Re Aloe Vera - it has some great healing
properties. There's a part of the plant that's
toxic, but part of it is not. In general, I think
that aloe juice is from the healing part of the
plant, not the membrane that is or can be
toxic. I looked it up a few years ago and found
a nice diagram, can't find it now though.
It's UNFORTUNATE that the web sites that label it
as "poison" or "not poison" don't go into more detail.
For example, I use Georges Aloe vera juice
routinely with cats, it's not poison, and has had
some good effects on mouth problems for example,
my Lucy had mouth inflammation and my acupuncture
vet recommended it - and it worked great.
Also, acemanan is based on Aloe - go figure - this is from Wikipedia:
"Many of Aloe vera's beneficial properties are
attributed to
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki//wiki/Glycosaminoglycans>mucopolysaccharides
present in the inner gel of the leaf, especially
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki//w/index.php?title=Acemannan&action=edit>acemannan
(acetylated mannans). An injectable form of
acemannan manufactured and marketed by Carrington
Laboratories as Acemannan Immunostimulant™ has
been approved in the USA for treatment of
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki//wiki/Fibrosarcoma>fibrosarcoma
(a type of
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki//wiki/Cancer>cancer)
in dogs and cats after clinical trials. It has
not been approved for use by humans, and although
it is not a drug its sale is controlled and it
can only be obtained through a veterinary doctor."
A site called
http://www.1st-aloe-vera.com/aloe-vera-currenthistory.htm
- lists these significant dates and events:
"1991 - Ian R. Tizard, PhD, of Texas A&M,
reported in the Journal of Molecular Biotherapy,
that Aloe mannose was highly effective against
feline leukemia and soft tissue cancer in cats and dogs.
1992 - Dr. James Duke, United States Department
of Agriculture, approved the use of Aloe mannose
as a treatment of soft tissue cancer in animals and feline leukemia."
Aloe is not to be written off - it has some great healing properties.
Gloria
At 12:50 PM 11/15/2006, you wrote:
Okay, while I was reading about aloes and aloe
vera gel I did start to remember something about
the skin of the plant being toxic, (not the gel
from the inside). I found this post from a
Holisticat archive. I'm still confused after
reading it, but I thought I'd pass it along while I look for clearer answers:
ALOE(part used: leaf gel) vera vs ALOES (parts
used: dried leaf juice---the following info was
taken from the book "Herbal Medicines: A Guide
for Health-Care Professionals", by Newhall,
Anderson,and Phillipson; hardcover, 296 pages,
$77, available through the American Botanical Council 1-800-373-7105)
Aloe vera (Aloe vera and aloes are often
confused with each other) refers to the
mucilaginous tissue located in the leaf of Aloe
vera or related Aloe species. However, many
documented studies for Aloe vera have utilised
homogenised leaf extracts which therefore
combine aloe vera with aloes, the laxative
preparation obtained from the bitter, yellow
juice also found in the leaf. Commercial "aloin"
is a concentrated form of aloes.
Aloe vera is obtained from the mucilaginous
tissue in the center of the Aloe vera leaf and
consists mainly of polysacharides and lipids. It
should not be confused with aloes, which is
obtained by evaporation of water from the bitter
yellow juice that is drained from the
leaf.Unlike aloes, aloe vera does not contain
any anthraquinone compounds and does not therefore, exert any laxative action.
Hypoglycemic activity has been documented for an
aloe vera extract, although it is unclear
whether this is associated with the true aloe vera gel or the aloes extract.
The external application of aloe vera gel during
pregnancy is not thought to be any cause for
concern. However, products stated to contain
aloe extracts or aloe vera may well contain
gastrointestinal stimulant anthraquinone
components that are well recognized as the
active constituents in aloes(laxative). As such,
ingestion of such preparations during pregnancy
and lactation should be avoided.
ALOES
...recommended for the treatment of atonic
constipation and suppressed menstruation.
In human studies: the purgative action of the
anthraquinone glycosides is well recognized,
although aloes is reported to be more potent
than both senna and cascara. An aloes extract in
doses too small to cause abdominal cramps or
diarrhea had a significant hypoglycemic effect
in 5 non-insulin-dependant diabetics.(Ghannam N
et al. The antidiabetic activity of aloes:
preliminary and experimental observations. Hormone Res 1986; 24:288-94)
Aloes is a potent purgative that may cause
abdominal pains, gastro-intestinal irritation
leading to pelvic congestion and in large doses,
may result in nephritis, bloody diarrhea, and hemorrhagic gastritis.
The drastic purgative action of aloes
contra-indicates its use in individuals with
hemorrhoids and existing kidney disease. In
common with all purgatives, aloes should not be
given to patients with intestinal obstruction,
abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting. Aloes
colors alkaline urine red. Aloes is an
abortifacient and affects the menstrual cycle.
