Aloe Vera gel—skin and digestive support

Healthylife Pharmacy13 May 2018|4 min read

Aloe vera is a cactus-like perennial succulent belonging to the Liliaceae family that is commonly grown in tropical climates. Used since ancient times as a medicinal plant, aloe vera soothes irritations and inflammations of the skin and digestive tract.  It is traditionally applied topically to treat wounds, burns and other skin conditions. Internally aloe vera is a prebiotic food helping to support healthy digestion and to provide relief of stomach ulcers and ulcerative colitis.

Aloe vera

The clear aloe vera ‘gel’ is found in the central part of the leaf. Diluted aloe gel is commonly known as ‘aloe vera extract’ or ‘aloe juice’. The outer part of the leaf is referred to as the latex and is obtained from the cells just beneath the leaf skin. When consumed the aloe vera latex has a laxative effect in the body due to the anthraquinone content.

The majority of formulas available on the market use the inner leaf gel which contain mono- and polysaccharides—most notably mannose-6-phosphate and glucomannans. Aloe vera gel doesn’t have a laxative effect like the outer latex component but instead is rich in a variety of nutrients including a range of vitamins, minerals, lignans, sterols, salicylic acid, saponins and triterpenoids.

Aloe vera and the skin

Aloe vera has the following benefits for skin inflammations and wounds.

Wound healing

Aloe vera has the remarkable ability to reduce inflammation and heal the skin. Studies have found that the enzymes in aloe vera break down damaged tissue and increase the proliferation of skin cells to assist wound healing.

Burns

Aloe vera has cooling and anti-inflammatory properties and it’s no surprise it is very effective in the treatment of burns. A meta-analysis concluded that the topical application of aloe vera gel resulted in a decrease in healing time and was more effective for second and third-degree burns compared to third degree burns. Due to aloe vera’s antimicrobial properties it also helped to reduce bacterial colonisation on the skin preventing infection.

Genital herpes

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection that results in small sores in the genital region. Using 0.5% aloe vera cream three times daily on the affected areas reduced healing time and cleared the infection quickly. Aloe vera has antiviral properties which is thought to further accelerate the healing process and reduce pain in the area.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory skin condition characterised by red, scaly patches. One study found that aloe vera extract cured 83.3% of patients compared to the placebo cure rate of 6.6%. Aloe vera was found to reduce the psoriatic plaques and redness.

Acne

A 2014 trial found that the combination of aloe vera gel and tretinoin (a vitamin A derivative) significantly reduced the presence of inflammatory lesions and comedones after 8 weeks when compared to the application of tretinoin alone.

Digestive health

It doesn’t stop at skin, aloe vera heals from the inside out and has the following digestive benefits.

Prebiotic superfood

Prebiotics are nutrients that support healthy digestion by increasing the number of healthy bacteria in the gut. Aloe vera is classified a prebiotic because it feeds the beneficial bacteria and helps in maintaining a healthy microbiome.

Ulcerative colitis

A potentially severe and debilitating disease, ulcerative colitis causes diarrhoea, pain and faecal urgency. Aloe vera when taken twice daily for 4 weeks induced clinical remission in 30% of patients and provided symptomatic improvement in 37%.

Stomach ulcers

A stomach or gastric ulcer is a break in the tissue of the stomach lining and are mainly caused by an infection by Helicobacter pylori. In vitro tests have found that aloe vera has properties which help to eradicate infection by this bacterium—even drug resistant strains! In addition to this aloe vera helps to heal the damage that is left behind.

Beyond aloe vera’s effects on skin and digestive health there are benefits for diabetics and those with a compromised immune system.

Diabetes

Diabetics often have poor glycaemic control—especially if the condition is poorly managed. Aloe vera supplementation in obese individuals with prediabetes or early untreated diabetes reduced body weight, body fat mass and insulin resistance.

Immunostimulant

Aloe vera stimulates our immune system to fight off infections and protect against disease. It has anti-tumour properties and is effective against a wide-range of bacteria and viruses such as HIV type 1, influenza virus, herpes simplex, measles, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Dosage range

The dosage of aloe vera depends on the strength and preparation of the product. For general wellbeing 25mls of the juice or inner gel can be taken up to 4 times daily. In ulcerative colitis 100mls twice daily for 4 weeks is recommended. To maintain healthy blood sugars, consume 1 tablespoon of aloe juice consisting of 80% gel twice daily. Alternatively, aloe vera can be taken in capsule form. Aloe vera creams can be used safely as needed but usually 2-3 times daily.

References

  1. Braun L, Cohen M. Herbs and natural supplements: An evidence-based guide vol. 2. Churchill Livingstone, Australia
  2. Dat AD, et al. Aloe vera for treating acute and chronic wounds. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012 Feb 15;(2):CD008762
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22336851
  4. Feily A, Namazi MR. Aloe vera in dermatology: a brief review. G Ital Dermatol Venereol. 2009 Feb;144(1):85-91
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19218914
  6. Hajheydari Z, et al. Effect of Aloe vera topical gel combined with tretinoin in treatment of mild and moderate acne vulgaris: a randomized, double-blind, prospective trial. J Dermatolog Treat. 2014 Apr;25(2):123-9
  7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23336746
  8. Gullón B, et al. In vitro assessment of the prebiotic potential of Aloe vera mucilage and its impact on the human microbiota. Food Funct. 2015 Feb;6(2):525-31
  9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25504136
  10. Lin H, et al. The mechanism of alopolysaccharide protecting ulcerative colitis. Biomed Pharmacother. 2017 Apr;88:145-150
  11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28103508
  12. Cellini L, et al. In vitro activity of Aloe vera inner gel against Helicobacter pylori strains. Lett Appl Microbiol. 2014 Jul;59(1):43-8
  13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24597562
  14. Choi HC, et al. Metabolic effects of aloe vera gel complex in obese prediabetes and early non-treated diabetic patients: randomized controlled trial. Nutrition. 2013 Sep;29(9):1110-4
  15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23735317
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