Archeological studies indicate aloe vera was used by the Egyptians as therapy for cuts, wounds and burns. Aloe vera is a perennial, succulent plant, resembling a small cacti, common to tropical and subtropical areas of South Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and frequently grown as a house plant. Internal and external parts of the plant are used for numerous ailments but not all are proven effective or are approved by the FDA for human use.
Plant Parts
The leaves of the aloe vera plant contain a clear gel used in skin ointments, lotions and creams. The green part of the leaves can be processed to form aloe juice or dried to brown granules called aloe latex used orally as a laxative. Aloe juice and aloe latex are sold as dietary supplements with the restriction that no claim is made about effectiveness in the diagnosis, prevention, treatment or cure for a specific disease.
Topical Uses
Aloe vera's gel can be used directly from freshly cut leaves. Its healing and tissue repair properties are attributed to its ingredients of glycoproteins and polysaccharides. Glycoproteins hasten the healing process and decrease inflammation while polysaccharides encourage the repair and development of skin. Uses include burns, dry skin, cosmetics, sunblocks, cold sores and psoriasis. Aloe cream use for treatment of second-degree burns surpassed the standard use of silver sulfadiazine creams. The FDA has not approved all topical uses of aloe vera.
Internal Uses
Aloe vera has purportedly been used to treat constipation, diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, colitis and osteoarthritis but much more research is needed to support claims. Aloe latex contains a substance called anthraquinone considered a cathartic laxative which the FDA has determined as unsafe to be used as a stimulant laxative.
Cancer Uses
Scientific proof is not available to support the use of aloe vera for treatment of any kind of cancer and its use can be life-threatening. Some European countries, such as Germany, have approved the use of aloe vera injections for treatment of cancer tumors but it is illegal in the United States. Aloe vera is taken orally, intravenously or injected directly into the tumors. Aloe injections have led to several deaths.
Precautions
Aloe vera consists of chemicals which have serious side effects when used as a laxative including abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, chemical imbalances, diarrhea, swelling of the throat, face tongue and lips. The use as a laxative has not been substantiated in humans and is irritating to the gastrointestinal tract. Some studies indicate that aloe might delay healing of infected surgical wounds. Prolonged use can cause kidney problems, low potassium, weight loss and heart irregularities.
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