Aloe Vera

[Chas]

I know this is WAY off topic, but help me out here if you can.

My dad is convinced that Aloe Vera taken internally will cure all his ills. He has gotten a couple of booklets which look real slick, and the AARP folks have let somebody pay them a fee to use their name and logo to hawk the stuff.

All of this has Dad convinced that this is the fountain of youth and anybody who thinks it's a scam is an idiot.

So - do any of you folks know of some web sites I can go to which debunk the stuff? Our doctor is way too nice to call it snake oil, but he sure hinted at it.

I have read a few very short things saying it's not good to ingest it - but that it makes a fine liniment and/or salve.

Any help.

[anne]

Starting in the third paragraph, I'd say there's some clear debate as to its internal value:


http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/aloe.html

[drewstar]

Alhoa Vera?

Who's Vera?  Where is she going?

[Ruby]

Anne
Thanks for the Quackery website- I found it very interesting in many subjects.

[drewstar]

I looked around,  and couldn't find too much about the negatives of aloe vera.  

It seems, as we all know, it's great for burns and as topical treatment.  

Taken internally, it seems it's mainly a laxative.  There are hundreds of sites claiming it's more than just a laxative, but also purges/cleanses the body and is good for the liver.  



If that's true, there's no solid evidence of it being a "miracle curre",  but there is no indication that it's harmful.

Some negatives that i did see included some manufactuers of Aloe products being deceptive in the purity of the product:


http://www.iasc.org/nmr.html

And there have been cases of "doctors" having very expsive aloe treatment programs that are being investagated as fruad:
http://origin.www.fda.gov/fdac/departs/2002/302_irs.html


I saw a few other reports were some folks got into trouble because they sold the product as a cure for AIDS and Cancer.

IF your dad is being asked to invest in an Aloe Vera product, I'd be cautios. There are many snake oil comapnies out there (but then again, it's also growing as a product too)

I'd be cautious too, if he is being sold the product for a significant amount of money (like the diet plans...$500 for a months supply)

What does his Dr say?

[anne]

This article is a little more current than the last one. I think the basic take on it should be that AloeVera has some great uses, definitely topically and perhaps internally, but it is NOT a recognized drug or supplement by the FDA, so as such, no doctor is going to be willing to give it the thumbs up- they just cant.

I love it for minor burns. That is all I have ever done with it myself.

http://www.drugs.com/MTM/aloe_vera_topical.html

[Chas]

Hey this is great stuff! Keep it coming.

My Dad's Doc doesn't call it snake oil or phony, but he hints strongly that way. Trouble is, I'm in the room getting the hint, but Dad doesn't get it.

I wouldn't care if he took the stuff except for two things: one, it seems to upset his stomache. I have enough smells in the house, thank-you very much...

Two - he thinks it will cure all his ailments, and I mean ALL. He got some booklet which is nicely printed. That's all it takes for many of the elderly - a nice-looking brochure which is passed off as some "study" or "research."

I'm going to get some of the info off the web sites you folks have kindly offered, and print it in Publisher with pictures and color. Make it look like a brochure. Show Dad that there are two ways of looking at this.

BTW - we still use it for topical stuff and it seems to work well. But to be honets, I have never put half Aloe and Half plain oil on a sore, so I don't know if it realy is any better...

[Bonibelle]

I swear by aloe for burns...I always keep live plants for that reason. The only thing I can say about ingesting it is...when my house bunny gets to my aloe plant he usually ends up with diarrhea

[drewstar]

In Aruaba I took a tour of the Aloe factory.  (Yea, I'm a bit of a production /manufactering geek....what do you do while on a vacation in a tropical island paradise...oh   I  know lets tour the factory!!!.

Which brings me to my point....

I have no point.