Aloe vera and Digestion

Aloe vera enjoys a centuries old reputation as a remedy for many digestion and gastrointestinal disorders. Through the years many people have reported that taking Aloe vera has provided relief from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), acid reflux, ulcers, Crohn’s disease, and other disorders related to problems in the gastrointestinal system. In recent years, science and research has begun to validate what users have known for a long time: Aloe Vera’s healing properties can offer great relief.

Take a look below at all of the Aloe vera scientific research. If you or someone you know is having gastrointestinal or digestion problems, then you need to give Aloe vera a chance to help you, naturally. It’s not just a folk remedy anymore!

Aids in the Gastrointestinal Tract, Digestion and Elimination
In his paper, “Effect of Orally Consumed Aloe Vera Juice on Gastrointestinal Function in Normal Human Beings”, Dr. Jeffrey Bland concluded from the results of a trial(1) that Aloe vera helps in the following ways:

(1) improves digestion without causing diarrhea,
(2) acts as a buffering agent to normalize the pH (balance between
acid and alkaline),
(3) reduces yeast content,
(4) promotes a more favorable balance of gastrointestinal symbiotic bacteria,
(5) improves bowel regularity and
(6) increases in energy levels and an improved sense of well-being.

Dr. Bland goes on to stay that “it can be confirmed that Aloe vera supplementation in normal individuals is well tolerated and did not produce any covert or overt adverse effects on gastrointestinal physiology. Oral supplementation resulted in improved bowel motility, increased stool specific gravity, and reduced indication of protein putrefaction in the colon. Clinical improvements in intestinal function while supplementing with Aloe vera included reduced bloating after meals and reduced flatulence, indicating improved colonic bacterial function.”

May Help with Ulcers
Another study conducted in Russia involved giving Aloe vera to ulcer patients. The participants’ ulcers were completely healed after using Aloe vera. The researchers compared their findings to the results of commonly used anti-ulcer drugs and determined that a natural Aloe treatment was just as effective as the drugs, but with the added advantage of no toxic side effects. (2)

These results confirm the findings of an earlier study of 12 individuals with peptic ulcers (7 males and 5 females, ages ranging from 24 to 83). They were treated solely with Aloe vera. Every patient fully recovered from the ulcers within one year of beginning treatment. Moreover, one year after the last treatment no one in the group had suffered a recurrence. (3)

Researchers believe that Aloe vera may heal the lining of the intestines and stomach in the same way that Aloe vera used as a topical ointment heals wounds and burns. If so, it’s easy to see why many people report that taking Aloe vera cured their ulcers.

Aloe vera also seems to inhibit the production of excess stomach acid and slow down the emptying of the stomach. Since ulcer pain is more common when the stomach is empty, it’s not surprising so many ulcer patients report finding relief after using Aloe vera.

General Digestive Health
Dr. Ivan Danhof, Ph.D., M.D., a gastroenterologist and a leading authority on Aloe vera, believes Aloe vera can be beneficial to the entire gastrointestinal system. He maintains due to its magnesium lactate content, Aloe vera is able to lower activity in the stomach and is effective in reversing both occasional and chronic symptoms in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

He also feels Aloe vera is helpful because of its anti-inflammatory properties, and uses Aloe vera in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Dr. Peter Atherton a research Fellow at Oxford University is another who believes Aloe vera can be an effective treatment of stomach ulcers and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). In an article in the United Kingdom publication, the Daily Mail, Dr. Atherton said,

“Last year a patient asked me if I had heard of Aloe vera as a healing agent. I ordered all current research on it and I was astonished to find 39 out of 40 research papers were positive. Immediately I initiated trials on some of my long term chronically ill patients, suffering not only IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) but also psoriasis, eczema and arthritis, who had received no benefit from orthodox treatments.”

As a result, Dr. Atherton found that Aloe Vera seems to work well at healing damaged “epithelial tissue.” Skin represents the body’s largest area of epithelial tissue, but this tissue also lines the gastrointestinal tract. Consequently, it is not surprising to find that Aloe vera helps individuals suffering from stomach ulcers or a problem of the bowel lining(4).

In the Daily Mail article, it was also reported that a man who suffered debilitating pain from IBS for more than 10 years finally finding relief after starting a daily regimen of drinking Aloe vera juice. He said the relief was marvelous and for the first time in 10 years he could eat whatever he wanted!

Success in Treating Colitis
Lastly, a recent double blind, placebo controlled study was conducted of people with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis. The results were published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. In just, four weeks 47% of the participant taking Aloe vera twice a day experienced a complete remission of the condition or an improvement in symptoms. What’s more, no side effects were reported. (5)


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Bland, Jeffrey, “Effect of orally consumed Aloe Vera juice on gastrointestinal function in normal humans”. Preventative Medicine March/April, 1985
Sotnikovg EP: Therapeutic use of Aloe in experimental stomach ulcers (Lechebnoe primenie Aloe prieksperimental). ’Nych Igzvakh Zhelukka Vrach Deb 6:71-74, June 1984 (Russia).
Blitz JJ; Smith JW; Gerard JR: Aloe vera gel in peptic ulcer therapy: preliminary report. Journal of the American Osteopathic Association 62:731-735, 1963.
Atherton, Peter. The Essential Aloe Vera: Buckingham, UK 1997.
Langmead, L, et al.: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlloed trial of oral aloe vera gel for active ulcerative colitis. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics 19:739, April 2004.