Effects of Aloe vera on oxidative stress

A new scientific publication by Kaithwas et al just listed on PubMed has shown that Aloe vera gel can help prevent oxidative stress of the heart.  In this study oxidative stress was experimentally induced in rats using the well known compound Doxorubicin.  Compared to rats receiving placebo, rats receiving Aloe vera gel by mouth experienced significant protection against the cardio-toxic effects of oxidative stress  as measured by a panel of well known markers of myocardial oxidative stress including LDH, serum CPK, cardiac lipid peroxides, tissue catalase and tissue SOD.

These results are in good agreement with and support the findings of many other scientific publications that Aloe vera gel, when take orally, may be beneficial in reducing or reducing damage caused by oxidative stress. Collectively these data support the notion that Aloe vera gel as a dietary supplement may be play a role as an antioxidant and be beneficial in the management of oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the body’s natural production of reactive oxygen species and its ability to detoxify them.  Oxidative stress is throught to be the root cause or contributing factor to many diseases including atherosclerosis, diabetes, heart failure, chronic fatigue syndrome and rapid aging to name just a few.

PubMed is a publically accessible database of scientific literature operated by the National Institutes of Health through the National Center for Biotechnology Information and National Library of Medicine. 

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Did you know this? Aloe as a artistic tool

While many are familiar with the medicinal properties of aloe, Aloe plants have long been used as a colorant to achieve lustrous golden glazes on tin- and silver- foiled objects and warm-toned finishes on musicals instruments.  A newly listed publication in PubMed entitled, A multi-analytical approach for the identification of aloe as a colorant in oil-resin varnishes, efforts to identify the components of aloe responsible for these effects.

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Quality Control of Aloe vera Products

Many of the beneficial active ingredients of Aloe vera inner leaf gel are destroyed or rendered inactive by some manufacturing practices in common use today.  The Quality Control tests in use today to evaluate the quality of Aloe vera products are limited by one or more of the following: accuracy, sensitivity, complexity, time consuming, or expense.  A recent scientific article entitled “Quantitative Colorimetric Analysis of Aloe Polysaccharides as a Measure of Aloe vera Quality in Commercial Products” describes a test that overcomes most of the limitations described above.   Validation of this new test showed that results could be obtained in about 5 minutes. A blinded survey of 12 commercial Aloe products showed that about 1/2 (6 out of 12) of the products tested had insufficient polysaccharide content to provide the expected medicinal benefit. In contrast about 1/4 (3 out of 12) commercial products tested actually had concentrated polysaccharide content compare to unprocessed Aloe gel. These results correlated well with expected outcomes based on the manufacturing processes used for each product. Industry wide implementation of such as quality control test would provide consumers a much needed standard to compare products and make informed buying decisions.

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The Antioxidant Properties of Aloe vera

Aloe vera has been recognized as a medicinal plant for thousands of years. More recently modern scientific methods have been used to verify and extend many of the traditional medicinal uses of Aloe vera. Oxidative stress has emerged as a common factor in cause and progression of many diseases ranging from various inflammatory diseases to diabetes to cancer. Scientific studies have shown Aloe vera inner leaf gel to have important antioxidant activity through several direct and indirect mechanisms. Laboratory studies have shown that Aloe vera can directly inhibit toxic oxidative reactions. Animal and human studies have shown that Aloe vera can reduce markers of oxidative stress and increase the body's natural antioxidant defenses. While more studies are required to confirm these observations, collectively these results strongly suggest that Aloe vera may be beneficial in the management of oxidative stress.

The Antioxidant Properties of Aloe vera summarizes the recent scientific data describint the antioxidant properties of Aloe vera

AceAloe+ is a new Aloe vera product that contains the highest and most consistent Acemannan content of any Aloe product on the market today. For the manufacture of AceAloe+, aloe plants are grown and harvested under organic conditions. The aloe leaves are processed using a proprietary method that preserves the integrity of the primary active ingredient. AceAloe+ is formulated with additional natural herbs that enhance and complement the natural activities of Aloe vera. AceAloe+ comes in capsule form with a recommended dose of 2 capsules a day.
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Aloe vera and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic and often debilitating disease.  IBD is characterized by chronic or recurring immune system activation and inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract (GIT).  Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease are two major forms of IBD.

In various scientific studies preparations of Aloe vera inner leaf gel have been shown to have a positive influence on may aspects of IBD including reducing inflammation, reducing production of stomach acid, promoting healing of stomach ulcers, and pain management.  Aloe vera also has probiotic activity that promotes the growth of beneficial (good) bacteria in the gut which are often replaced by bad bacteria in IBD.

The article Aloe vera and Inflammatory Bowel Disease, recently published on Articlesbase.com, summarizes the current scientific data on Aloe vera’s potential as an additional supportive treatment of IBD.

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Aloe vera in the Management of Type-2 Diabetes

Type-2 diabetes is a chronic and incurable disease that has reached nearly epidemic proportions.  The primary problem in Type-2 diabetes is chronic elevated blood sugar which over time can lead to many secondary health problems such as heart disease, stroke, and amputation just to name a few.  Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults age 20-74 years old. 

Recent research in animals and humans has shown that preparations of Aloe vera inner leaf gel can help lower elevated blood sugar levels in Type-2 diabetes.  The article Aloe vera in the Management of Type-2 Diabetes summarizes the currently available data that Aloe vera, in combination with diet and exercise, may be helpful in reducing elevated blood sugar levels.

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Aloe vera: Myths and Misconceptions

Aloe vera has been recognized as a medicinal plant for thousands of years.  More recently it has been recognized that the activity of Aloe vera can be greatly affected by the conditions under which the plants are grown and the methods used to harvest and process Aloe vera.  This has led to a wide variety of activity in various Aloe vera products.  As a result there are many conflicting reports on Aloe vera’s activity.  The article Aloe vera: Myths and Misconceptions was recently published on Articlesbase.com and attempts to address some of the most common myths and misconceptions.  Other Aloe vera articles by Dr. Cowsert can also be found on Articlesbase.com.