Aloe vera

The clear gel from aloe leaves is used for burns and wounds; the latex and juice contain anthraquinone laxatives. Memorial Sloan Kettering's About Herbs summary reports that trials of aloe for radiation skin reactions produced mixed results, that preliminary studies suggest benefit for chemotherapy and radiotherapy mouth ulcers and for hand-foot syndrome, and that topical aloe improved symptoms of acute radiation proctitis in one study. These are small trials. MSK's warnings are specific: internal use should be discouraged because of adverse effects and inconclusive data; the FDA has ruled aloe unsafe as a stimulant laxative; and aloe injections given to people with cancer have resulted in several deaths. Reported harms of oral aloe include toxic hepatitis, thyroid dysfunction and low potassium in a patient during chemotherapy. Aloe juice inhibited CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 in laboratory studies, and excessive bleeding during surgery was reported after aloe tablets.