Aloin: Side Effects, Toxicity, and Barroom Chatter
In this blog post, we discuss aloin, its side effects, and its suspected toxicity.
The best way to keep barroom gossip just that is to report scientific studies that demonstrate the actual reality of things.
There are several studies and research that take into consideration the biological activities of the phytopharmacological molecules present in this plant.
This means that these studies explain the molecules present within aloe and their specific functions. Essentially, they tell us why aloe is beneficial for this or that.
We discuss the beneficial effects of aloe in detail in this article. >>CLICK HERE TO READ IT<<
In this article we've focused on the alleged toxicity of aloe, so let's get straight to the point:
TOXICITY AND SAFETY OF ALOE ARBORESCENS
Those who claim that Aloe is an irritant or toxic are overlooking the fact that there is research that clearly explains that at the suggested dosage of 1-3 scoops for a total of 30 ml per day, or a few capsules of extract per day, the risks are non-existent.
We're not talking about eating kilos or drinking liters of aloe every day! ...and likewise, we're not talking about having to swallow dozens of aloe extract capsules every day.
In a 2* study on aloe toxicity, which lasted one year, at a dosage of 100 mg per kilo, no physical problems of any kind emerged.
( One-year chronic toxicity study of Aloe arborescens Miller var. Natalensis Berger in Wistar Hannover rats. A pilot study)
Taking 100mg of Aloe extract for every kilo of body weight theoretically means that a person weighing 70kg who ingests 7000mg (= 7 grams) of Aloe arborescens extract (powder) every day for a whole year should have no problems whatsoever.
And 7 grams of powder are equivalent to approximately 18 400mg capsules (which is the dosage used in 100% BIO Aloe Arborescens capsules).
Have you ever seen a product labeled "recommended dosage: 18 capsules per day"? Usually, it will say the recommended dosage is 2, 4, or a maximum of 6 capsules per day for aloe vera products.
In the case of 100% Organic Aloe Arborescens capsules, the recommended dosage is 1 per day.
So, at the dosages normally suggested for any Aloe-based product, the benefits far outweigh the benefits. on the alleged associated risks.
And it doesn't end there, still in relation to the safety of using Aloe, the study by Dr. Matsuda 2 on the safety of using Aloe arborescens recalls that so far no toxicity has been recorded with the oral use of this plant, either in the form of a supplement or in the form of food.
This has not happened so far, despite its widespread use . This is another indicator of the safety of this plant.
Contrary to the barroom gossip, there are several studies conducted by University Professors who are experts in Phytopharmacy that have highlighted the beneficial effects of whole-leaf Aloe. Here are some of them:
1) Professor Luigi Lucini, lecturer at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, in his study (3*) (Chemical-biological studies on Aloe Arborescens and Aloe Vera (barbadensis) plants) states that:
The leaves of Aloe Barbadensis and Aloe Arborescens contain numerous beneficial molecules for humans and animals including:
1. Numerous antioxidants concentrated in the leaf dermis (cuticle)
2. Polysaccharides concentrated in the leaf gel
The most important antioxidants present in Aloe plants are anthraquinones, but also other unknown molecules (alosone, aloesin, aloeresin, and aloenin) having effects:
- ANTIOXIDANTS*: They prevent the formation of free radicals, slow down aging, and counteract the development of degenerative diseases and mutations in general.
- ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIVIRAL*: they counteract the growth of pathogenic microorganisms for humans and animals
- PURIFYING*
Antioxidants are concentrated in the leaf dermis (cuticle) and are very abundant in the Aloe Arborescens species.
Total Aloe leaf homogenates have greater anti-radical properties than those provided by the gel and leaf dermis alone.
As you may have noticed, Professor Lucini also refers to preparations made with the entire leaf and not "purified." Furthermore, all the researchers involved in the study agreed that the numerous therapeutic and pharmacological effects of Aloe, which we listed previously, are due to a SYNERGISTIC action between the different biomolecules and nutritional components concentrated in the ENTIRE leaf.
2) Furthermore, a study 3 (“Medicinal importance, pharmacological activities, and analytical aspects of aloin: a concise report” by Kanika Patel et al.) examined the benefits of Aloin in some fields of medical application.
Without going into too much detail, otherwise you risk seriously boring yourself, in summary this study states that Aloin has the requirements to be a natural molecule of great interest for the purpose of developing specific medicines.
Aloin is currently used by pharmaceutical companies to prepare laxative and digestive products.
3) Valuable information can be found in the treatise entitled “Phytopharmacy: Rational Use of Herbal Drugs” written by Prof. Francesco Capasso, Prof. Giuliano Grandolini, Prof. Angelo A. Izzo, three of the leading experts in phytotherapy in Italy, which aims to explain the functioning of the active ingredients of plants. In one part of the treatise, it seems that the 3 experts have tailor-made the Aloin question.
In short they state that: More important than the individual active ingredient is the combination of pharmacologically active substances present in a plant (in this case, Aloe), as they can interact beneficially with each other. In fact, some substances, which taken individually can cause side effects, become useful and medicinal when combined with others.
This is one of the most fascinating features of phytotherapy.
The effect of the whole (whole plant) is greater than the sum of its parts
And that's not all…
The treatise also states that the bitter substances within phytotherapeutic plants (in the case of Aloe, aloin is bitter) have the fundamental task of promoting the dissolution and absorption of the other active ingredients.
Still…
In many cases, phytotherapeutic plants (our object of study is always Aloe), therefore Aloe possesses a set of active ingredients that interact with each other and have specific actions and applications that are difficult to replace or reproduce. It is obvious that any attempt to purify the raw extract, such as sterilizing, pasteurizing, or filtering Aloe, it does nothing but weaken the effects of the finished product.
In conclusion, we can safely say that Aloe is not toxic.
Are there any side effects? In particularly sensitive individuals, diarrhea may occur at high doses and in the initial stages of aloe use; however, within a few days of continuing treatment, this symptom tends to subside and eventually disappear.
To avoid episodes of diarrhea, it is advisable for those who start taking Aloe for the first 3-4 days to take doses lower than those recommended.
When the body has become “used” to this new substance
It is well known that the abuse and excessive use of anything is harmful and damaging to our health.
Even water can be harmful if consumed in stratospheric quantities!
The advice is to take Aloe Arborescens extracts made with the whole leaf in order to benefit from all the active ingredients it contains.
"We can compare it to an orchestra that, with the harmony of all its elements, performs flawless symphonies. Removing the peel or using other procedures to eliminate supposed "harmful substances" only distorts and weakens the effects of Aloe. If one or more elements are removed from an orchestra, it's obvious that the harmony will never be the same again."
