The aloe plant and its derivative products have played a
role in medicine and health care dating and far back as the 4th
century B.C. when ancient Greek doctors obtained aloe from the
island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean. In the 10th century A.D.,
aloe was recommended to the British king Alfred the Great by the
Patriarch of Jerusalem for its amazing remedial values. Muslims who
have made the pilgrimage to Mecca are entitled to hang an Aloe plant
over their doors as a talisman against evil.
Aloe
Vera Benefits
Aloe is a lily-like, green, and
sometimes spiny shrub with very little, if any, stem. It produces
approximately 25 fleshy, gray-green leaves in a beautiful rosette
display. In Europe, Aloe is used almost exclusively as a digestive
aid and laxative. Elsewhere, including the United States, the gel
from the inner aloe leaf is a popular ingredient in many skin
preparations and cosmetics.
The laxative component of the
plant works by preventing the absorption of water from the bowel,
thus increasing the volume of its contents and hastening their
passage. This component of Aloe also kills bacteria and is believed
to act against a variety of viruses including herpes, chickenpox,
and flu.
Aloe Vera can be used to heal both internally and
externally. It greatly speeds the healing of many skin injuries,
including ulcerations, burns, hives and poison ivy and also acts as
a laxative. Aloe latex is a powerful laxative, but because it can
cause painful cramping, it is not used frequently for this purpose.
Other milder herbal laxatives such as cascara sagrada and senna are
usually recommended first.
Aloe has also been suggested to
use in connection with diabetes, ulcers, and other conditions.
However, presently no conclusive clinical studies have supported
this assertion.
Dosage and
Administration
For constipation, a single 50-200 mg
capsule of aloe latex can be taken each day for a maximum of ten
days.
For minor burns, the stabilized aloe gel is applied
topically to the affected area of skin three to five times per day.
Treatment of more serious burns should only be done under the
supervision of a healthcare professional. For internal use of aloe
gel, two tablespoons (30 ml) three times per day is used by some
people for inflammatory bowel conditions, such as Crohn’s disease
and ulcerative colitis (see precautions below). For type 2 diabetes,
clinical trials have used one tablespoon (15 ml) of aloe juice,
twice daily. Using aloe in connection with diabetes should only be
done under the supervision of a qualified healthcare
professional.
Possible
Interactions
It is recommended that you do not
combine Aloe with other medications that are used to flush water and
potassium from the body, including diuretics such as Lasix and
Diuril, steroid drugs such as prednisone, and herbal licorice
root.
Since potassium plays an vital role in regulating the
heart, depleting it through continued use of laxatives may affect
the action of certain heart medications. The effects of drugs such
as digitalis and digoxin (Lanoxin) may be increased via long-term
supplementation of aloe.
Supporting
Literature
Duke J. Ginseng: A Concise
Handbook. Algonac, MI: Reference Publications, 1989, 36.
Syed TA,
Ahmad SA, Holt AH, et al. Management of psoriasis with Aloe vera
extract in a hydrophilic cream: a placebo-controlled double-blind
study. Trop Med Int Health 1996;1:506–9.
Bensky D, Gamble A,
Kaptchuk T. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica. Seattle:
Eastland Press, 1993, 358–8.
