Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) is one of those high profile medicinal plants that even people who don’t pay much attention to medicinal plants know about.
Another way of looking at it, aloe vera has had a lot of time to get well known having been used medicinally for at least 6,000 years.
The name aloe vera derives from the Arabic word “Alloeh” meaning “shining bitter substance,” while “vera” in Latin means “true.” 2000 years ago, the Greek scientists regarded aloe vera as the universal panacea. The Egyptians called aloe “the plant of immortality” and was presented to Egyptian pharaohs as a funeral gift.
Aloe is a cactus-like plant that grows in hot, dry climates. It is cultivated in subtropical regions around the world, including the southern border areas of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
Aloe vera is known for its thick, pointed and fleshy green leaves, which may grow to about 12–19 inches (30–50 centimeters) in length.
Each leaf contains a slimy tissue that stores water, and this makes the leaves thick. This water filled tissue is the “gel” that people associate with aloe vera products. This gel is one of the two medicinally useful parts of the aloe vera plant. The gel contains most of the beneficial bioactive compounds in the plant, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants.
The second substance the plant produces is called aloe latex. This is the yellow pulp that’s found just under the outer surface of the plant leaf.
Aloe vera has no shortage of claimed health benefits. It’s probably best known for burn relief. The United States Pharmacopeia described aloe vera preparations as a skin protectant as early as 1810.
The cooling effect of aloe vera’s gel is widely reported for both sunburn relief and for first and second-degree burns. Many believe aloe vera can speed up healing times for burns.
Aloe vera has also been used to promote wound healing. The belief is that aloe vera gel increases the amount of collagen in wounds but also changes the composition of collagen, increasing collagen cross-linking (a good thing for healing). Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body, accounting for about one-third of its protein composition. It’s one of the major building blocks of bones, skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments.
There’s that, and aloe vera is known for its antibacterial, antiviral and antiseptic properties.
Staying with skin benefits, aloe vera is widely used as a cosmetic to improve skin collagen and prevent wrinkles. Aloe vera is also believed to help the skin retain moisture and benefit dry skin conditions with the desired result of looking younger.
Associated uses include aloe vera for acne, aloe vera for psoriasis and aloe vera for eczema.
Aloe vera may also help treat constipation due to aloe vera’s alleged laxative effect and its ability to increase water in the intestinal lumen. Aloe vera’s latex contains aloin, an anthraquinone that gives aloe vera its laxative properties. Some use 100-200 milligrams of aloe juice daily as needed.
There’s also the belief that aloe vera enhances insulin sensitivity, which helps improve blood sugar management. This is why people sometimes use aloe vera to help manage diabetes.
There are also a handful of uses not normally associated with aloe vera such as reducing dental plaque when used as an alternative to mouth wash. It has also been used to reduce the pain caused by canker sores and speed up the healing process. Its believers apply gel from the plant directly to the canker sore or drink aloe vera juice.
Aloe vera may also treat other oral ailments, like chapped lips and cold sores.
Aloe vera is available in creams, extracts (juice), pill supplements and gels. You will also find aloe vera in cosmetic and personal care products such as suntan lotion, soap and even shaving cream. In fact, a $13 billion global cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industry market has been built around aloe vera.
However, for purely medicinal plant purposes, you will most like encounter aloe vera in juice form or as a gel.
Aloe vera juice on its own normally has a bitter taste so companies like to add flavor or sweeteners to the bottle. Before buying aloe vera juice at your local health food store or general grocery store, it’s a good idea to check the label to make sure the juice is not loaded with sugar.
Bright green aloe vera gel is commonly available at pharmacies. And, if you are fortunate to live in a warmer climate where aloe vera grows, you can harvest your own aloe vera for medicinal purposes, following these steps:
- Remove 3-4 leaves at a time, choosing thick leaves from the outer sections of the plant.
- Ensure the leaves are healthy and free of any mold or damage.
- Cut them close to the stem. Most of the beneficial nutrients are found at the base of the leaves.
- Avoid the roots.
- Wash and dry the leaves.
- Trim the prickly edges with a knife.
- Using a knife or your fingers, separate the interior gel from the outside of the leaf. The interior gel is the part of the aloe that you’ll use.
- Allow the yellow sap to drain from the leaf. This is the aloe vera latex. If you plan to use the latex, you can catch this in a container. If you’re not planning to use the latex, you can dispose of it.
- Cut the aloe gel into slices or cubes.
Slices of raw aloe gel will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, but it’s best to use it as quickly as possible. Store aloe vera gel in the freezer if you’re not ready to use it any time soon.
It should be pointed out that there are over 300 varieties of aloe vera. For home use, Aloe barbadensis miller is the preferred type to plant.
Aloe vera comes with a few more cautions than most medicinal plants.
It’s generally safe for people to use aloe vera topically for minor skin care issues. However, skin irritations and allergic reactions are possible.
Pay attention to how your body reacts to aloe. Notice if you experience any sensitivities or adverse reactions. Don’t use aloe if you’re allergic to garlic, onions or tulips. Also avoid taking aloe vera within two weeks of any scheduled surgery.
Never use aloe vera for severe cuts or burns. This requires immediate medical attention.
The big problem area primarily concerns oral dosage. Aloe vera is considered a supplement, and supplements are not regulated fully by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This means dosage can be a little sketchy.
Excessive oral use of aloe vera may cause stomach cramps or diarrhea due to its laxative effects. There have also been reports of liver damage associated with long-term aloe vera supplement use. It’s often recommended to limit your use to small periods of time. After a few weeks of use, take a break for at least one week. Always buy a reputable brand to ensure safety and quality.
And it’s always best to consult your health professional before using aloe vera. And women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and children under the age of 12, should avoid the oral use of aloe vera.
There are also no guarantees with the quality, safety or claims of products that advertise having aloe vera. And there are loads of products that claim to be rich in aloe vera, but many of them contain no or hardly any active ingredients.
However, you can look for the seal from the International Aloe Science Council, which is an organization that’s been active since the 1980s. Their seal on a product means the product’s aloe vera quality and purity has been tested and confirmed.
Considering its rich history of medicinal use, it’s surprising there haven’t been more empirical human-based trials around aloe vera. However, the human studies that have been run do seem to support many of aloe vera’s health claims.
There are studies that suggest that aloe vera can be an effective topical treatment for first and second degree burns. There’s even evidence that aloe vera can reduce healing time of burns compared with conventional pharmaceuticals.
Trials also give a thumbs-up to aloe vera helping to prevent infections, itching and redness as well as improving acne when used as a topical application applied as an aloe-based gel twice daily (along with medical soap and tretinoin gel).
I have personally used raw aloe vera for minor burns and other skin issues with good results. My wife noticed that her hands were starting to break out with something that resembled dermatitis due to excessive use of COVID-19 sanitizers. We first treated her hands with a cream recommended from a local pharmacy. This helped, but her skin continued to get dry, crack and even bleed.
I decided to cut open a leaf from an aloe vera plant growing in our yard and apply the gel to the worst areas of her hands. In just one day her hands showed amazing improvement.
Regarding cosmetics, there is some scientific evidence that topical aloe vera gel may help slow aging of the skin. For example, a 2009 study of 30 females over the age of 45 concluded that “facial wrinkles were shown to have significantly decreased after three months of aloe vera supplementation” by increasing collagen production and improving skin elasticity.
There’s also evidence that dry skin conditions may be improved by using aloe vera to help skin retain moisture and improve skin integrity.
However, the science behind aloe vera helping with sun burn issues is sorely lacking despite the claims. In fact, one study found that aloe vera applied topically after laboratory-induced sunburn didn’t really do much on reducing redness when compared to placebos.
As a laxative, there’s plenty of evidence that the latex in aloe juice does indeed help. In fact, it may work too well – as in making symptoms worse if too much is taken.
There was a time when aloe juice was sold over-the-counter as a constipation drug. However, there was a safety concern. So in 2002 the FDA ordered that over-the-counter laxatives containing aloe vera be removed from store shelves or reformulated.
If a person is trying aloe vera juice for the first time, they may wish to start with a small serving. One serving is usually 1 cup or 8 ounces (oz) of juice. If you suffer frequently from constipation you should speak to a doctor about appropriate laxatives for long-term use.
Aloe vera is also sometimes used to relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). While the jury is still out on the health benefits of this, there is at least one study that has concluded that aloe vera is effective and safe for the treatment of patients with IBS compared to placebos.
The research into using aloe vera to manage diabetes is still preliminary. However, there is some data that suggests that aloe vera may help lower blood glucose levels. For example, a review published in June 2016 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine cites research that suggests oral aloe vera supplements can lower fasting blood sugar by 46.6 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) and A1C blood levels by 1.05%.
While this may be exciting news in the world of diabetes management, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) cautions that if you’re already taking a medication to control your blood sugar levels, drinking a big glass of aloe vera juice or taking some other aloe vera preparation could send your blood sugar crashing.
In fact, you could wind up developing hypoglycemia, a condition in which your blood sugar levels are dangerously low and can result in loss of consciousness.
Taking aloe vera to lower blood sugars is a matter that should be taken up with your healthcare professional.
Curiously, one of the best scientifically backed health benefits of aloe vera is also one of the least known – cleaning your teeth. One well known study in particular divided 400 participants into groups that used a common commercial mouthwash or an aloe vera juice mouthwash over a period of four days. Results showed that aloe vera was just as effective as the commercial mouthwash in removing dental plaque.
Does aloe vera really do anything? Yes, it does. Clearly, aloe vera has been used for natural health benefits for thousands of years for a reason: Aloe vera definitely possesses antibacterial, antiviral and antiseptic properties.
Empirical studies are particularly supportive in using aloe vera for soothing and healing minor burns, preventing infections and helping with itching, redness and even acne.
As a cosmetic, there is substantial evidence that aloe vera can help our skin retain moisture as well as prevent wrinkles.
Aloe vera can also be a powerful laxative, but it must be used conservatively to prevent additional problems.
More research involving human participants is needed to draw any conclusions about aloe vera helping to manage diabetes or lowering cholesterol.
However, with its antibacterial/antiseptic characteristics, aloe vera is surprisingly effective at removing dental plaque – at least as well as common mouthwash.
