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The aloe vera plant (Aloe barbadensis ) is the source of two very different herbal products: aloe gel and aloe juice (also called aloe latex). Although you may hear the terms juice and gel used interchangeably, it's important to know the difference. Aloe gel, the clear, jellylike stuff that oozes from a torn leaf, is renowned as a salve for burns and wounds and is also the key ingredient in many cosmetic products; it has also been used orally for ulcers, diabetes, and asthma, among other things. In contrast, aloe juice (usually sold in dry form as a powder that can be reconstituted) is useless against burns and wounds but has long been used as a laxative. Some people have also used the juice for health problems ranging from seizures, colds, ulcers, and colitis to depression, glaucoma, arthritis, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and multiple sclerosis.

If you keep an aloe vera plant in your kitchen for this purpose, you probably already know how soothing the gel feels on a burn. You may have also noticed that it can ease the itching and inflammation that go along with minor wounds. But aloe does more than just offer comfort: Test-tube studies suggest the gel kills many germs that inhabit wounds, including yeasts, fungi, and staph and strep bacteria. It also may speed the production of collagen, the main building material of skin.

Applying aloe vera gel to psoriasis and frostbite injuries may help the skin to heal. Very little study has been done on the use of aloe on actual human wounds, but the findings so far are promising. In 1998, researchers at the University of Oxford announced exciting results of a study involving six patients with severe leg ulcers. The sores had all lasted between 7 and 15 years despite intensive treatments, including skin grafts. Every day, the patients drank 4 fluid ounces of an aloe gel solution and had some gel applied directly to their wounds. With this treatment, three of the ulcers healed quickly and completely, and one healed partially. Even subjects whose wounds didn't heal experienced a reduction in the oozing from their sores.

As for aloe juice, it seems to live up to its billing as an effective (although risky) laxative. According to the Complete German Commission E Monographs , a comprehensive source of information on herbs, aloe juice encourages bowel movements by triggering small contractions in the colon.

Applying aloe gel to the skin appears to be safe even during pregnancy and lactation, although the maximum length of treatment hasn't been established. Aloe gel can sting a bit when first applied to a wound, but the unpleasantness passes in 20 to 30 minutes.

The safety of swallowing aloe gel, however, has not been thoroughly studied. According to the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, the gel, if taken orally, may be unsafe due to potential contamination. Because aloe gel can be contaminated with aloe juice, people with kidney or gastrointestinal conditions should avoid swallowing it, as should women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Aloe vera juice requires much more caution and should not intentionally be ingested at all. In 2002 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled that aloe laxatives in over-the-counter drug products are not safe. In general, it's best to avoid any type of laxative unless a doctor recommends it, and you should not take any laxative that stimulates the colon for more than one or two weeks.

Be aware that aloe juice may interact in a hazardous way with diuretics, corticosteroids, heart drugs known as cardiac glycosides, and drugs taken to prevent arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat; it may also reduce the potency of other prescription drugs.

In addition, long-term use of aloe juice can result in severe diarrhea, potassium loss, muscle weakness, weight loss, kidney inflammation, heart disturbances, and blood in the urine.

If you're not getting your aloe directly from a freshly plucked leaf, it pays to be cautious. Some so-called aloe products contain very little of the plant material, and the aloe that is there might be a pale shadow of the fresh gel. Don't buy products that offer "aloe vera extract" (that's code for "extremely watered down") or "reconstituted extract" (that means "far from fresh"). Look for a product that lists "aloe gel" high in its list of ingredients.

Aloe gel is applied to the skin 3 to 5 times daily as needed.

-- Chris Woolston, M.S., is a health and medical writer with a master's degree in biology. He is a contributing editor at Consumer Health Interactive, and was the staff writer at Hippocrates, a magazine for physicians. He has also covered science issues for Time Inc. Health, WebMD, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. His reporting on occupational health earned him an award from the northern California Society of Professional Journalists.

Further Resources

Varro E. Tyler, PhD. Herbs of Choice: The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals. Pharmaceutical Products Press, 1994.

Andrew Weil, M.D. Natural Health, Natural Medicine. Houghton Mifflin, 1995, 1998.

References

First published January 12, 2000
Last updated January 23, 2008
Copyright © 2000 Consumer Health Interactive

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