Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Aloe Vera Juice, Extracts And Gel: Current Safety Information


I will be adding to this post. - Updated June 5, 2016

Aloe vera is promoted for many uses today. The gel has traditional use for some kinds of burns and skin healing. The juice is promoted for internal use and commercially often contains a mix of juice and some gel. However, as with all natural products, there are safety cautions for the use of both.

 2016
"Aloe vera: A review of toxicity and adverse clinical effects", 2016, bolding added by me
"Aloe plant is ... a dietary supplement in a variety of foods and ... an ingredient in cosmetic products. ... widespread human exposure and its potential toxic and carcinogenic activities raise safety concerns. ... Ingestion of Aloe preparations is associated with diarrhea, hypokalemia, pseudomelanosis coli, kidney failure, as well as phototoxicity and hypersensitive reactions. Recently, Aloe vera whole leaf extract showed clear evidence of carcinogenic activity in rats ... was classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a possible human carcinogen (Group 2B). ... This review ... updated information on the toxicological effects, including the cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, and adverse clinical effects of Aloe vera whole leaf extract, gel, and latex."

 2015
"IARC MONOGRAPHS ON THE EVALUATION OF CARCINOGENIC RISKS TO HUMANS Volume 108 (2015)" - "Aloe vera", color and bolding added by me
"There is inadequate evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of Aloe vera. ... There is sufficient evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of whole leaf extract of Aloe vera. ... Whole leaf extract of Aloe vera is possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B)."

2007
"Case reports include acute eczema, contact urticaria, and dermatitis in individuals who applied Aloe-derived ingredients topically. ... In Aloe-derived ingredients used in cosmetics, regardless of species, anthraquinone levels should not exceed 50 ppm. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel advised the industry that the total polychlorobiphenyl (PCB)/pesticide contamination of any plant-derived cosmetic ingredient should be limited to not more than 40 ppm, with not more than 10 ppm for any specific residue and that limits were appropriate for the following impurities: arsenic (3 mg/kg maximum), heavy metals (20 mg/kg maximum), and lead (5 mg/kg maximum)."

 2016
World Health Organization, Aloe Gel, 2016, colored bolding added by me
"Medicinal uses ... Uses supported by clinical data ... None. ... At present no commercial preparation has been proved to be stable. Because many of the active ingredients in the gel appear to deteriorate on storage, the use of fresh gel is recommended. ... In most cases the gel must be freshly prepared because of its sensitivity to enzymatic, oxidative, or microbial degradation. ... There have been a few reports of contact dermatitis and burning skin sensations following topical applications of Aloe Vera Gel to dermabraded skin ... These reactions appeared to be associated with anthraquinone contaminants in this preparation ... An acute bullous allergic reaction and contact urticaria have also been reported to result from the use of Aloe Vera Gel"
2016
World Health Organization: "Aloe", color and some bolding added by me
"Uses described in folk medicine, not supported by experimental or clinical data ... Treatment of seborrhoeic dermatitis, peptic ulcers, tuberculosis, and fungal infections, and for reduction of blood sugar (glucose) levels ... Microbiology ... The test for Salmonella spp. in aloe products should be negative. ... Pesticide residues ... To be established in accordance with national requirements. ... Heavy metals ... Recommended lead and cadmium levels are not more than 10 and 0.3mg/kg, respectively, in the final dosage form of the plant material ... Radioactive residues ... For analysis of strontium-90, iodine-131, caesium-134, caesium-137, and plutonium-239, see WHO guidelines on quality control methods for medicinal plants ... Pregnancy ... Aloe should not be used during pregnancy except under medical supervision after benefits and risks have been evaluated ... Nursing mothers ... Anthranoid metabolites appear in breast milk. Aloe should not be used during lactation except under medical supervision ... insufficient data available to assess the potential for pharmacological effects in the breast-fed infant ... Paediatric use ... Oral use of Aloe in children under 10 years old is contraindicated."  

 2015
"CHEMICALS LISTED EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 4, 2015 AS KNOWN TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO CAUSE CANCER: ALOE VERA, NON-DECOLORIZED WHOLE LEAF EXTRACT AND GOLDENSEAL ROOT POWDER
[12/04/15]" 
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/proposition-65/chemicals/120415listingaloevera.pdf&gws_rd=cr&ei=t3FUV_bbCsyPjwSw95f4AQ

 More on the background of the above information 
2011 
National Toxicology Program "Aloe Vera" 
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/materials/aloe_vera_508.pdf 
"What do the NTP rodent studies mean for humans? ... NTP rat studies give cause for serious concern ... nothing would lead us to believe that this finding would not be relevant to humans" 

 2010
"TOXICOLOGY AND CARCINOGENESIS STUDIES OF GOLDENSEAL ROOT POWDER (HYDRASTIS CANADENSIS)" 
https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/lt_rpts/tr562.pdf  - a two year feed study 
"We conclude that goldenseal root powder caused cancer in the liver of male and female rats and male mice" 

 2013
Mayo Clinic: "Aloe", updated 2013 - See also "Evidence" - more research is needed.

 The research on aloe vera and cancer is continuing and longer trial times are being used in studies., 2013

 2012
Methods to stabilize commercial aloe gel are still being investigated.
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