Aloe Vera

Aloe barbadensis · Aloe gel · Aloe latex

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Burn healing¹ Oral mucositis² Oral submucous fibrosis³ Radiation dermatitis⁴ Periodontitis (local gel with scaling)⁵ Plaque and gingivitis⁶ Recurrent aphthous ulcers⁷ Blood glucose in diabetes¹	Pregnancy⁸ Breastfeeding, oral use¹ Injected aloe⁸

Aloe vera is a succulent whose leaf yields an inner gel, a latex, and a whole-leaf extract, used topically and orally¹. Its anti-inflammatory activity, shown in rat models via the cyclooxygenase pathway, underlies the topical and oral uses. Topical gel is used for burns, oral mucositis, radiation skin reactions, and oral submucous fibrosis, and oral products for blood sugar and weight, where trials are few¹.

Radiation dermatitis results are mixed: a placebo-controlled trial in head and neck cancer found less moderate to severe erythema but no prophylactic benefit⁴. A 2024 narrative review of medicinal plants for pruritus in palliative care described aloe polysaccharides as anti-inflammatory and noted that formulation standards remain unsettled⁹. Products are mostly capsules, softgels, and liquids; see Form comparison.

The most consequential caution is hepatic: a case report linked an oral aloe preparation to acute hepatitis that resolved after discontinuation¹⁰. Aloe latex is a stimulant laxative that the Food and Drug Administration required manufacturers to remove from over-the-counter laxatives¹. Per the federal fact sheet, patients taking any medicine are told to talk with a health care provider before use¹.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

54 sources, 44 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources