Aloe products are being touted by some as a miracle treatment for anything from irritable bowel syndrome and cancer, to wounds and constipation. We investigate.
So, your dad has told you how a few drops of aloe ferox a day is easing his tummy troubles and your sister says she's using aloe vera to give her skin that soft silky glow. The labels in the health shop and the promotional websites makes it sound like medical manna from Mother Nature. But how much of it is hype, and how much can be backed up by solid scientific research?
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As tends to be the case with "wonder" treatments, much of the wonder
evaporates once faced with rigorous scientific scrutiny. Indeed, in a number of cases, the much-praised gel from the aloe plants indigenous to Southern Africa may even be detrimental to your health.
In a few instances the use of aloe does however seem to have a scientific basis.
What aloe is good for
Most uses of the aloe vera plant(the type of aloe most commonly used for medicinal purposes), involves the clear gel that is found inside the aloe leaves. Yet, according to a Medline article on aloe, it is not the gel, but the dried latex from the inner lining of aloe leaves that offer the most well supported use.
Aloe vera is widely accepted to be an effective treatment for constipation. Yet, it is worth noting that there are other laxatives available that have been much more thoroughly tested and are therefore more precisely dosed and safer to use. As with most applications of aloe, more studies are needed.
Limited evidence suggests that aloe gel applied topically may be an
effective treatment for genital herpes, psoriasis, and seborrheic
dermatitis. However promising it may seem, it should be noted that these findings are preliminary and yet to be confirmed on a larger scale.
What about all those claims then?
Aloe is often used to treat wounds and sunburn. In both cases there is
contradictory evidence. Whereas some studies have suggested topical aloe may speed the healing process, other studies have gone as far as to conclude that aloe may actually impair healing.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), topical aloe appears only to be safe for miner cuts and burns.
No cancer cure
It has been claimed that aloe can boost the immune system and help the body to fight abnormal cells, and thereby prevent or fight cancer.
According to the ACS, "there is no clinical evidence that aloe effectively treats any type of cancer. In fact, used as a cancer treatment, aloe is dangerous and may even be deadly."
At the centre of the controversy about using aloe to treat cancer is the concentrated aloe vera solution called T-UP. T-UP was illegally marketed in the United States as a treatment for cancer and HIV/Aids. It has been refused approval by the US Food and Drug Administration due to a lack of evidence on its safety and effectiveness.
Yet, it is still possible that some chemicals found in aloe may one day prove useful in the fight against cancer or HIV/Aids. But, as the ACS points out "the safety and effectiveness of most of these chemicals have not been tested in humans. The aloe products currently promoted for internal use contain a wide variety of chemicals, some of which can cause very serious side effects.
Aloe and your blood sugar
Some preliminary studies have suggested that aloe can stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas and thus be used as a treatment for type II diabetes. According to the MayoClinic, however, "more research is needed to explore the safety and effectiveness of aloe in diabetics."
The MayoClinic also points out that aloe has been linked to electrolyte imbalances in the blood, particularly in diabetics. Diabetics should also be weary that aloe taken orally may cause blood sugar levels to decrease.
Some studies are also examining the use of aloe as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Here too the evidence is still very sketchy and the possibility exists that aloe may in fact worsen symptoms. – (Marcus Low,
Health24, October 2006)
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