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Natural HealthHerbs & SupplementsAloe vera: soothing inside and out
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Aloe vera: soothing inside and out

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Medical uses
They symptoms of peptic ulcer and irritable bowel syndrome can be eased by taking 50 ml three times daily of a juice made from the gel to help detoxify the bowel and neutralise stomach acidity in sufferers. This remedy is also said to help mouth ulcers. A study in the Journal of Alternative Medicine reported that 10 patients with inflammatory bowel disease were given two ounces of aloe juice, three times daily. After one week, diarrhoea had stopped in all patients, four had improved bowel regularity and three reported increased energy. Some researchers claim that aloe vera is helpful in a wide range of gastro-intestinal problems including heartburn, Crohn's Disease and pancreatitis.

Aloe vera has also been used to help with post surgery healing. US dermatologist Dr James Fulton uses it after many operative procedures, including suturing cuts, facial dermabrasion and removal of skin cancers. However, it should be used cautiously as a topical application for deep surgical (or other) wounds, such as a Caesarean delivery. It has been suggested that aloe may actually delay healing in these cases, so it's wise to wait at least two weeks.

Aloe also has considerable success in the treatment of psoriasis. In research published in the Journal of Tropical Medicine, an aloe vera ointment (0.5 per cent aloe vera extract in a mineral oil cream) applied three times daily for four weeks, helped heal psoriatic skin lesions in more than 80 per cent of sufferers.

Cautions
Consult your family doctor or qualified health professional before taking aloe vera if you are:

  • Pregnant, or trying to get pregnant
  • Breast-feeding
  • Suffering from appendicitis or any other inflamed intestinal disease
  • Suffering from abdominal pain from an unknown source
  • ? Taking medication such as digoxin: potassium loss, a possible side effect, can affect the action of the drug with potentially dangerous consequences
  • Suffering from haemorrhoids
  • Suffering from kidney disease


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