Aloe vera, or aloe, has been used for its beneficial medicinal properties since ancient times and today it is one of the most commonly used plants in the United States. Aloe is used on the skin and taken by mouth for a wide range of health problems, including ulcers, constipation, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and inflammatory bowel disorders, such as Crohn's disease. However, if you are considering to use aloe vera medicinally, first consult with your doctor.
About Crohn's Disease
Crohn's and a related disease, ulcerative colitis, are the two primary diseases of a larger group of conditions called inflammatory bowel disease. Crohn's disease typically affects the end of your small intestine and the beginning of your colon. It is characterized by an abnormal response by your body's immune system. Symptoms include bloody stools, diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, anal ulcers, and malabsorption problems. There is no cure and available treatments primarily provide symptom relief.
How Aloe Works
Glycoproteins and polysaccharides are active substances found in aloe that may be beneficial for treating Crohn's disease. Glycoproteins work to boost healing by interfering with pain and inflammation processes in your body. Polysaccharides help to enhance skin growth and repair. Aloe may also help to heal wounds by increasing blood flow to the wound and preventing cell death around the wound, says the National Institutes of Health, or NIH.
Preparations and Dosing
Aloe supplements are available in your local health food stores in several forms, such as capsules, tablets, and juice. There is no current scientific basis to make dosing recommendations for aloe to treat Crohn's disease. However, the Palo Alto Medical Foundation reports that some people take 100 ml of an aloe vera herbal extract twice a day to manage ulcerative colitis.
Effectiveness
There have been no research studies conducted to test the effectiveness of aloe for Crohn's disease. However the anti-inflammatory properties of aloe have led some doctors to recommend aloe juice to people with Crohn's disease. There is some scientific evidence that supports the use of aloe for managing ulcerative colitis. According to a study published in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics in 2004, aloe produced symptom improvement in 47 percent of a small group of people with ulcerative colitis after four weeks of treatment.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Aloe
- National Institutes of Health: Aloe
- Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America: About Crohn's Disease
- PaloAltoMedicalFoundation.org: Aloe
- "Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics"; Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral aloe vera gel for active ulcerative colitis; L Langmead, et al.; Apr 2004
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