Aloe Vera

[Ashua]

So, I've acquired something of a "hobby-esque" interest/curiosity in medicine, biology, and the interactive mechanics thereof.

You have always heard of natural things such as olive oil, vinegar, and the namesake of this thread, aloe plant as having curative properties.

They say aloe has anti-biotic properties within it, as well as inflammatory healing value. They say it is very healthy to take orally to help treat conditions as well as topically--and like any other vegetable, good to take in your ordinary diet despite its unappealing taste--and so much more nutritionally. Olive oil is also good for healing wounds. People go so far as to say such things even have the ability to halt or cure cancer in some cases.

Now, there is also the other camp which says the affects are not all that measurable and that "home remedies" like these are one step shy of witch doctory. Due to the root of all evil and corruption, the FDA would never allow someone to just come out and say "yes" aloe does this and that or "no" it does not.

At the moment I think I sit in the middle road. I think these plants topical and oral use are probably helpful, but not the "miracles" they are sometimes projected to be. It seems to me that the claims are overhyped and just all "too good to be true". Then you must remember such things as Penisilan are extracted from fungi. So why can't the extracts of these plants holding similar properties? My question is what do you all believe about the scientific-medical uses of these plants?

 

[PouringRain]

My question is what do you all believe about the scientific-medical uses of these plants?

I use herbal and home remedies for just about everything...... if that answers your question.

Or were you really asking more specifically about my view of the plant in the title?

 

[Ashua]

I use herbal and home remedies for just about everything...... if that answers your question.

Or were you really asking more specifically about my view of the plant in the title?

Specifically to, but certainly not limited to. Any knowledge at all you have. Anything you can back by personal experience or through scientific explanation or botany or anything scientifically explainable. (You never know when a chemist, or a botanist, or a pharmacist, or a medical doctor may be among you online)

Whatever plant/fungi you wish to talk about is fair game though. Even things such as tobacco or meat tenderizer working to mitigate bee stings and so fourth. Preferably with the scientific breakdown of WHY it works, but just the voucher that it does is good enough.

 

[Mike]

Ashua, I feel somewhat informed in my opinion on this matter as I worked for 10 years in a capacity that allowed me to observe the processes of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). While I see the system as corrupt and vulnerable to conflicts of interest when approving new and novel medications, the basic premise of the FDA is solid. When it works as it's supposed to, it forces drug manufacturers to adhere to standards and demonstrate efficacy/safety in at least 2 parallel run studies. This avoids a fluke outcome determining false outcomes. These are "peer-reviewed" studies forcing the study methods and outcomes to be studied and deemed viable. Unfortunately, there have been cases where certain members of the committee had a personal interest in the approval/disapproval of molecules presented for review.

With holistic remedies, there is no official body that governs the approval, and they undergo little or no scrutiny before they are made available for human use. Typically, the negative result will merely be that there is no difference from placebos (sugar pills or lotions). It's seldom a matter of danger, except that a condition can go left untreated when the person truly needs treatment to correct a life-threatening imbalance.

In the U.S., profit obviously drives research and development. The upside is that the financial incentive promotes fierce competition, evidenced by the fact that over 98% of novel molecules are discovered in the U.S. The down side is that these companies will do anything and everything in their power to get their drug approved including never allowing negative outcomes to see the light of day. All the cover-ups of failed trials demonstrate this. There's also the matter of the extremely shady marketing techniques employed by pharmaceutical companies. Doctors are given incentives to write certain druges (much less so than in decades past), and even more scary, they will write a drug for their patients based in large part because they have a good relationship with their pharma sales rep. Just think about that! They will bypass a more appropriate option simply because they "like" the sales rep! :shocked!

So I believe there needs to be two changes.

• A revamping of the FDA to avoid conflicts of interest
• Forcing holistic remedies to have TRUE peer review studies and being subject to some sort of governing body
• Marketing to health care providers should be illegal, except through approved literature sent to them
  

 

[Ashua]

Ashua, I feel somewhat informed in my opinion on this matter as I worked for 10 years in a capacity that allowed me to observe the processes of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). While I see the system as corrupt and vulnerable to conflicts of interest when approving new and novel medications, the basic premise of the FDA is solid. When it works as it's supposed to, it forces drug manufacturers to adhere to standards and demonstrate efficacy/safety in at least 2 parallel run studies. This avoids a fluke outcome determining false outcomes. These are "peer-reviewed" studies forcing the study methods and outcomes to be studied and deemed viable. Unfortunately, there have been cases where certain members of the committee had a personal interest in the approval/disapproval of molecules presented for review.

With holistic remedies, there is no official body that governs the approval, and they undergo little or no scrutiny before they are made available for human use. Typically, the negative result will merely be that there is no difference from placebos (sugar pills or lotions). It's seldom a matter of danger, except that a condition can go left untreated when the person truly needs treatment to correct a life-threatening imbalance.

In the U.S., profit obviously drives research and development. The upside is that the financial incentive promotes fierce competition, evidenced by the fact that over 98% of novel molecules are discovered in the U.S. The down side is that these companies will do anything and everything in their power to get their drug approved including never allowing negative outcomes to see the light of day. All the cover-ups of failed trials demonstrate this. There's also the matter of the extremely shady marketing techniques employed by pharmaceutical companies. Doctors are given incentives to write certain druges (much less so than in decades past), and even more scary, they will write a drug for their patients based in large part because they have a good relationship with their pharma sales rep. Just think about that! They will bypass a more appropriate option simply because they "like" the sales rep! :shocked!

So I believe there needs to be two changes.

• A revamping of the FDA to avoid conflicts of interest
• Forcing holistic remedies to have TRUE peer review studies and being subject to some sort of governing body
• Marketing to health care providers should be illegal, except through approved literature sent to them
  

Yeah, I'm no Jesse Ventura. I know it is as legitimate as any other government endorsed agency. Just that sometimes corruption is a factor. Other than that, yeah. drugs come from somewhere and that somewhere is primarily vegetation. I guess what I was getting at is why can't we bypass the drug counter and get it from the unadulterated sources?

 

[Vic C.]

Now, there is also the other camp which says the affects are not all that measurable and that "home remedies" like these are one step shy of witch doctory. Due to the root of all evil and corruption, the FDA would never allow someone to just come out and say "yes" aloe does this and that or "no" it does not.

Well they can but if they do, they product must be labeled a "drug". The same for most other natural remedies.

I drink aloe once in a while for digestive issues and I will use nothing else on burns and abrasions.

 

[jasoncran]

Ashua, I feel somewhat informed in my opinion on this matter as I worked for 10 years in a capacity that allowed me to observe the processes of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). While I see the system as corrupt and vulnerable to conflicts of interest when approving new and novel medications, the basic premise of the FDA is solid. When it works as it's supposed to, it forces drug manufacturers to adhere to standards and demonstrate efficacy/safety in at least 2 parallel run studies. This avoids a fluke outcome determining false outcomes. These are "peer-reviewed" studies forcing the study methods and outcomes to be studied and deemed viable. Unfortunately, there have been cases where certain members of the committee had a personal interest in the approval/disapproval of molecules presented for review.

With holistic remedies, there is no official body that governs the approval, and they undergo little or no scrutiny before they are made available for human use. Typically, the negative result will merely be that there is no difference from placebos (sugar pills or lotions). It's seldom a matter of danger, except that a condition can go left untreated when the person truly needs treatment to correct a life-threatening imbalance.

In the U.S., profit obviously drives research and development. The upside is that the financial incentive promotes fierce competition, evidenced by the fact that over 98% of novel molecules are discovered in the U.S. The down side is that these companies will do anything and everything in their power to get their drug approved including never allowing negative outcomes to see the light of day. All the cover-ups of failed trials demonstrate this. There's also the matter of the extremely shady marketing techniques employed by pharmaceutical companies. Doctors are given incentives to write certain druges (much less so than in decades past), and even more scary, they will write a drug for their patients based in large part because they have a good relationship with their pharma sales rep. Just think about that! They will bypass a more appropriate option simply because they "like" the sales rep! :shocked!

So I believe there needs to be two changes.

• A revamping of the FDA to avoid conflicts of interest
• Forcing holistic remedies to have TRUE peer review studies and being subject to some sort of governing body
• Marketing to health care providers should be illegal, except through approved literature sent to them
  

the fda does do studies on the holistic claims from time to time.

and i like that idea mike.

 

[jasoncran]

So, I've acquired something of a "hobby-esque" interest/curiosity in medicine, biology, and the interactive mechanics thereof.

You have always heard of natural things such as olive oil, vinegar, and the namesake of this thread, aloe plant as having curative properties.

They say aloe has anti-biotic properties within it, as well as inflammatory healing value. They say it is very healthy to take orally to help treat conditions as well as topically--and like any other vegetable, good to take in your ordinary diet despite its unappealing taste--and so much more nutritionally. Olive oil is also good for healing wounds. People go so far as to say such things even have the ability to halt or cure cancer in some cases.

Now, there is also the other camp which says the affects are not all that measurable and that "home remedies" like these are one step shy of witch doctory. Due to the root of all evil and corruption, the FDA would never allow someone to just come out and say "yes" aloe does this and that or "no" it does not.

At the moment I think I sit in the middle road. I think these plants topical and oral use are probably helpful, but not the "miracles" they are sometimes projected to be. It seems to me that the claims are overhyped and just all "too good to be true". Then you must remember such things as Penisilan are extracted from fungi. So why can't the extracts of these plants holding similar properties? My question is what do you all believe about the scientific-medical uses of these plants?

i have aloe in my front yard, those things grow here easily and i also have used them for acne and burns.

 

[Ashua]

i have aloe in my front yard, those things grow here easily and i also have used them for acne and burns.

Have you any sort of comparison to look at?

Like a burn treated with aloe, a similar burn treated with an "official" medication, and a similar burn treated with nothing.

 

[theLords]

Ashua, your username should have "Mad Scientist" underneath it :wink3

 

[Ashua]

Ashua, your username should have "Mad Scientist" underneath it :wink3

lulz.

 

[Chris]

its great stuff to rub on your sun burned skin. i eat Spirulina all the time, herbal stuff is great.

spirulina = super food.
valerian = relax you and/or make you sleep.
those 2 work for sure.

 

[jasoncran]

Have you any sort of comparison to look at?

Like a burn treated with aloe, a similar burn treated with an "official" medication, and a similar burn treated with nothing.

no, that is why i dont often recommend those things we cant know till we test them via the scientific method.

and i think the ointment that docs recommend called?(cant remember)has aloe in it.

 

[Pebbles]

While certain plants do have curative properties you shouldn't assume that it's an "X or Y" matter many medicines today are taken from what were traditional remedies in the past.

The Bark of the willow tree used to be chewed by the Romans for it's pain relief and anti-inflammatory action today it's known that willow bark contains acetylsalicylic acid otherwise known in it's purified and marketed state as asprin. that's what has the analgesic properties and modern medicine is just the purified active form hence why it's important to save the rain-forest as it's still were we get the inspiration for alot of modern medicines today.

Certain plants contain specific effects Yes Aloe vera dose help with skin conditions I use that an Tea tree oil on my face after I've been scalded by hours of electrolysis. It's an antiseptic not a antibiotic.

Thing is you need to test these claims and the only way you can do that is through scientific method and then if there is an effect we will of course attempt to improve it's efficiency because you know the plants didn't evolve these chemicals to help us innately for the most part they have evolutionary reasons for begin produced. Thus are produced at levels inappropriate for us.

Antibiotics by ground fungi to prevent it begin infected by Bactria.
Aloe Vera because it makes it taste awful and stops it becoming infected.

You should be very careful with cancer and saying things cure cancer even if it might be the case 'cancer' is over 1000 different diseases each needing specific treatment and certain home remedies might conflict with the more powerful active cancer fighting drugs you take.

 

[Vic C.]

no, that is why i dont often recommend those things we cant know till we test them via the scientific method.

and i think the ointment that docs recommend called?(cant remember)has aloe in it.

Um. what scientific method? Personally, I don't care if claim to come up with studies that show aloe is no better than anything sold OTC or otherwise.

I have practical experience that tells me aloe works better than anything else I've tried. I cook, I iron, I even do a lot of soldering. I do get burned from time to time. Aloe relieves the pain instantly and helps minimize blistering.

Cold aloe gel works even better too.

 

[Glowstique]

I dont use medicine for the most part. I mean, the worst thing i tend to get is colds, and IMO cold medicine is pretty worthless. xD Anyway, cold medicine only adresses the symptoms, but if you look in the right places, you can actually find herbs that boost your immune system. A few years back i got strep throat. I went to the doctor, and he gave me a perscription for amoxacillin. It was going good at first, but then after 3 days i found out that i was allergic to it. So then i stopped taking it and the strep started coming back. At the time my mom had been reading a book about the healing properties of coconut oil. Since i couldnt take the amoxacillin, she had me take coconut oil just as an experiment. Well, after a week or so, the strep was gone. I cant remember all the details, but coconut oil has actually been known to target certain bacterias and pathogens in the body. Its not going to work for everything, but it does eliminate certain germs. Also, next time you get a cold, see if you can find some elderberry extract. It really works wonders. And if you have asthma issues, try Lobelia. It wont cure an asthma attack, but I went from having several week long asthma attacks without taking it, it cut them down to a few days as long i was taking it every day. So you could say it worked pretty well. xD Anyway, medicine from the store are made from chemicals that are often harmful to the body. Ill take herbs any day.
*cough* Speaking of, i wish i had some elderberry extract right now. :/

 

[Ashua]

While certain plants do have curative properties you shouldn't assume that it's an "X or Y" matter many medicines today are taken from what were traditional remedies in the past.

The Bark of the willow tree used to be chewed by the Romans for it's pain relief and anti-inflammatory action today it's known that willow bark contains acetylsalicylic acid otherwise known in it's purified and marketed state as asprin. that's what has the analgesic properties and modern medicine is just the purified active form hence why it's important to save the rain-forest as it's still were we get the inspiration for alot of modern medicines today.

Certain plants contain specific effects Yes Aloe vera dose help with skin conditions I use that an Tea tree oil on my face after I've been scalded by hours of electrolysis. It's an antiseptic not a antibiotic.

Thing is you need to test these claims and the only way you can do that is through scientific method and then if there is an effect we will of course attempt to improve it's efficiency because you know the plants didn't evolve these chemicals to help us innately for the most part they have evolutionary reasons for begin produced. Thus are produced at levels inappropriate for us.

Antibiotics by ground fungi to prevent it begin infected by Bactria.
Aloe Vera because it makes it taste awful and stops it becoming infected.

You should be very careful with cancer and saying things cure cancer even if it might be the case 'cancer' is over 1000 different diseases each needing specific treatment and certain home remedies might conflict with the more powerful active cancer fighting drugs you take.

Yeah, I know. I'm more skeptical concerning cancer than most people are in any medical context. I wasnt saying I thought aloe may cure or halt it, only that some even go that far in the claim.

 

[jasoncran]

I dont use medicine for the most part. I mean, the worst thing i tend to get is colds, and IMO cold medicine is pretty worthless. xD Anyway, cold medicine only adresses the symptoms, but if you look in the right places, you can actually find herbs that boost your immune system. A few years back i got strep throat. I went to the doctor, and he gave me a perscription for amoxacillin. It was going good at first, but then after 3 days i found out that i was allergic to it. So then i stopped taking it and the strep started coming back. At the time my mom had been reading a book about the healing properties of coconut oil. Since i couldnt take the amoxacillin, she had me take coconut oil just as an experiment. Well, after a week or so, the strep was gone. I cant remember all the details, but coconut oil has actually been known to target certain bacterias and pathogens in the body. Its not going to work for everything, but it does eliminate certain germs. Also, next time you get a cold, see if you can find some elderberry extract. It really works wonders. And if you have asthma issues, try Lobelia. It wont cure an asthma attack, but I went from having several week long asthma attacks without taking it, it cut them down to a few days as long i was taking it every day. So you could say it worked pretty well. xD Anyway, medicine from the store are made from chemicals that are often harmful to the body. Ill take herbs any day.
*cough* Speaking of, i wish i had some elderberry extract right now. :/

a cold is caused by the rinovirus not a bacteria!

uh, basic medicines such as that amoxicillin come from a mold. and uh molds are a fungus that live in nature.

and a host of others.

lipitor is refined fish oil(omega three fatty acids).

 

[jasoncran]

Um. what scientific method? Personally, I don't care if claim to come up with studies that show aloe is no better than anything sold OTC or otherwise.

I have practical experience that tells me aloe works better than anything else I've tried. I cook, I iron, I even do a lot of soldering. I do get burned from time to time. Aloe relieves the pain instantly and helps minimize blistering.

Cold aloe gel works even better too.

i have aloes and those irritated my burns and i get them from torches(propane or cutting wheels).

and uh. i also did things such as the total unmedicinal and occulting thing such as contretating and using my ki to heal myself and that did work sometimes.

should i just say its so and will work for all?

ever heard of chi-kung?

 

[Glowstique]

When you say Ki, do you mean Chi??? If were talking Chi, than i know what your talking about. Doesnt it focus on positive energy??? Of course i could have the name wrong.

Oh, and i didnt say that coconut oil would cure a cold, but it cured strep, which is cuased by the bacteria strepto caucus. Not a virus.