Aloe Vera and Diabetes

It's not just for your skin!

Everyone knows how good it feels to put aloe vera on a sunburn. The healing link between aloe vera and diabetes is a little less known. Interestingly, preliminary research points towards the use of the plant to lower or improve blood glucose levels. Intriguing. Let's take a closer look.

Aloe vera gel contains 75 different nutrients and over 200 active compounds. There are at least 500 different studies touting aloe veras health benefits to humans. Aloe vera is just one of over 400 species of the aloe type of plant. Early references to aloe vera can be found in both ancient Egypt and the bible.

While no one region can claim native aloe vera, it most likely originated in Northern Africa. The plant is now widely grown all over the world.

For centuries, people have been using the gel found in the plant to treat burns, scapes and minor cuts. Aloe vera juice is also widely touted as a soothing treatment for digestive problems such as heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome and as a laxative. Lately, other health benefits have been emerging.

The aloe vera and diabetes link can probably first be traced to the Arabian Peninsula where the plant has been used as a traditional remedy for diabetes. More recently, two studies found that juice made from aloe vera gel actually improved fasting blood glucose after 6 weeks of consumption.

Case reports of five type 2 diabetics also have found that aloe vera reduced fasting blood glucose and A1c levels. No adverse affects were reported in these trials.

The National Institute of Health is quick to point out that further studies are needed to definitively determine aloe vera's affect on blood glucose levels. Nonetheless, the initial reports are very promising.