What is Aloevera

What is Aloevera ? (or What is Aloevera Plant ?):

Aloe vera, sometimes described as a "wonder plant", is a short-stemmed shrub that only occurs in cultivation - it cannot be found in the wild. Some related Aloes occur naturally in North Africa. An Aloe is a genus containing more than 500 species of flowering succulent plants.

Aloe vera is a succulent plant species that is found only in cultivation, having no naturally occurring populations, although closely related aloes do occur in northern Africa.^[3] The species is frequently cited as being used in herbal medicine since the beginning of the first century AD. Extracts from A. vera are widely used in the cosmetics and alternative medicine industries, being marketed as variously having rejuvenating, healing, or soothing properties. There is, however, little scientific evidence of the effectiveness or safety of Aloe vera extracts for either cosmetic or medicinal purposes, and what positive evidence is available is frequently contradicted by other studies.

Aloe vera, sometimes described as a "wonder plant", is a short-stemmed shrub that only occurs in cultivation - it cannot be found in the wild. Some related Aloes occur naturally in North Africa. An Aloe is a genus containing more than 500 species of flowering succulent plants.

What are the therapeutic benefits of Aloe vera?

The medicinal claims made about Aloe vera, as with many herbs and plants, are endless. Some are backed by rigorous scientific studies while others are not. This article attempts to focus mainly on those that have been backed up by science.

Constipation

Germany's regulatory agency for herbs - Commission E - approved the use of Aloe vera for the treatment of constipation. Dosages of between 50 to 200 milligrams of Aloe latex are commonly taken in liquid or capsule form once daily for up to ten days.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled in 2002 that as there is not enough data on the safety and efficacy of Aloe products; in the USA they cannot be sold to treat constipation.

Diabetes-induced foot ulcers

According to a study carried out at the Sinhgad College of Pharmacy, India, and published in the International Wound Journal a "gel formed with carbopol 974p (1%) and Aloe vera promotes significant wound healing and closure in diabetic rats compared with the commercial product and provides a promising product to be used in diabetes-induced foot ulcers".

Antioxidants and possibly antimicrobial properties

Researchers at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, wrote about a study in the journal Molecules.

The team had set out to determine whether the methanol extract of leaf skins and flowers of Aloe vera might have beneficial effects on human health. The scientists focused on the extract's possible antioxidant and antimycoplasmic activities. Mycoplasma are a type of bacteria that lack a cell wall, they are unaffected by many common antibiotics. Antimycoplasmic substances destroy these bacteria.

They reported that both Aloe vera flower and leaf extracts had antioxidant properties, especially the leaf skin extract. The leaf skin extract also exhibited antimycoplasmic properties.

The authors concluded "A. Vera extracts from leaf skin and flowers can be considered as good natural antioxidant sources."

Protection from ultraviolet (UV) irradiation

Scientists at Kyung Hee University Global Campus, South Korea, wanted to determine whether baby aloe shoot extract and adult aloe shoot extract might have a protective effect on UVB-induced skin photoaging, i.e. whether they might protect the skin from the aging effect when exposed to sunlight.

Baby aloe shoot extract (BAE) comes from 1-month old shoots while adult aloe shoot extract (AE) comes from 4-month old shoots.

The team explained that UV irradiation induces photo-damage of the skin and can permanently change skin structure.

In an article published in Phytotherapy Research, the authors concluded "Our results suggest that BAE may potentially protect the skin from UVB-induced damage more than AE."

Protection from skin damage after radiation therapy

A study carried out at the University of Naples, Italy, tested five different topical creams to see how effective they might be in protecting the skin of breast cancer patients receiving radiation therapy.

They tested the following hydrating creams - Vitis vinifera A. s-I-M.t-O.dij (Ixoderm®), Alga Atlantica plus Ethylbisiminomethylguaicolo and Manganese Cloruro (Radioskin1®) and Metal Esculetina plus Ginko Biloba and Aloe vera (Radioskin 2®); Natural triglycerides-fitosterols (Xderit®); Selectiose plus thermal water of Avene (Trixera+®); and Betaglucan, sodium hyaluronate (Neoviderm®).

They divided 100 patients into five groups of 20, each one was prescribed a different topical treatment. They applied the creams twice daily, starting 15 days before radiation therapy treatment, and carried on for one month afterwards.

During the whole 6-week period, the participants underwent weekly skin assessments.

In the journal Radiation Oncology, the scientists reported that the preventive use of the topical hydrating creams reduced the incidence of skin side effects in the women treated with radiation therapy for breast cancer. "All moisturizing creams used in this study were equally valid in the treatment of skin damage induced by radiotherapy."

Depression, learning and memory - an animal experiment

A study published in Nutritional Neuroscience found that Aloe vera reduces depression and improves memory in mice. The researchers explained as background information that the plant had been used since ancient times for the treatment of infection, constipation and skin disorders.

The authors wanted to determine what effect Aloe vera might have in learning, memory, depression and locomotion.

After carrying out some experiments on laboratory mice, the scientists concluded "Aloe vera enhances learning and memory, and also alleviates depression in mice." Further studies are needed to find out whether humans might also receive the same benefits.

Wounds from second degree burns

A team of plastic surgeons compared Aloe vera gel to 1% silver sulphadiazine cream for the treatment of second degree burn wounds.

They reported in the Journal of Pakistan Medical Association that the burn wounds among the patients treated with Aloe vera healed remarkably earlier compared to those treated with with 1% silver sulfadiazine (SSD).

The researchers added that those in the Aloe Vera group experienced significantly more and earlier pain relief than those in the SSD group.

In an Abstract in the same journal, the authors wrote "Thermal burns patients dressed with Aloe vera gel showed advantage compared to those dressed with SSD regarding early wound epithelialization, earlier pain relief and cost-effectiveness."

Irritable bowel syndrome - inconclusive

A randomized, double-blind human trial carried out at St Georges Hospital Medical School, London, UK, did not find a significant difference in symptoms of diarrhea after 3 months when patients on Aloe vera were compared to those on placebo.

However, the researchers wrote in the International Journal of Clinical Practice"There was no evidence that AV (aloe vera) benefits patients with IBS. However, we could not rule out the possibility that improvement occurred in patients with diarrhoea or alternating IBS whilst taking AV. Further investigations are warranted in patients with diarrhoea predominant IBS, in a less complex group of patients."

Many claims lack scientific studies

Most health authorities in North America, Europe, Australasia and Japan say that many of the dozens of therapeutic benefits associated with Aloe vera need to be studied scientifically. This does not mean the claims are necessarily inaccurate.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) in the United States, part of the National Institutes of Health, Aloe latex contains strong laxative compounds. Products containing aloin, aloe-emodin, and barbaloin (components of Aloe) were once regulated by the FDA as oral OTC laxatives. In 2002, the FDA required that all OTC Aloe laxatives be removed from the market or reformulated because of a lack of safety data. Studies have shown that topical Aloe gel may help in abrasions and burns..... The NCCAM wrote "There is not enough scientific evidence to support Aloe vera for any of its other uses."