Page 5 - Information about Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera 8.5 12pp final.qxd 1/15/06 2:22 PM Page 5

ALOE VERA
the health benefits

resist carcinogenic change or to halt or diminish septic effect. Plaskett (1997a) has reviewed the
the progression of established tumours. effects of Aloe upon infections. Fujita et al (1978)
reported upon the anti-microbial & anti-fungal
5.1 Evidence for and Mechanism of properties of Aloe.
the Immune Stimulant Effect of Aloe
The evidence available in the research literature 5.3 Viral Infections
is of four kinds. Aloe augments the body’s resistance to viral
1) Work showing that Aloe protects humans or infections. The available reports relate to work
animals from infections by bacteria, viruses with diseases of cats and to human infection with
or fungi (anti-infective action) AIDS. In most of this work the material used is
2) Work showing that Aloe protects humans or referred to as “Acemannan”. Sheets et al (1991)
animals from carcinogenesis, or from demonstrated that Aloe could protect cats to a
established tumours (anti-cancer action). very useful degree against Feline Leukaemia Virus
3) Work showing that the behaviour and (FeLV). This virus is connected with
activities of isolated cells from the immune lymphoproliferative diseases in cats, such as
system of humans or animals are influenced leukaemia and lymphosarcoma. In other words,
by Aloe in a way that would be expected to they are neoplasms of the lymphatic system. They
increase their effectiveness against either may also produce immunodeficiency disease and
infections or tumours (immune cellular aplastic anaemia in cats. It is estimated that 40%
actions). These effects can include stimulation of cats developing the disease die within 4 weeks
of phagocytosis (engulfing of bacteria or of infection and 70% die within eight weeks.
other particles by immune cells) or the However, in the experiment, involving 44 cats,

There are many studies showing Aloe augments the
that resistance to infection is body’s resistance
enhanced by Aloe either in to viral infections.
humans or in animals.

production of substances toxic to bacteria 83% of those that were not clearly terminal at the
such as hydrogen peroxide or nitric oxide. start lived. Follow-up 39 weeks after the
4) Work showing that Aloe reacts with or beginning of the study showed that owners of the
inhibits or destroys viruses or cancer cells surviving cats reported them as being “healthy
outside the body (anti-viral action or and happy” pets with a normal state of activity.
anti-cancer action). The conclusion of the authors was that “The
significant improvement in viability as well as the
Some details of this research are given below. overall health of the treated cats suggests that
This literature is quite extensive, however, so it is Acemannan is an effective treatment of FeLV
only possible to cite examples of some of the infection”. Yates et al (1992), did a similar study
best-known research papers. with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. Like the study
by Sheets et al, this showed improved survival
5.2 Bacterial and Fungal Infections rates from the use of Acemannan.
Northway, in 1975, used a commercial extract of
Aloe vera Gel in his veterinary practice to treat a The work of Pulse & Uhlig, 1990, has shown that
number of external conditions in a total of 67 Aloe, together with the nutrients cited in the study,
animals. Part of his conclusion was that there was can be effective in improving the general health
excellent response in the case of fungal infections and immune status of AIDS patients. The trial
and also “in the treatment of mixed bacterial lasted for 180 days and the 29 patients were
infections”. Cera et al (1980) put Aloe Gel onto assessed by medical examination and laboratory
burns and found that the organism that most studies at 30, 60, 90 and 180 days after the start
often infects burn tissues, Pseudomonas of the programme. They were also assessed by a
aeruginosa, was inhibited. Solar et al. (1979) found Modified Walter Reed Clinical Evaluation. This
that Aloe markedly increased the resistance of showed that, according to that evaluation, all 29
mice to Klebsiella pneumonia. In this last instance patients improved by 90 days and 27 of them
the benefits were apparently obtained through the made further improvement by 180 days. The mean
page 3e 3
effects on host physiology (by inference, the value decreased by two units from a starting value pag
immune system), rather than an antibiotic or anti- of 5.39, a considerable improvement. They were