Page 11 - Information about Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera 8.5 12pp final.qxd 1/15/06 2:22 PM Page 11

ALOE VERA
the health benefits

9.1 How the Action of Aloe Impinges Ghannam et al (1986) also studied the effect of
upon Hyperglycaemia in Type II Aloe treatment upon diabetic mice and reported
Diabetes an improvement (hypoglycaemic effect) of
Research from Saudi Arabia, Ghannam et al approximately 43% in their plasma glucose levels
(1986), reports effects of Aloe on human after 7 days of treatment.
diabetics. They state, “The dried sap of the Aloe
plant is one of several traditional remedies used Agarwal (1985) published a major paper on the
for diabetes in the Arabian peninsular.” The study prevention of atheromatous heart disease. There
concerned five patients only, who all had non- were 5000 patients in the study, aged 35 to 65
insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDD) i.e. Type II. Two years, with follow-up over five years. Over 60% of
of these patients yielded two separate sets of these also had diabetes. Of these diabetic
experimental data, making seven records in all. patients 94% experienced improvements in their
Although the sample of patients is so small, the blood sugar levels during the trial. This trial was
results obtained were most impressive. The also of interest because the Aloe material used
fasting serum glucose levels were reduced from a was fresh Aloe gel (100g / day, given along with
mean of 273mg/dl before treatment to a mean of 20g / day Husk of Isabgol), and no sap-derived
151mg/dl after treatment. The insulin levels of these materials were used.
patients were unchanged. Interestingly, as has
been stated, insulin levels in the blood of patients Ghannam et al found that Aloe exerts its
with NIDD commonly do not exhibit absolute insulin hypoglycaemic effect by reducing the body’s
deficiency and it appears that their problem has production of blood glucose from breaking down
much to do with a relative insensitivity of the body protein (“gluconeogenesis”). The positive action of
tissues towards being influenced insulin. The myrrh in diabetes (an alternative antidiabetic plant
inference here is that treatment with Aloe in some product) was achieved by increasing the tissue
manner not yet understood, improves the oxidation of glucose. The obvious inference from
responsiveness of the body tissues towards insulin. this is that Aloe, in a form that contains both main
This makes the insulin that is already circulating in fractions, and myrrh, should be especially effective
the blood, more effective. In four out of the seven in combination for the treatment of diabetes.
records, the patient’s serum glucose fell to normal
(80-100mg/dl) or just above that range, while in Other relevant research, some from the middle
three other cases, although serum glucose was East, presents effects of Aloe in diabetic animals,
dramatically reduced, the level continued to hover for example, that of Al-Awadi (1985) and Farida et
at or just slightly above the renal threshold for al. (1987) of Kuwait. They concluded that both
glucose excretion, of 180mg/dl. This means that Aloe, and myrrh, were significantly hypoglycaemic.

It works by stimulating the surviving A third major action
cells to multiply rapidly to replace of Aloe is increasing
damaged cells. The mechanism by which the healing powers
the repair is accelerated is through the of tissues that have
stimulation of fibroblasts. been damaged.

small amounts of glucose were still being excreted. Blood sugar was reduced in diabetic mice, in one
This paper is enormously encouraging towards set of experiments by 6% and in another by 26%.
the idea that Aloe is an effective remedy against By comparing the 1987 study with their results
Type II Diabetes. The extent of the reduction in from previous studies, also concluded “different
the blood sugar levels of these patients is parts of the Aloe plant may lower blood glucose by
significant. Indeed, with the blood sugar reduced different mechanisms”. Therefore, an optimum
to 151mg/dl, the level has been reduced below Aloe product for the treatment of diabetes might
the renal threshold. In that sense, these patients, need to contain, in addition to the material of the
after treatment, were not really diabetic at all, Aloe gel or whole leaf extract, some components
even though they still had a degree of from the aloin (sap) fraction. Possibly then, for an
hyperglycaemia. However, there is some question Aloe product to be entirely optimised for the
about the nature of the Aloe material used by broadest possible spectrum of biomedical activities,
these authors, leaving us unsure what components the exudate fraction, or some parts of it, may,
of the Aloe were responsible for the benefits. indeed, be needed, but with the right precautions.
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