice promotes the production of mucus and also causes spasms (contractions) in the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Additional fluids are pulled into the GI tract by aloe juice, as well. Consequently, GI contents are eliminated more quickly and more completely. Although aloe juice is still sold as a supplement in the United States, it cannot be promoted for use as a laxative. In general, other non-prescription laxatives are more effective and safer to use.

The best known part of the aloe plant is aloe gel, the thick, clear substance that oozes from the center of broken leaves. Unlike aloe juice, aloe gel has little taste and no laxative effect, unless some of the juice is included in it by accident. In the past, aloe gel was occasionally taken by mouth to relieve gastrointestinal conditions such as stomach ulcers and inflammatory bowel diseases. Although it may decrease the production of stomach acid and also block the growth of Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that causes stomach ulcers, aloe gel generally is not as effective as other ulcer treatments.

In folk medicine, both aloe gel and--less frequently--aloe juice have been taken orally to control diabetes. Although previous studies failed to support the use of aloe in diabetes, several recent animal studies have shown that both aloe gel and aloe juice may help to lower blood sugar levels. Some studies have found lower blood lipid levels in laboratory animals that received aloe products, as well. One small study of humans also found that aloe juice may have lowered blood levels of both sugar and a type of lipids known as triglycerides. The exact ways that aloe may affect blood sugar are not known, but one theory is that aloe may prompt the pancreas to make and/or release more insulin. It may also block the absorption of sugars from food. Other animal studies have shown that aloe may protect cells in both the pancreas and liver from damage by chemicals and drugs. In animal studies, extracts of aloe may have restored liver cells to more normal function after chemical damage. These and other oral uses of aloe products need much more research before they can be recommended.

While it is not often taken by mouth, aloe gel is well known and widely used as a topical remedy for skin irritation. Aloe gel contains several chemicals that may decrease the inflammation and pain caused by burns, including razor burn or sunburn. It may also reduce itching from insect bites and it may help cuts and scrapes heal faster, possibly by accelerating the production of new skin cells. It may also promote the formation of new blood vessels in damaged tissue. A recent analysis of several previous studies concluded that burns for patients using aloe gel healed more than a week earlier than burns not treated with aloe. At least one study, however, found that applying aloe gel actually delayed healing. Because it is thick and sticky, aloe gel adheres to the skin--providing extra moisture that softens skin and may lessen scarring. An aloe coating on the inside of the latex gloves worn by health professionals can help keep hands from drying and becoming rough.

Some study evidence suggests that aloe gel may be slightly antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral. It may also help to prevent infection in another way--by keeping air away from injured skin. All of these possible effects contribute to the frequent use of aloe gel for the relief of itching and scaling associated with psoriasis and other chronic skin conditions. In a small, but well-planned 8-week-long study of individuals with oral lichen planus, aloe gel relieved symptoms for 81% of the participants using it compared to only 4% of participants who used a placebo (an identical but inactive gel). Oral lichen planus is an inflammation inside the mouth. Furthermore, in case reports and a few small studies, applying aloe gel helped to lessen or prevent damage caused by frostbite for individuals and animals exposed to extremely cold temperatures. It is believed that chemicals in aloe gel may keep small blood vessels in the fingers and toes from shrinking, thereby preventing the surrounding tissues from freezing.