Aloe Vera

[marylee]

Does any of you use aloe vera for health reasons? I am interested if you can share your experiences with me and whether the juice is any good. There are so many products on the market, that is difficult to know which one to buy. Will the tablets be as effective as the drinking the juice, does anyone know? Also the company which sells forever living products are the most expensive. How do they compare with the products Holland & Barrett sell? You can get two bts for the price of one at H&B, but are they as authentic? Thanks

[catherineblack]

Hi
My mum used to sell Forever Living products - but only to friends and family. They are expensive, but worth the extra money. I think by being a member it is much much cheaper than buying from an 'agent'. She now just buys for herself and some close friends and is under no pressure to sell. It means she can buy 'trade' price.
Holland and Barrett do sell aloe vera - but in comparison to Forever Living, it is really weak, watered down. Less quality and not good value. (though perhaps some other mse folk can advise on this??)
I have M.E and found it helped boost my immune system (not taking at the moment so it doesn't interfere with homoeopathic medicine). I found that the frequent chest infections and colds virtually disapeared. The juice is quite yucky tasting, but is worth the yuck factor. They now do various flavours too, so it's not so bad. Tablets in my opinion are not as effective - perhaps best taken when going on holiday and not able to take juice.
Also the other products sold by Forever living are really good quality. Their heat lotion is really effective and helps ease bad backs or sprains.
I don't want to 'sell' Forever Living to you - I am in no way involved (my mum doesn't want to sell to any new customers/friends) just had really good results from taking the juice. Hope this helps you a little - I'm sure other mse members will be able to share their experiences.
good luck
Catherine

[John Jackson]

You don't say what you want Aloe Vera for...

Anyway, there's some clinical info here: Oxford university's Bandolier site. (http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/alternat/AT125.html)

It seems as if it may be useful for external use in some conditions; however, I'd read this report (http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/aloe.html) before ingesting it.

[Becles]

I get prickly heat rash and use an aloe vera gel on it. I keep it in the fridge so it feels lovely and cool when I need to use it.

[Ted_Hutchinson]

Medicinal uses of Aloe Vera Wiipaedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloe_vera#Medicinal_uses) doesn't produce anything which convinces me that Aloe Vera is more than a quack marketing ploy with more hype than substance. Further searches of Pubmed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi) where peer reviewed published research abstracts can be found also produces very few recent publications which would support it's use. Similar searches for "Green Tea" or "Omega 3" do produce reams of recent research demonstrating scientific benefits which can be proved to work. Considering the time that Forever living Products have been hypeing this stuff you would have though by now there would be some independent stuff supporting their claims. As there isn't anything I think it's unlikely to do any good at all.

[Ellie2758]

I used Aloe Vera juice for ibs and found it really helped. This was years back. I used stuff from the local health store and whatever was on offer.

Hope this helps

Ellie

[frizz_head]

As with Ellie, I take two Aloe Vera Capsules everyday to help with bloatedness - as I read that its a good colon cleanser. As soon as I stop - I notice a huge difference!

I get mine from Holland and Barratt.

Frizzle

[dbs]

I use to take Aloe vera for IBS but not any more visit www.helpforibs.com/news/newsletter/strawshort052604.html and scroll down the page.

[Ted_Hutchinson]

As with Ellie, I take two Aloe Vera Capsules everyday to help with bloatedness - as I read that its a good colon cleanser. As soon as I stop - I notice a huge difference!There is a very marked Placebo Effect with IBS. For most IBS medications the placebo treatment works twice as well.

Pepermint oil is probably the most likely winner. I can find no published Scientific research supporting the use of Aloe Vera for IBS.

[Peter Griffin]

My mums best friend used it for chrones disease and swears by it, says it saved her life.

[frizz_head]

There is a very marked Placebo Effect with IBS. For most IBS medications the placebo treatment works twice as well.

Pepermint oil is probably the most likely winner. I can find no published Scientific research supporting the use of Aloe Vera for IBS.
I suffer from bloatedness not IBS Ted, and though there may be no Scientific evidence to back this up - it works for me! As soon as I stop taking them for a few days (usually when I have run out and cannot get to a Holland and Barratt) I struggle to do up my trousers!

[Ted_Hutchinson]

I suffer from bloatedness not IBS Ted, and though there may be no Scientific evidence to back this up - it works for me! As soon as I stop taking them for a few days (usually when I have run out and cannot get to a Holland and Barratt) I struggle to do up my trousers!As one of the major causes of Bloating (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003123.htm)
is Irritable bowel syndrome (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000246.htm) it seemed a reasonable inference. I assume you have considered Lactose Intolerance (http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/lactoseintolerance/) for which one of the symptoms is bloating.

However there are several research papers such as this one Determination of placebo effect in irritable bowel syndrome (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16123895&query_hl=18) investigating the high rate of response to placebo treatments in this condition IBS and this may affect some people's opinion (not necessarily yours) of the efficacy of the treatments they are taking.
As I have pointed out Peppermint oil capsules have a good well researched track record for dealing with the discomfort of IBS as have Probiotic and prebiotics.

[Ellie2758]

Can anybody tell me the names of any prebiotic or probiotics I could try? Are they in drink form?>

How does one get tested for lactose intolerance?

thanks

Ellie

[Peter Griffin]

hi ellie - probiotics are found in yogurts and those expensive little drinks - yakult etc.. the good bacteria type thingys

prebiotics are food that promote good bacteria growth by changing the environment and other such things... loads of different types apparently FOS are the most common (yup google searched that bit!!) some of these fancy drinks have them in, but are found in different food types depending on what type you want.

as for testing for lactose intolerance that can be done by a doctor but according to that annoying "state the obvious" woman from you are what you eat - you can test for lactose intolerance by avoiding all milk products for a few days then have some - testing your pulse - check to see if it rises when you drink the milk and also check for the signs of lactose intolerance within the hour - bloating, gas, diarrhea etc. if your DIY test confirms it then just check with the doc to confirm and get advice.

hope this helps for now, i'm sure others will help out more and be a bit more exact with the sciencey bits.

[beadysam]

I use the gel for everything! Sunburn - it is soooooo soothing, especially chilled. Good for thrush discomfort. Great for flea or midge bites or chicken pox. Good on eczema - I use it on the dog too!
SAM x

[sparky61]

I have an Aloe Vera plant in my kitchen. I burnt my hand on the saucepan handle last week, broke a leaf off and spread it all over my hand and within 5 minutes the sting and pain were gone.
:)

[Ellie2758]

Thanks Peter, I will get some of those Yakults from sainsburys after badminton this morning.

What on earth is FOS??????

Does one just avoid milk, or is it all dairy products for lactulose??

ta

Ellie

[Ted_Hutchinson]

I have an Aloe Vera plant in my kitchen. I burnt my hand on the saucepan handle last week, broke a leaf off and spread it all over my hand and within 5 minutes the sting and pain were gone.
:)The St Johns Ambulance advice for burns is to cool the burn immediately under running water for at least 10 minutes. This really does work.

[Savvy_Sue]

Thanks Peter, I will get some of those Yakults from sainsburys after badminton this morning.If you don't like Yakult, look around in the same area as there are other pre-biotic and pro-biotic drinks, including supermarket own brands. Personally I cannot abide the taste of Yakult, but all the others are OK. I'd look out for BOGOFs and other special offers as well!

[Ted_Hutchinson]

Lidl's and Aldi's also do probiotic yoghurts so you don't have to go for the expensive brands. I've also used a Lidl's probiotic as a starter for home made yoghurt for quite a while now. It's the second starter yoghurt I've bought this year so and it's still going strong.

If you study the contents label and look for Bifidobacteria (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16167966&query_hl=1) or these Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, L. rhamnosus LC705, Bifidobacterium breve Bb99 and Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. shermanii JS (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16128676&query_hl=1)
But there are others as well.

[Ellie2758]

I couldnt see any own-brand Yakult type stuff in sainsburys :(

I suspect I will hate Yakult too.....:eek:

Ellie

[frizz_head]

I couldnt see any own-brand Yakult type stuff in sainsburys :(

I suspect I will hate Yakult too.....:eek:

Ellie
Oh no Ellie, Yakult is nice - like a very watered down yoghurt - but very sweet! Also very expensive!! :(

[Peter Griffin]

Hi again,

don't worry about FOC's,

one thing to consider though is that if you are lactose intolerant then probiotic drinks are made from milk products and contain lactose, so may be a problem, don't taste too bad though just like sugary yogurt watered down.

[Ellie2758]

Well, this is the thing isnt it? If you are trying to discover if you are lactose intolerant surely you should be avoiding ALL dairy products?:confused:

btw, the Yakult was fine. I bought the "light" version and it tasted like raspberry sherbet.

Ellie

[Ted_Hutchinson]

Well, this is the thing isnt it? If you are trying to discover if you are lactose intolerant surely you should be avoiding ALL dairy products?:confused:

btw, the Yakult was fine. I bought the "light" version and it tasted like raspberry sherbet.

EllieHERON have Muller vitality probiotic yoghurt drinks for 59p for 6 so worth a try if your experimenting with them. However Heron stuff comes and goes so I can't guarantee yours will have these in at the moment.
With regard Lactose intolerance and probiotic drinks/Yoghurts as Recent research shows that yogurt with active cultures may be a good source of calcium for many people with lactose intolerance, even though it is fairly high in lactose. Evidence shows that the bacterial cultures used to make yogurt produce some of the lactase enzyme required for proper digestion. (http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/lactoseintolerance/)

[Ellie2758]

Who are Heron, Ted? I dont know that we have them round these parts.

Ellie

[Ted_Hutchinson]

Who are Heron, Ted? I dont know that we have them round these parts.

EllieVery cheap frozen food place. All out local (East Midlands) towns seem to have them. I assumed they were national. Tend to have smallish shops with freezers down both sides but over them are tinned stuff and basics. They specialise in short dated or end of range items which is why they are cheap and why their stuff comes and goes. Currently doing 12 cornetto's for £1 but only in one flavour. Similarly the 59p muller probiotics were vanilla or tropical 6packs only. The often have weightwatchers yoghurts but usually it's toffee flavour only. Sometimes have some good snack biscuit offers. Their 1kg 99p bacon bits are always good value. I've sometimes found 4 or 5 reasonable gammon rashers in a pack, odd shapes, but they eat fine.

[kingshir]

I've been taking an Aloe Vera capsule daily for the last 5 years to help with the pain of arthritis and placebo effect or not, I can assure you that when I miss it for a day or two my wrists and fingers start to hurt! I also used it when my son was small and had eczema; I used it on the rough red, sore bits - again with great effect and I use it for anything to do with burns, rashs etc.

[Ted_Hutchinson]

The problem with anecdotal reports of successful alternative therapies is that there is often no science or logic behind these reports.
While I can point other readers to research which confirms that Olive Oil and Omega 3 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15723739&query_hl=18) will help with the pain of arthritis, and I can, if I had time, explain to other readers why these two oils could be expected to have this beneficial effect, I have to say there is no research anywhere which supports the use of Aloe Vera for arthritis and that includes the major Arthritis research sites.

Hopefully you and other readers who want to spend their money this way will be buying your supplies from ZIPVIT (http://http//www.zipvit.com) where you can get Aloe Vera 6000mg - 120 for £7.45 that way you minimise your loss.

But other readers should always follow medically approved advice for the treatment of burns which means at least 10 minutes under running cold water first.

Edit: Do also take Martin's rules about not giving Medical Advice seriously. It is one thing pointing readers to officially recognised sites which are giving scientifically proven and medically approved advice and taking it upon yourself to give other people advice based on your own experience but which has no scientific backup and isn't received medical opinion.

[Trying2Save]

My 15yr old had an accident Wed night whilst cooking and has got burns from cooking oil on her face and chest. One of the nuses said Aloe Vera will help but the stuff I bought from the chemist hurt her when I put a little bit on. Where can I get the right ointment? Or should I go and buy the plant?

[Trying2Save]

I do not want medical advice - I have that from the Doctor - I want to know where to get the plant/lotion?

[Ted_Hutchinson]

As there is no high quality evidence of effectiveness of aloe vera for wound healing. I would look for the cheapest
Holland and Barret have got a half price promotion on 200 ml. Cream Now 50% OFF: £2.49 they don't have any in stock online but you might find some in your local shop.
Otherwisezipvit (http://www.zipvit.com) sell
Aloe Vera Skin Gel - A light, non-greasy skin gel containing Aloe Vera and Cucumber - 250ml
4.95
Both honey and cucumber are also known to assist burn healing so while your getting the cream they may be useful if you can find a way to apply them.

If you find a neighbour has an aloe vera plant (they are spiky succulents] You can easily snip off a leaf without doing much harm. They often produce baby plants which are easy to propogate from so if you know some with one you may be able to get some babies to grow on.
Aloe vera instructions for use (http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/substances_view/1,1525,10001,00.html)The most effective and economical source of the gel is an aloe vera plant, which is easy to grow, even on a sunny city window sill. Cut off one of its plumper leaves and wash it off with soap and water. Then slit the leaf lengthwise, and squeeze out the clear gel from the center. Apply and gently spread the gel on to the painful area and let it dry; repeat the application as needed.
See aloe picture (http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=tbn:_PxD0KZu7NgJ:aloe-vera-farm.de/bilder/aloe-vera-aufzucht.jpg)

[Trying2Save]

Ted, thank you so much.

[abbecer]

I swear by Forever Living Aloe juice. For me it has worked wonders. Placibo or not i really don't care!! I feel well, and that is what concerns me most. Yes it is expensive but worth every penny. I am only 30 but was constantly exhausted, suffering from IBS and it was a struggle to get through everyday, especially with two small boys. I now feel energetic and never suffer any pains from IBS.

People should respect what works for others. I am open to all kinds of medicine. What works for the individual complimentary or conventional is the most important thing.

Rebecca x :rotfl:

[Ted_Hutchinson]

I swear by Forever Living Aloe juice.You don't happen to be an agent for FLP that might explain your position. If you compare the prices of FLP products there is absolutely no justification for them. It is the Reward Structure (http://distrib.foreverliving.com/marketing/pageDisplay.do?page=bonusPlan&siteID=GBR&language=en) that adds a percentage profit to every layer of the multi-level-marketing structure which determines the end price. It is simply hype upon hype to get more and more people involved.
This site doesn't have any truck with organisations which are bordering on fraud.

[Molanole]

On holiday last week I had a nasty case of heat rash and my family had loads of mosquito bites. We cut a leaf from an aloe vera plant and rubbed the sap on my rash and on their bites. The itching and discomfort disappeared in no time. I did not put any on my bites and a week later they're still itching. Pleasant I know but it's good to share.

[Ted_Hutchinson]

Effectiveness of aloe vera (http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/alternat/AT125.html)
If you'd used Honey for wounds? (http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/band138/b138-4.html)

[abbecer]

Yes i am an FLP agent. However i tried and tested the products myself, before i became involved in the company. I agree that a lot of the products are expensive but personally i think they are far superior to others that i have tried. My customer base is family and friends and i could not, and would not recommend them products that i think would not benefit them. Yes i am hoping to be successful and make a decent living but i would rather be skint than rip people off. I do not force people to buy the products, i give them the information and they make the choice. If they try a product and it does not work for them they have a 60 day money back guarantee. I think that this is more than fair. The company does not try to make any scientific claims about it's products but i think that it's millions of customers, and how many years it has been established speaks volumes. I think that it is insulting to all the customers that have benefited to suggest that the products just create a placibo effect.

I am not trying to speak for anyone else, just my own personal experience. For me the aloe juice has helped enormously. I do not try to claim it will be a miracle cure-all for everyone.

The company also has the 'Investor in People Award'. I know of my own experience working in the nursing industry that these are difficult to achieve. I do not believe that it would be handed out to a company 'verging on fraud'.

Rebecca x:rotfl:

[Ted_Hutchinson]

As this is the Health Forum it's not the place for a discussion on the ethics of FLP and multi-level marketing but other readers may care to read MLM: Once Legitimate, Now a Scam (http://www.quatloos.com/mlm/mlm.htm)
Often MLM scams have sub-scams within the main scam of buying Distributorships. One of these scams is the purchasing of advertising materials. Think about it: A company wants you to sell their product but they want you to pay for the advertising materials?

IMO FLP borders on the fraud by encouraging (Brainwashing?) new members with the idea that to get onto the higher level of commission you need to appoint a team of people under you and to do this you need to spend on advertising materials and invest in a variety of "packs" Where a company spends as much time and effort encouraging others to join it as salesmen rather than accurately stating the quantity of the active ingredients in their products they are verging on the realms of Pyramid Selling.

None of the nutritional items sold to my knowledge show the quantities of active ingredients and as such their value for money is more the result of hype than the actual amount of active ingredient being bought.

[dbs]

There is a very marked Placebo Effect with IBS. For most IBS medications the placebo treatment works twice as well.

Pepermint oil is probably the most likely winner. I can find no published Scientific research supporting the use of Aloe Vera for IBS.


I agree but would not call it a placebo but if you suffer from upper GI/GERD problems peppermint can make this condition worse.

If I take the capsules I end up with heartburn but drinking the tea I am ok.

I also take Fennel tea and a soluble fiber supplement with FOS prebiotics and Lactobacillus Acidophilus and
Bifidum Bacteria probiotics called Lepicol.

Fennel tea is really cheap go to an asian food store they sell large bags for about a pound this is good if you are bloated.

Soluble fiber supplements are good for both constipation and diarrhea.

Been IBS for a few years best website in my opinion is www.helpforibs.com for good researched information on IBS and only recommends products that are safe to take.

[nomis1955]

I have secondary hypogonadism (my pituitary gland isnt working properly) & I have to use testosterone gel every day. i was having a lot of problems with this stuff taking ages to dry until someone suggested mixing it with some aloe vera gel. The gel mix now drys in a couple of minutes without any of the stickiness that I had before:T
So for those who say it is only a "quack" remedy I can tell you it has at least one proven very good use!
Simon

[Peartree]

Don't know about internal use but Aloe Vera is fantastic on burns. I'm very accident prone and am always burning myself whilst cooking. I still take the heat out of the burn with cold running water but after that use a thick layer of Aloe Vera. I find it takes the pain out of the burn and it heals much more quickly. You need a good quality though - a proper high percentage Aloe Vera gel and not a cosmetic type brand.