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Aloe aloe
By Dr Leow Chee Seng, Fellow of British Institute of Homeopathy
Recognised for its medicinal values for centuries, aloe vera is still inspiring new
discoveries into its curative effects.
By the 2nd century AD, aloe vera had become In a Smith and Stenhaus (1851) review, it was said that
indispensable to Roman physicians – the most aloin or anthraquinone glycosides was the principal
notable of which was Galen, the personal physician ingredient responsible for aloe’s laxative effects and
of the Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Galen an ever-increasing number of biologically active
was said to have drawn his knowledge from the compounds have been identified.
writings of Aristotle and Hippocrates, who got their
knowledge of aloe vera from Indian and Egyptian To date, research has proven that aloe vera contains
“medical writers”. a unique spectrum of micronutrients and the
natural chemical constituents of aloe vera can be
categorised in the following main areas:
• Amino acids;
• Anthraquinones;
• Enzymes;
• Lignin;
• Mono and polysaccharides;
• Salicylic acids;
• Saponins;
• Sterols; and
• Vitamins.
Multiple applications
The aloe vera plant is characterised by long, hard,
sword-shaped, fleshy, green leaves with sharp
points and an array of barbed spikes on each leaf
edge. Each plant can have between 20 and 30
leaves and these leaves grow in a rosette pattern
straight out the ground.
healing. It contains salicylic acid and magnesium, Aloe vera also been used as a treatment for viral
which work together to produce an aspirin-like diseases such as AIDS and may help prevent the
analgesic effect. virus from moving from one cell to the other.
Two small controlled human trials have found According to Dr. Pulse’s published report in the
that aloe, either alone or in combination with the Journal of Advancement in Medicine: “No adverse
oral hypoglycemic drug glibenclamide, effectively effects attributable to the essential fatty acid
lowers blood sugars in people with type 2 (non- capsules were observed nor any side effects of the
insulin-dependent) diabetes. nutritional supplementation powder nor of the aloe
vera juice.”
In these clinical trials, one tea tablespoon of aloe
juice (15ml) is taken orally twice daily. Note that “Most patients – who were symptomatic – reported
treatment of diabetes with aloe should only be that within three to five days, their energy levels
done under the supervision of a qualified healthcare improved, fever disappeared, night sweats stopped,
professional. cough decreased or stopped altogether, shortness
of breath decreased, lymph nodes decreased in
Okyar A, et. al. (2001) reported in Journal of size, diarrhoea stopped, strength improved, and the
Phytother Res, aloe vera leaf pulp and gel extracts only measurable side effect of this particular study
were ineffective in lowering the blood sugar level was weight gain, which is a desirable effect.”
of ND rats. Aloe vera leaf pulp extract showed
hypoglycaemic activity on IDDM and NIDDM Aloe vera therefore has a complementary role to
rats, the effectiveness being enhanced for type II play in the management of various conditions. It is
diabetes in comparison with glibenclamide. very important however that people should always
seek the advice of their medical professional when
On the contrary, aloe vera leaf gel extract showed the diagnosis is in doubt or where a condition does
hyperglycaemic activity on NIDDM rats. It may be not improve.
concluded therefore that the pulps of aloe vera
leaves devoid of the gel could be useful in the Self-diagnosis can be extremely dangerous as many
treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. serious conditions can mimic more simple ones. OH!