I discuss the risks and benefits of aloe vera.
Is Aloe Effective for Blood Pressure, Inflammatory Bowel, Wound Healing, and Burns?
4.5/5 - (124 votes)
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
“Aloe vera is one of the most popular home remedies in use today, yet most physicians know little about it. In fact, most dismiss it as useless, while their patients firmly believe in its healing properties.” “The usual tendency of most [doctors] is to dismiss as useless any popular remedy that can be purchased without a prescription. However, the aloe plant deserves a closer look, because, surprising as it may seem, there may be a scientific basis for some of its uses.” It has, after all, been used medicinally for thousands of years by a number of ancient civilizations. Only recently, though, has it been put it to the test.
But, the tests have been like finding out if you can use aloe to ameliorate damage to albino rat testicles, or to affect the cholesterol and estrogen responses in juvenile goldfish.
Yes, if you inject aloe in the bloodstream of rats, their blood pressure drops. But, if you feed it to people, it doesn’t appear to have any blood pressure-lowering effect. In rats, drinking aloe causes colorectal tumors to form, whereas it appears to have anti-inflammatory effects on human intestinal lining—in a petri dish. But, when put to the test for irritable bowel syndrome, no benefit was found as to improving symptoms or quality of life in IBS patients.
What about IBD—inflammatory bowel disease? No benefit found there, either.
What about the beneficial effects of aloe in wound healing? Evidently, “so miraculous as to seem more like myth than fact.” Works when you slice open guinea pigs, or when you try to frostbite off the ears of bunny rabbits. But, in people, it may make things worse, with aloe causing “a delay in wound healing.” Twenty-one women were studied who had wound complications after having a Caesarean or other abdominal surgery, healing on their own in an average of 53 days, whereas the wounds treated with aloe vera gel required 83 days—50% longer. They thought it would help, based on the animal research, but when put to the test with people, it failed.
At this point in my research, it was looking like the only benefit of aloe was to improve the quality of cheap beef burgers. But what about burns? Aloe has been used to treat burns since antiquity, but, in their ageless wisdom, they were also applying excrement to burns. So, I wouldn’t put too much faith in ancient medical traditions.
That’s why we have science. What is the effectiveness of aloe vera gel compared with silver sulphadiazine as burn wound dressings in second degree burns? “The introduction of topical antimicrobial agents has resulted in a significant reduction in burn mortality,” and the most commonly used is silver sulfadiazine. Unfortunately, it may delay wound healing, and become toxic to the kidneys and bone marrow. So, they tried it head-to-head against topical aloe gel, and the aloe treated burns healed 50% faster, and the pain went away about 30% quicker. The researchers concluded that aloe has “remarkable efficacy” in the treatment of burn injuries. Anyone see the flaw in that logic, though? What was this study missing? Right, a placebo control group. Why? Because I just told you that one of the side effects of the drug (silver sulphadiazine) is delayed wound healing. So, maybe the aloe worked better just because it wasn’t delaying healing, but wouldn’t have worked better than nothing.
When put to the test against nothing, aloe vera in Vaseline versus the Vaseline alone, the aloe really did seem to help—speeding healing by about a third. And, indeed, put all the studies together, and aloe vera also does appear to significantly speed up the healing of second degree burns. Okay, but blistering burns are thankfully less common than just like sunburns, where your skin just turns red. What is the efficacy of aloe vera in the prevention and treatment of sunburn? “The aloe vera cream was applied…30 minutes before, immediately after, or both before and after” burning people with a UV lamp. And, surprisingly, the aloe appeared to offer “no sunburn…protection and [had] no efficacy in sunburn treatment when compared to placebo.”
But, hey, at least it works for blistering burns. So, should we keep some aloe vera gel in the medicine cabinet? The problem is that aloe vera at the store may have no aloe vera at all.
Oh, they say they have aloe vera as the first or second ingredient, but they are apparently lying. See: “There’s no watchdog assuring that aloe products are what they say they are.” “That means suppliers are on an honor system,” and when health and nutrition are mixed with profit, honor, too often, goes out the window.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Natow AJ. Aloe vera, fiction or fact. Cutis. 1986;37(2):106, 108.
- Singab AN, El-hefnawy HM, Esmat A, Gad HA, Nazeam JA. A systemic review on aloe arborescens pharmacological profile: biological activities and pilot clinical trials. Phytother Res. 2015;29(12):1858-1867.
- Shah SA, Ditullio P, Azadi M, Shapiro RJ, Eid TJ, Snyder JA. Effects of oral Aloe vera on electrocardiographic and blood pressure measurements. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2010;67(22):1942-1946.
- Saleem R, Faizi S, Siddiqui BS, et al. Hypotensive effect of chemical constituents from Aloe barbadensis. Planta Med. 2001;67(8):757-760.
- Puvabanditsin P, Vongtongsri R. Efficacy of aloe vera cream in prevention and treatment of sunburn and suntan. J Med Assoc Thai. 2005;88 Suppl 4:S173-S176.
- Pećanac M, Janjić Z, Komarcević A, Pajić M, Dobanovacki D, Misković SS. Burns treatment in ancient times. Med Pregl. 2013;66(5-6):263-267.
- Shahzad MN, Ahmed N. Effectiveness of Aloe Vera gel compared with 1% silver sulphadiazine cream as burn wound dressing in second degree burns. J Pak Med Assoc. 2013;63(2):225-230.
- Maenthaisong R, Chaiyakunapruk N, Niruntraporn S, Kongkaew C. The efficacy of aloe vera used for burn wound healing: a systematic review. Burns. 2007;33(6):713-718.
- Mulvany L, Faux Z. There’s no evidence of aloe vera found in these aloe vera gels.
- Langmead L, Makins RJ, Rampton DS. Anti-inflammatory effects of aloe vera gel in human colorectal mucosa in vitro. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2004;19(5):521-527.
- Davis K, Philpott S, Kumar D, Mendall M. Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial of aloe vera for irritable bowel syndrome. Int J Clin Pract. 2006;60(9):1080-1086.
- Hutchings HA, Wareham K, Baxter JN, et al. A randomised, cross-over, placebo-controlled study of Aloe vera in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: effects on patient quality of life. ISRN Gastroenterol. 2011;2011:206103.
- Langmead L, Feakins RM, Goldthorpe S, et al. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral aloe vera gel for active ulcerative colitis. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2004;19(7):739-747.
- Dunnick JK, Nyska A. The toxicity and pathology of selected dietary herbal medicines. Toxicol Pathol. 2013;41(2):374-386.
- Mahor G, Ali SA. Recent update on the medicinal properties and use of Aloe vera in the treatment of various ailments. Biosci Biotech Res Comm. 2016:9(2);273-288.
- Soltanizadeh N, Ghiasi-esfahani H. Qualitative improvement of low meat beef burger using Aloe vera. Meat Sci. 2015;99:75-80.
- Palermo FA, Cocci P, Angeletti M, Felici A, Polzonetti-magni AM, Mosconi G. Dietary Aloe vera components' effects on cholesterol lowering and estrogenic responses in juvenile goldfish, Carassius auratus. Fish Physiol Biochem. 2013;39(4):851-861.
- Heggers JP, Pelley RP, Robson MC. Beneficial effects of Aloe in wound healing. Phytotherapy Research. 1993:7(7);S48-S52.
- Schmidt JM, Greenspoon JS. Aloe vera dermal wound gel is associated with a delay in wound healing. Obstet Gynecol. 1991;78(1):115-117.
- Visuthikosol V, Chowchuen B, Sukwanarat Y, Sriurairatana S, Boonpucknavig V. Effect of aloe vera gel to healing of burn wound a clinical and histologic study. J Med Assoc Thai. 1995;78(8):403-409.
Image credit: casellesingold via Pixabay. Image has been modified.
Motion graphics by Avocado Video.
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
“Aloe vera is one of the most popular home remedies in use today, yet most physicians know little about it. In fact, most dismiss it as useless, while their patients firmly believe in its healing properties.” “The usual tendency of most [doctors] is to dismiss as useless any popular remedy that can be purchased without a prescription. However, the aloe plant deserves a closer look, because, surprising as it may seem, there may be a scientific basis for some of its uses.” It has, after all, been used medicinally for thousands of years by a number of ancient civilizations. Only recently, though, has it been put it to the test.
But, the tests have been like finding out if you can use aloe to ameliorate damage to albino rat testicles, or to affect the cholesterol and estrogen responses in juvenile goldfish.
Yes, if you inject aloe in the bloodstream of rats, their blood pressure drops. But, if you feed it to people, it doesn’t appear to have any blood pressure-lowering effect. In rats, drinking aloe causes colorectal tumors to form, whereas it appears to have anti-inflammatory effects on human intestinal lining—in a petri dish. But, when put to the test for irritable bowel syndrome, no benefit was found as to improving symptoms or quality of life in IBS patients.
What about IBD—inflammatory bowel disease? No benefit found there, either.
What about the beneficial effects of aloe in wound healing? Evidently, “so miraculous as to seem more like myth than fact.” Works when you slice open guinea pigs, or when you try to frostbite off the ears of bunny rabbits. But, in people, it may make things worse, with aloe causing “a delay in wound healing.” Twenty-one women were studied who had wound complications after having a Caesarean or other abdominal surgery, healing on their own in an average of 53 days, whereas the wounds treated with aloe vera gel required 83 days—50% longer. They thought it would help, based on the animal research, but when put to the test with people, it failed.
At this point in my research, it was looking like the only benefit of aloe was to improve the quality of cheap beef burgers. But what about burns? Aloe has been used to treat burns since antiquity, but, in their ageless wisdom, they were also applying excrement to burns. So, I wouldn’t put too much faith in ancient medical traditions.
That’s why we have science. What is the effectiveness of aloe vera gel compared with silver sulphadiazine as burn wound dressings in second degree burns? “The introduction of topical antimicrobial agents has resulted in a significant reduction in burn mortality,” and the most commonly used is silver sulfadiazine. Unfortunately, it may delay wound healing, and become toxic to the kidneys and bone marrow. So, they tried it head-to-head against topical aloe gel, and the aloe treated burns healed 50% faster, and the pain went away about 30% quicker. The researchers concluded that aloe has “remarkable efficacy” in the treatment of burn injuries. Anyone see the flaw in that logic, though? What was this study missing? Right, a placebo control group. Why? Because I just told you that one of the side effects of the drug (silver sulphadiazine) is delayed wound healing. So, maybe the aloe worked better just because it wasn’t delaying healing, but wouldn’t have worked better than nothing.
When put to the test against nothing, aloe vera in Vaseline versus the Vaseline alone, the aloe really did seem to help—speeding healing by about a third. And, indeed, put all the studies together, and aloe vera also does appear to significantly speed up the healing of second degree burns. Okay, but blistering burns are thankfully less common than just like sunburns, where your skin just turns red. What is the efficacy of aloe vera in the prevention and treatment of sunburn? “The aloe vera cream was applied…30 minutes before, immediately after, or both before and after” burning people with a UV lamp. And, surprisingly, the aloe appeared to offer “no sunburn…protection and [had] no efficacy in sunburn treatment when compared to placebo.”
But, hey, at least it works for blistering burns. So, should we keep some aloe vera gel in the medicine cabinet? The problem is that aloe vera at the store may have no aloe vera at all.
Oh, they say they have aloe vera as the first or second ingredient, but they are apparently lying. See: “There’s no watchdog assuring that aloe products are what they say they are.” “That means suppliers are on an honor system,” and when health and nutrition are mixed with profit, honor, too often, goes out the window.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Natow AJ. Aloe vera, fiction or fact. Cutis. 1986;37(2):106, 108.
- Singab AN, El-hefnawy HM, Esmat A, Gad HA, Nazeam JA. A systemic review on aloe arborescens pharmacological profile: biological activities and pilot clinical trials. Phytother Res. 2015;29(12):1858-1867.
- Shah SA, Ditullio P, Azadi M, Shapiro RJ, Eid TJ, Snyder JA. Effects of oral Aloe vera on electrocardiographic and blood pressure measurements. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2010;67(22):1942-1946.
- Saleem R, Faizi S, Siddiqui BS, et al. Hypotensive effect of chemical constituents from Aloe barbadensis. Planta Med. 2001;67(8):757-760.
- Puvabanditsin P, Vongtongsri R. Efficacy of aloe vera cream in prevention and treatment of sunburn and suntan. J Med Assoc Thai. 2005;88 Suppl 4:S173-S176.
- Pećanac M, Janjić Z, Komarcević A, Pajić M, Dobanovacki D, Misković SS. Burns treatment in ancient times. Med Pregl. 2013;66(5-6):263-267.
- Shahzad MN, Ahmed N. Effectiveness of Aloe Vera gel compared with 1% silver sulphadiazine cream as burn wound dressing in second degree burns. J Pak Med Assoc. 2013;63(2):225-230.
- Maenthaisong R, Chaiyakunapruk N, Niruntraporn S, Kongkaew C. The efficacy of aloe vera used for burn wound healing: a systematic review. Burns. 2007;33(6):713-718.
- Mulvany L, Faux Z. There’s no evidence of aloe vera found in these aloe vera gels.
- Langmead L, Makins RJ, Rampton DS. Anti-inflammatory effects of aloe vera gel in human colorectal mucosa in vitro. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2004;19(5):521-527.
- Davis K, Philpott S, Kumar D, Mendall M. Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial of aloe vera for irritable bowel syndrome. Int J Clin Pract. 2006;60(9):1080-1086.
- Hutchings HA, Wareham K, Baxter JN, et al. A randomised, cross-over, placebo-controlled study of Aloe vera in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: effects on patient quality of life. ISRN Gastroenterol. 2011;2011:206103.
- Langmead L, Feakins RM, Goldthorpe S, et al. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral aloe vera gel for active ulcerative colitis. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2004;19(7):739-747.
- Dunnick JK, Nyska A. The toxicity and pathology of selected dietary herbal medicines. Toxicol Pathol. 2013;41(2):374-386.
- Mahor G, Ali SA. Recent update on the medicinal properties and use of Aloe vera in the treatment of various ailments. Biosci Biotech Res Comm. 2016:9(2);273-288.
- Soltanizadeh N, Ghiasi-esfahani H. Qualitative improvement of low meat beef burger using Aloe vera. Meat Sci. 2015;99:75-80.
- Palermo FA, Cocci P, Angeletti M, Felici A, Polzonetti-magni AM, Mosconi G. Dietary Aloe vera components' effects on cholesterol lowering and estrogenic responses in juvenile goldfish, Carassius auratus. Fish Physiol Biochem. 2013;39(4):851-861.
- Heggers JP, Pelley RP, Robson MC. Beneficial effects of Aloe in wound healing. Phytotherapy Research. 1993:7(7);S48-S52.
- Schmidt JM, Greenspoon JS. Aloe vera dermal wound gel is associated with a delay in wound healing. Obstet Gynecol. 1991;78(1):115-117.
- Visuthikosol V, Chowchuen B, Sukwanarat Y, Sriurairatana S, Boonpucknavig V. Effect of aloe vera gel to healing of burn wound a clinical and histologic study. J Med Assoc Thai. 1995;78(8):403-409.
Image credit: casellesingold via Pixabay. Image has been modified.
Motion graphics by Avocado Video.
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Title
Is Aloe Effective for Blood Pressure, Inflammatory Bowel, Wound Healing, and Burns?
LicenseCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Content URLDoctor's Note
This is the first of a number of videos on aloe that will be released over a few months. Keep an eye out by subscribingto NutritionFacts.org—for free, of course, like everything on the site.
For my more recent aloe videos, check out:
- Is Aloe Vera Gel the Best Treatment for Lichen Planus?
- Aloe for the Treatment of Advanced Metastatic Cancer
- Can Aloe Cure Cancer?
- Aloe Vera for Psoriasis
What about natural remedies for blood pressure? See:
- Hibiscus Tea vs. Plant-Based Diets for Hypertension
- Flaxseeds for Hypertension
- How to Treat High Blood Pressure with Diet
- High Blood Pressure May Be a Choice
- Sprinkling Doubt: Taking Sodium Skeptics with a Pinch of Salt
- Oxygenating Blood with Nitrate-Rich Vegetables
- Drugs and the Demise of the Rice Diet
- How to Prevent High Blood Pressure with Diet
To learn more about preventing and treating inflammatory bowel disease, see:
- Preventing Crohn’s Disease with Diet
- Preventing Ulcerative Colitis with Diet
- Treating Ulcerative Colitis with Diet
- Dietary Treatment of Crohn’s Disease
- Striking with the Root: Turmeric Curcumin and Ulcerative Colitis
- Vitamin D for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Does Nutritional Yeast Trigger Crohn’s Disease?
And, if you’re interested in wound healing, check out Benefits of Nutritional Yeast for Cancer and Speeding Recovery from Surgery with Turmeric.
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