Aloe Vera and Burns

Aloe Vera is commonly nicknaned "the burn plant". Researc

Serious burns require immediate medical attention, but for minor burns in the home the application of Aloe Vera Gelly will
soothe the burn and help nature on its way. Many people in countries where Aloe Vera grows naturally keep a plant in a pot for this purpose. You can have the next best thing in a tube.
h as long ago as the 1930's showed that it was beneficial to treatment of radio-therapy burns. This was reinforced by further research in the 1950's and 1960's and by 1980's Aloe was being used in several plastic surgery units in the USA. The research showed that Aloe Vera blocks the formation of Thromboxane which constricts blood vessels and reduces blood flow to the injured area. Aloe Vera was shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect and with the increased (or rather less reduced) blood flow supports the natural healing process.

Ask the Diet Doctor: The Truth About Aloe Vera Juice

Q: What are the benefits of drinking aloe vera juice?

A: If you do a Google search for ‘aloe vera juice’ you’ll quickly conclude that drinking aloe vera juice is the ultimate healthy habit, as it seemingly aids in weight loss, digestion, immune function, and even ‘easing general discomfort’. But when you look beyond the first 40+ search results (all of the sites that list the amazing benefits of aloe vera juice just before they sell you an ongoing monthly supply), it’s a different, more accurate story.

What is interesting about aloe vera juice is that despite the huge marketing push to educate people on its benefits, there is very little scientific data to support its use in humans. What’s more, some of the toxicity research done in animals is alarming.

Information regarding aloe vera’s use dates back nearly 5,000 years to early Egyptian times. It has since been used both topically and orally. Aloe vera gel, found when you break open the green leafy skin, is often used topically to treat burns, abrasions, psoriasis, and other skin conditions. Aloe vera juice, primarily produced from the green outer leaf, was used as a main component in many over-the-counter laxatives until 2002, when the FDA pulled them from drugstore shelves due to insufficient information regarding their safety.

Safety concerns about drinking aloe vera juice have continued to grow after the release of the findings from a two-year study by the National Toxicology Program. According to this study, when researchers gave rats whole-leave extract of aloe vera juice, there was "clear evidence of carcinogenic activity in male and female rats, based on tumors of the large intestine."

But before you go telling people that aloe vera causes cancer, there are a couple things to consider:

1. This study was done in animals. We don’t know what would happen in humans, but these negative results should be enough to make you proceed with caution until more information is available.

2. Consider what kind of aloe vera was used in this study. The researchers used non-decolorized, whole-leaf aloe vera extract. The way aloe vera is processed can impact the different compounds found in the plant and thus the impact on your body. For example, when manufacturers decolorize aloe vera leaf (a process in which the aloe vera is passed through a charcoal filter), the components that give aloe vera its laxative properties, the anthraquinones, are removed. One specific anthraquinone called Aloin is thought to be the driving force behind tumor development in the animal study.

But it's not all bad news for aloe vera juice. In a 2004 study from the U.K., researchers gave people with active ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease, aloe vera gel to drink (remember that in the animal study, they used aloe vera juice, not gel). After four weeks of drinking aloe vera gel in water twice per day, there was a clinical response towards improvement and remission of ulcerative colitis, compared to those given plain water. No significant negative side effects were experienced due to drinking the aloe vera gel.

As you can see, the aloe vera story is not as clear cut as many drink labels want you to believe. My personal recommendation is that you should wait for more human research to show that aloe vera provides significant health benefits without negative side effects. If you do choose to drink aloe vera at this time, check with your doctor first, and then make sure that whatever product you use does not contain Aloin.

Health Risks & Benefits of Taking Aloe Vera Juice Internally

Aloe vera juice contains leaf pulp that is rich in natural nutrients and fiber. This well-known herbal remedy for the skin also has many benefits for internal healing, cleansing and repair when ingested as a nutritional drink. However, it can cause adverse side effects and reactions and should only
be taken as directed. Do not consume aloe vera that is not made for internal, use and consult your doctor before self-medicating for any reason.

Digestive Benefits

Aloe vera contains nutrient compounds that help to heal and soothe the skin when used externally. It may also have similar benefits on the lining of the digestive tract, when ingested as a drink. A review published in the "British Journal of General Practice" notes that aloe vera decreases irritation and enhances healing and repair of ulcers in the stomach and intestines. Aloe vera juice also helps to decrease inflammation in irritable bowel syndrome, colitis and other inflammatory disorders of the gut. Additionally, aloe vera can increase healthy bacteria in the intestines that aid digestion.

Immune Benefits

Research published in the "Journal of Environmental Science and Health" notes that aloe vera contains anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties that aid the immune system to cleanse the body of toxins and invading pathogens. Additionally, aloe vera helps to balance the immune system to reduce the effects of seasonal allergies, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory immune disorders.

Heart Benefits

Taking aloe vera internally may also help improve blood circulation in the body. A clinical study published in the medical journal "Angiology" reported that aloe vera may help decrease total fat levels in patients with high cholesterol. This helps to reduce fatty deposits and blood clots in the arteries of the heart and body. The research noted that patients with diabetes showed the highest improvement in cholesterol level; however, the exact mechanism of these benefits are not yet determined.

Diarrhea Risk

The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center warns that drinking aloe vera can cause adverse effects such as diarrhea. This occurs because aloe juice and aloe latex contain a substance called anthraquinone, which is a laxative. Severe diarrhea can cause pain, cramping and dehydration. Consult your doctor or nutritionist before ingesting this herb and do not consume aloe vera that is not produced for internal use.

Drug interactions

Like other herbal supplements, taking aloe vera internally can cause adverse interactions with prescription and over-the-counter medications. Aloe vera may inhibit or increase the effects of some drugs, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. For example, it may increase the blood-sugar-lowering effects of some diabetes medications and may cause potassium loss if taken with water pills or diuretics for heart conditions.

Health Benefits of Aloe Vera Juice

Many people already know the many benefits associated with using aloe vera. Not as many people are aware of the health benefits associated with consuming aloe vera juice.

All of the nutrients in aloe vera juice are perfectly balanced in a way that is ideal for the body in terms of healing and repair. Although it is not a miracle cure, it contains enough nutrition to significantly help with healing the body, as well as provide other benefits.

Health Benefits of Aloe Vera Juice

1. Detox

Aloe vera juice can be a great natural option for detoxing. Because of the way we live including stress, pollution and junk food, we need to occasionally cleanse our systems. Aloe vera juice is an ideal way to do this because it contains many trace elements, vitamins and minerals that can help the body deal with daily stresses and strains.

2. Digestion Promotion

A healthy digestion system is necessary to ensure that we are able to absorb all of the nutrients found in our food. In addition to its natural detoxifying abilities, aloe vera juice can increase protein absorption and improve bowel regularity. It can also reduce the quantity of unfriendly yeast and bacteria found in our gut. It can also soothe and reduce digestive problems such as heartburn.

3. Immunity Boost

Aloe vera juice contains many antioxidants which fight the free radicals found in our bodies. Free radicals are unstable compounds that are a side-effect of metabolism and contribute the process of aging as well as cause various ailments. Therefore when you drink aloe vera juice on a regular basis, your body will have the antioxidants it needs to fight these free radicals and boost your immune system.

4. Anti-inflammation

This juice has 12 different substances which are able to reduce and prevent inflammation, all without the risk of side-effects. It can even help with swollen, stiff or painful joints.

5. Healthy Skin

Aloe vera juice can help repair your collagen and elastin, giving you healthy skin. Our skin replaces itself each 28 days or so and when we have nutritional building blocks from aloe vera, our skin is able to use these nutrients each day to help fight aging. It can also help sooth minor skin irritations, scrapes, cuts and burns.

6. Weight Loss and Energy Regulation

When we drink aloe vera juice, the body can naturally cleanse its digestive system. Because our diets have many parts that can lead to exhaustion or fatigue, having aloe vera regularly can fight this. That means that aloe vera juice will give you a better feeling of well-being, help you keep a body weight that is healthy and increase energy levels.

7. Vitamin and Mineral Powerhouse

Every day our body needs to ingest several vitamin and minerals and aloe vera juice contains a great deal of these. It includes vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, niacin and folic acid. In addition to these, it also contains chromium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, potassium, iron, sodium, calcium and others.

8. Amino Acid Supply

Our body needs 20 different amino acids in order to build protein and it is not able to produce 8 of them itself. Because aloe vera juice contains 7 of these essential amino acids and 19 amino acids in total, it is able to easily fulfill your body’s daily needs.

9. Dental Health

Aloe vera juice can also help your gums and mouth. It not only provides natural anti-microbial and anti-bacterial actions but it also contains several vitamins and minerals that promote cell healing and growth. Because of this you will find some tooth gels that contain pure aloe vera, especially to help with mouth ulcers and bleeding gums.

10. Alkalization of the Body

Disease is not able to happen in environments that are alkaline. In general, people will consume foods that are mostly acidic but the ideal is the 80/20 rule which says you should consume 80% of alkaline forming foods and 20% of acidic ones. Because aloe vera juice is one of the alkaline forming foods, it can help alkalize the body and balance out the acidity in our diets.

11. Cardiovascular Health

Some research has shown that when doctors inject aloe vera extract into the blood, it drastically multiplies the diffusion abilities of red blood cells as well as the oxygen transportation. It contains nutrients that can regulate blood pressure, improve blood oxidation and circulation, lower cholesterol and make blood less sticky.

Precautions and Side Effects of Aloe Vera Juice

1. Recommended Dosage

In her book “Herbal Medicines” Joanne Barnes recommends that children over age 10 and adults have aloe vera juice three times each day in a dose of between 50 and 200 milligrams. She does point out that using it as a laxative is not recommended for over two weeks.

2. Risks of Diarrhea

Because aloe vera juice contains anthraquinones, it can increase your risk of having diarrhea if you consume large quantities. This diarrhea can be severe and include dehydration, stomach cramps and pain.

3. Electrolyte Imbalance

Because of the stimulant laxatives that can be found in aloe vera juice, there may be an electrolyte imbalance or dehydration if you take the juice frequently. This decrease in potassium levels can lead to irregular heartbeats and weakness.

4. Interactions with Drugs

Aloe vera juice can interact negatively with medications, both over-the-counter and prescription especially stimulant laxatives, anti-diabetes drubs, diuretic drugs and sevoflurane (which is used for anesthesia).

5. Precaution for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

During pregnancy, you should limit your consumption of aloe vera juice due to its purgative and irritant properties. It should not be consumed while breastfeeding as it can cause severe diarrhea for the baby.