In traditional Chinese Medicine, the inner gel of the Aloe plant is a considered an excellent “yin” tonic, meaning that it helps to nourish, moisten and balance all the tissues and is suitable for all body types.  Below are some of the remarkable health benefits of Aloe Vera.

Inflammation in the body is a subtle but insidious killer. Inflammation in the G.I. tract can impair digestion and nutritional absorption.  Inflammation in the nervous system can lead to MS and in the brain, can lead to Alzheimer’s disease. Inflammation in the arteries is a major factor leading to heart disease and stroke.  Inflammation in the lungs or bronchial tubes can result in asthma.  Inflammation in the skin shows up as eczema, psoriasis, hives or acne.  Over the course of time, the damage from inflammation is perhaps the single greatest health risk that we face.  Because Aloe Vera has powerful anti-inflammatory properties, it is a valuable herb for a wide range of therapeutic applications.

Aloe Vera is excellent to reduce inflammation of the skin or the mucous membranes.  It is especially good for inflammation in the G.I. tract, for conditions such as ulcers, GERD (acid reflux or heartburn), gastro-enteritis, Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease and hemorrhoids.  In addition, Aloe Vera is beneficial for inflammation of the urinary bladder, making it an excellent herbal remedy for interstitial cystitis.

Aloe Vera is beneficial for cardio-vascular disease as it helps to lower blood cholesterol and clear the arteries over time.  Aloe is also helpful for diabetes as it helps to normalize blood sugar and lower the need for insulin.  Aloe is a wonderful liver tonic and in some parts of the world is used for acute or chronic hepatitis or other liver problems.  And finally, Aloe is an excellent tonic for the female reproductive organs and is often used to reduce the symptoms associated with menopause.  Finally, Aloe Vera acts as an immune modulator by boosting production of immune factors and reducing immune hypersensitivity.

Recent scientific research has shown that long chain polysaccharides, which are abundant in Aloe Vera, help in the formation of glycoforms which are extremely important for good health on a cellular level.  Like tiny hairs or antennae on the surface of cells, glycoforms allow the cells to recognize, communicate and coordinate their work with one another.  Some pharmaceutical companies are now trying to manufacture polysaccharides in order to treat a number of health conditions.  By simply taking Aloe Vera, we can get these same polysaccharides, synergistically combined by Mother Nature, with dozens of other nutritional and medicinal factors.

In addition to providing all the health benefits mentioned above, Aloe Vera is remarkably safe for children and adults.  Reference books on herbal medicine give purified Aloe Vera gel the lowest possible rating for toxicity.

Many people believe they have used Aloe Vera when in fact, they have probably used a product which contains very few active Aloe ingredients.  The nutritional and medicinal properties in Aloe are extremely fragile and begin to breakdown within 2 or 3 hours after the leaves are cut.  For this reason, the plant must be processed quickly in order to filter out the bitter sap (which contains aloin and aloe emodin) and stabilize the important medicinal properties.  Many companies do not process the Aloe plant correctly and for this reason, much of the commercial Aloe Vera on the market today is practically worthless.  Or, if the aloin and aloe emodin are not completely removed, the resulting product can cause diarrhea or intestinal cramps.

There are several companies that make high quality Aloe Vera products and below are three that I have come to trust.

1) www.Serovera.com – 1-877-737-6267

Serovera is for people with chronic diseases of the intestinal tract; specifically Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.  It contains pure, pharmaceutical grade Aloe Mucilaginous Polysaccharides made from the inner gel of the Aloe leaf.

2) http://www.healthylifeharvest.com – 1-877-444-2563

Healthy Life Harvest produces an excellent freeze dried whole leaf Aloe Vera product in capsule. This product is excellent for upper G.I. disorders such as acid reflux and acid indigestion and for pelvic inflammatory disorders such as interstitial cystitis.

I don’t believe in panaceas.  However, there are only a dozen or so herbs in the world which have the remarkable range of therapeutic application as does Aloe Vera.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a general heading for Crohns Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.  Both of these disorders are inflammatory conditions of the large intestine which can be debilitating and, if left unchecked, can lead to serious and even life threatening complications.

An estimated 2,000,000 Americans suffer from IBD.  Conventional medicine views IBD as idiopathic (of unknown cause) and treatments include steroid anti-inflammatory or immune suppressant medications.  Side effects from these medications are severe and often dangerous over the long term.  Surgery is the next option if drug treatment is not effective in controlling symptoms.  Unfortunately, surgery does not always result in a cure and subsequent surgery may be needed, thus compromising the patient’s health and quality of life.

Many patients and doctors are unaware of alternative approaches which have been successful in reducing symptoms and even bringing IBD into complete remission for many patients.  But it’s important to emphasize that no one approach works for everyone.  Finding an effective approach takes patience and perseverance.  In this article, I would like to mention several alternative approaches to IBD which are currently available and can be very effective.

Dietary Approaches

An alternative approach which is rapidly gaining attention is the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (S. C. Diet), developed by Elaine Gottschall, Ph.D.  The S. C. Diet is a strict grain-free, lactose-free, and sucrose-free meal plan, based on the theory that poor digestion of carbohydrates is the single greatest causative factor in IBD.  While there is no universal agreement on exactly how the S. C. Diet works, the fact that it does work is reflected in a growing body of evidence.  Most patients who stay on the diet for a year or longer, are able to maintain complete or partial remission without medication.  And many are eventually able to include a wider range of carbohydrates into their diets.  Information about the S. C. Diet is available at www.scdiet.org.

Another dietary approach comes out of research into the inflammatory response itself.  Many nutritional researchers have found that a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA in particular) and low in saturated fats and Omega-6 fatty acids, will help to establish a biochemical environment within the body which actually protects against inflammation.  This discovery is just beginning to play an important role in the treatment of IBD as well as other inflammatory diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Aloe Mucilaginous Polysaccharides (AMP)

Another alternative approach to IBD comes in the form of highly concentrated Aloe Mucilaginous Polysaccharides (AMP) from the inner gel of the Aloe plant – Aloe Vera.  Drs. John Pitmann and Ivan Danhof have published research about AMP and it’s powerful anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and immune modulating properties.  In addition, it has no known side effects at effective dosage levels. Based on this research, some companies have developed highly concentrated, freeze dried forms of AMP and the response among IBD sufferers is very enthusiastic.  In order to be effective, AMP must be highly concentrated (1000 to 1) and pharmaceutical grade.  Ordinary Aloe Vera juice or gel will not provide sufficient concentrations of AMP to be effective.  Additional information about AMP may be obtained from Serovera at http://www.serovera.com

Combined Modality Approach

Alternative health practitioners will frequently combine two or more modalities in the treatment of IBD.  In my own practice, I have found that regular acupuncture treatments to help regulate the immune system, combined with an individually tailored diet and supplemented with AMP and Omega-3 oils, will often produce good results over a period of 8 to 12 weeks.  Although I want to emphasize that no one approach works for everyone, a combined approach like this seems to address both the symptoms and the underlying causes of IBD for many patients.

Summary

One of the sad facts about IBD is that patients are often left on their own to find effective alternatives.  But doctors are not entirely wrong in counseling against unproven therapies.  For every successful alternative approach to IBD, there are dozens which claim to “cure” IBD but, in fact, are worthless or misleading.  It is only through the continued efforts of the alternative medicine community that patients who suffer from long term, chronic disorders, such as IBD, can become informed about alternatives that are safe and can be effective.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805