Should Aloe Vera be taken internally or applied topically?

March 22, 2007

Should it be taken internally or applied topically?Aloe vera can be taken internally as a drink or applied topically. The principle ingredient of any product should be the stabilised aloe vera gel which is as near to the inner gel of the natural plant as possible. It must not, therefore, be treated with excessive heat or filtered during the manufacturing process, as this destroys or reduces the effect of certain essential compounds, such as the enzymes and polysaccharides. Regrettably there are many products which contain virtually no aloe and yet are marketed as though they do. Caution applies particularly to cheap capsules of dried aloe leaf. Not only does aloe vera provide nutrition and pro-duce an anti-inflammatory action, it also has a wide range of antimicrobial activity. In-vitro experiments have been carried out on numerous organisms and have regularly shown that, in normal strength, aloe vera is either bactericidal or bacteriostatic against a number of common wound pathogens. References Coats BC (1979) The Silent Healer, A Modern Study of Aloe Vera. Texas, Garland Danhoff IE, McAnally BH (1983) Stabilised Aloe Vera, its effect on human skin cells. Drugs in the Cosmetics Industry. 133, 52-196 Davis RH Kabbani JM, Moro NP (1987) Aloe Vera and wound Healing. Journal of the American

Podiatric Medical Association. 77, 4, 165-169 Fulton JE (1990) The Stimulation of postdermal abrasion wound healing with stabilised Aloe Vera gel – polythylene oxide dressing. Journal of Dermatological and Surgical Oncology, 16, 5, 460-467 Green P (1996) Aloe Vera extracts in equine clinical practice. Veterinary Times,26, 9. Heggers JP (1996) Beneficial Effect of Aloe on wound healing in an excisional wound healing model. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2, 2, 271-277 Hirat T, Suga T (1983) The efficiency of aloe plants, chemical constituents and biological activities. Cosmetics and toiletries. 98, 105-108 Kahlon JB et al (1991) Inhibition of Aids Virus replication by Ace Mannan in vitro. Molecular

Biothermy. 3, 127-135. Lorenzetti LJ et al (1964) Bacteriostatic property of Aloe Vera. Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society. 53, 1287-1290. Marshall GO, Gibbons AS, Parnell LS (1993) Human cytokines induced by ace Mannan. Journal of Allergy of clinical immunology. 1, 4, 505-509. Mckeown E (1987) Anthraquinones and anthracenic derivatives absorb UV light. Cosmetics and toiletries. 102, 64-65 Obata M et al (1993) Mechanisms of anti-inflammatory and anti thermal burn action of carboxypeptidase from aloe aborescens miller. Natalensis berger in rats and mice Physiotherapy research, 7, special issues, 530-533 Sheets MA et al (1991) Studies of the effect of ace Mannan on retrovirus infections, clinical stabilisation of feline

leukemia virus infected cats. Molecular Biothermy. 3, 41-45 Shelton MS (1991) Aloe Vera, its chemical and therapeutic properties. International journal of dermatology. 30, 679-683. Sims P Ruth M, Zimmerman ER (1971a) Effect of Aloe Vera on Herpes simplex and herpes virus (strain Zoster). Aloe Vera of American Archives, 1, 239-240 Sims P, Ruth M, Zimmerman ER (1971b) The effects of Aloe Vera on Mycotic organism (fungi). Aloe Vera of American archives, 1, 237-238 Strickland FM et al (1993) Prevention of Ultraviolet radiation and induced suppression of contact and delyed hypersensitivity by Aloe Barbadensis gel extract. Journal of investigative dermatology. 9, 6, 197-204 Winters WD (1993) Immuno-reactive lectins in leaf gel form from aloe Barbadensis

Miler. Phytotherapy Research 7, S23-25

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