Aloe ferox, commonly referred to as bitter aloe and red aloe, grows throughout the eastern areas of South Africa. It produces spikes of bright red or orange blossoms from May to August. It is one of many aloe species used medicinally. Though it is not the same as its sibling species aloe vera, it yields chemically identical substances and is often called by the same name.
Laxative
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, aloe is a powerful laxative. Dried aloe latex, a substance extracted from the skin of the leaf, is particularly effective in this regard. This is due to its anthraquinone content, according to a report published in the International Journal of Pharma Sciences and Research. The report notes that aloe latex is officially approved as a laxative in the U.S., England and Germany. According to the University of Pretoria's Phytomedicine website, the usual oral dosage is "a small crystal ... about twice the size of a match head."
Taking aloe internally to treat constipation can result in painful cramping. It should not be taken during pregnancy. Consult your medical professional to determine whether aloe is the best treatment for your constipation and what dosage is recommended.
Wound and Burn Healing
According to the International Journal of Pharma Sciences and Research report, aloe gel, the juice from the fresh leaf, has demonstrated efficacy in accelerating wound healing. Its effects include speeding the rate of wound closure, increasing resistance of the healed wound to tearing and preventing inflammation. The report cites clinical studies comparing aloe to polyethylene oxide gel dressing. Dermabrasion healed 72 hours faster with aloe than with polyethylene oxide. Patients recovering from burns or frostbite experienced less tissue loss with aloe than with conventional methods. Only 7 percent of the frostbite patients treated with aloe required amputations compared with 32 percent of those treated conventionally.
Despite these findings, do not use aloe as a substitute for professional medical treatment of serious wounds and burns. When receiving treatment, consult your practitioner about the use of aloe to complement conventional treatment.
Psoriasis
According to the report in the International Journal of Pharma Sciences and Research, "a double-blind, placebo-controlled study examined the effect of aloe extract---0.5 percent in a hydrophilic cream---for 60 psoriasis vulgaris patients, aged 18 to 50 years. The aloe cream cured 25 out of 30 patients compared with a placebo rate of 2 out of 30. The authors concluded it was a safe alternative treatment for treating psoriasis."
The use of aloe gel and aloe extracts to treat psoriasis is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, who has designated it as a cosmetic ingredient only.
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