Aloe vera has been used medicinally for thousands of years, particularly for treating skin problems and constipation. Today, aloe vera is being tested for possible benefits in managing medical conditions such as diabetes and ulcerative colitis, a cause of intestinal bleeding. Scientific support for aloe vera as a treatment for ulcerative colitis is still lacking. Consult with your doctor before using aloe vera for medical purposes.
About Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis is a disease that is characterized by inflammation and ulcer formation in your colon and rectum. The ulcers form where inflammation has killed the cells in the lining of the colon. The ulcers cause pain, bleeding and bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms include severe tiredness, weight loss, loss of appetite and bleeding from the rectum. Self-care activities that may help relieve your symptoms include adopting a healthy diet and taking supplements, such as aloe vera juice.
Preparations and Dosing
Aloe juice supplements are commercially available. According to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, you can drink 100 ml, or about 3.5 oz., of aloe vera juice two times per day to help alleviate symptoms of ulcerative colitis. Aloe vera juice has been safely used at this dose for four weeks to manage ulcerative colitis.
Effectiveness
A trial published in "Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics" in 2004 showed that aloe vera taken by mouth helped relieve symptoms in people with mild to moderate active ulcerative colitis. In this study, aloe vera caused either complete or partial improvement in symptoms for significantly more people as compared with placebo, or inactive medicine. Forty-seven percent of people taking aloe vera had improvement, compared with 14 percent taking placebo.
Considerations
According to the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, aloe vera juice should be taken with caution because of safety concerns at any dose. Side effects from aloe vera juice may include stomach cramps, diarrhea, weight loss, muscle weakness, heart disorders, bloody urine and kidney problems. Aloe juice can be fatal if taken in daily doses of 1 g or more for several days, says the NIH. Avoid aloe juice during pregnancy or when breastfeeding.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Aloe
- PaloAltoMedicalFoundation.org: Aloe
- National Institutes of Health: Ulcerative Colitis
- PaloAltoMedicalFoundation.org: Ulcerative Colitis
- "Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics"; Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Oral Aloe Vera Gel for Active Ulcerative Colitis; L. Langmead, et al.; April 2004
- National Institutes of Health: Aloe
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