Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

Numerous studies have shown aloe vera to be effective at helping to heal wounds, ease the pain of burns and aid digestion. A new study has found that aloe vera may also be effective at reducing pain and speeding healing following hemorrhoid surgery.

The study was conducted by researchers at the Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Their findings were published in the June 2010 issue of the Journal of Alternative and Contemporary Medicine.

The researchers conducted a double blind, placebo-controlled study that compared the effects of an aloe vera cream to a placebo cream on posthemorroidectomy pain.

49 postoperative patients participated in the study. 24 were randomly selected to receive the aloe vera cream and 25 received the placebo.

The participants applied the cream to the surgical site 3 times per day for 4 weeks following the surgery. Pain was assessed at 12, 24 and 48 hours after surgery, and then again at the end of weeks 2 and 4. Wound healing was evaluated at the end of weeks 2 and 4.

Patients who used the aloe vera cream had significantly less postoperative pain at hours 12, 24 and 48 and at 2 weeks. They also experienced less pain during defecation 24 and 48 hours post surgery.

Additionally, wound healing 2 weeks after surgery was significantly greater in the aloe vera cream group compared to the placebo group, and the aloe users used fewer pain relievers post surgery.

Aloe vera has been linked to a number of health benefits, including but not limited to improved oral health, helping with kidney stones, managing diabetes, reducing the risk of cancer and helping with dry skin.

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

Aloe vera is best known for healing sunburns, minor cuts and skin irritation and has also been associated with a laundry list of other health benefits. New research shows that the benefits of Aloe vera may now be extended to oral health as well.

The new study was published in the May/June Issue of General Dentistry, and found that Aloe vera may help prevent cavities and kill disease causing bacteria in the mouth.

The researchers also found that the anti-inflammatory properties of Aloe vera can help keep gums healthy.

The study compared the germ-fighting capability of an aloe vera tooth gel to two well known toothpaste brands. The research showed the aloe vera tooth gel to be as effective as the commercial brands at containing cavity-causing bacteria.

This study comes on the heels of another study that found that Aloe vera can help with other oral health woes such as canker sores, cold sores and herpes.

The lead author of the study, Dr Dilip George, suggests that consumers research aloe products to find the ones produced in a manner that best maintains the plant’s nutrients. This is because overheating at any step in the process can reduce or outright destroy the positive compounds in Aloe vera.

In terms of oral health, consumers with sensitive teeth and gums can benefit the most from Aloe vera because it does not contain the abrasive elements found in most toothpaste brands.

It is becoming more and more apparent that the anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viral actions of Aloe vera give the plant many more health properties than simply healing cuts and burns. Aloe vera has been linked to a number of health benefits, including but not limited to pain relief from hemorrhoid surgery, helping with kidney stones, managing diabetes, reducing the risk of cancer and helping with dry skin.

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

Cold weather wreaks havoc on your skin, making it dry and flaky.  Dry skin is not due to a lack of oil but a lack of water.  As skin dries out it can cause itchiness, resulting in a condition called “Winter Itch.”

According to Dr. Diane Berson, a dermatologist at the Iris Cantor Women’s health center of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The best thing you can do to relieve the itch is to moisturize your skin because, unfortunately you can’t do anything about the weather.

Scientific studies and case reports show that one of the best natural moisturizers is the gel from the popular Aloe vera plant.  Used regularly, it helps relieve flaking and itching from dry skin.

And according to leading Aloe vera researcher, Dr. Ivan Danhof, Aloe gel helps your skin absorb moisture faster. In fact, Aloe vera increases the moisture absorption rate of the skin by three to four times compared to water.

In addition, Aloe vera gel has anti-bacterial properties.  One study found that Aloe vera applied topically three times a day can clear up a stubborn serious skin condition known as plaque-type psoriasis.  And with continued use there were no relapses.

When purchasing an Aloe Vera product, find out the actual percent of Aloe vera in the product.  Many marketers sell products with only a miniscule amount of Aloe Vera and use a phrase such as “made with 100% aloe” on the label.

In addition to moisturizing your skin with Aloe vera, the following steps can provide relief from dry and itchy winter skin:

1. Moisturize Daily
2.Cleanse your skin, but don’t over due it
3. Limit the use of hot water and soap
4. Humidify
5. Protect yourself from the wind
6. Avoid extreme cold
7. Protect your skin from the sun
8. Exercise

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

The result of a new study indicates that Aloe vera may help prevent kidney stones in adults.

Kidney stones are one of the most painful disorders of the urinary tract. A kidney stone is a hard mass developed from crystals that separate from the urine and build up on the inner surfaces of the kidney.

Normally, urine contains chemicals that stop the crystals from forming, but because of urinary tract infection or other problems, this process doesn’t work in everyone.

Men, particularly white males, are the most prone to developing kidney stones. The prevalence of kidney stones rises dramatically as men enter their 40s and continues to increase into their 70s. For women, the prevalence of kidney stones peaks in their 50s. Once a person gets more than one stone, others are likely to develop.

Scientists at Khon Kaen University in Thailand gave a daily does of Aloe vera gel to 31 male adults. After one week, the test group participants had a significant decrease in “oxalate” in their urine. A high concentration of oxalate in the urine contributes to kidney stone formation.

In addition, another marker, called the “Permissible Increment in Calcium” increased significantly in the participants consuming Aloe vera. This means that there was greater inhibition of calcium in the urine, which also helps prevent kidney stone formation.

Aloe vera has been linked to a number of health benefits, including but not limited to pain relief from hemorrhoid surgery, improved oral health, managing diabetes, reducing the risk of cancer and helping with dry skin.

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

In late 2005, researchers at the Biochemical Research Laboratory in Tokyo, Japan ran a clinical trial of 70 people diagnosed as borderline diabetic.

The study results indicated that regular intake of Aloe vera helped reduce levels of fasting blood sugar and glycated hemoglobin. The scientists concluded that Aloe may play a role in preventing and improving diabetes.

In July 2006, the same Japanese researchers published a study in the Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin. In the study, they were able to successfully identify five phytosterol compounds (also known as plant sterols) that give Aloe vera its anti-diabetic activity.

Phytosterols are the plant fats now being added to foods such as butter and salad dressings to help lower cholesterol.

Diabetes is a complicated disease that involves lifestyle and diet modification, but several research studies indicate adding Aloe vera to your diet can definitely help.

For example, a double blind study of 78 people by a team of scientists in Thailand demonstrated Aloe vera’s potential.

Participants in the test group added a tablespoon of Aloe vera juice to their diet. After six weeks, the average blood sugar level of the 39 participants in the test group declined 43% from 250mg/dl to 142 mg/dl. The control group (those not receiving Aloe vera) showed an average increase in blood sugar of 2.4% during the same period.

Also, the Aloe vera treatment group saw blood triglyceride levels decline by 44% over the six week period from an average of 220 mg/dl to 123 mg/dl. The control group showed an average increase in blood triglyceride levels of 8.4%.

The scientists authoring the study believe the results suggest that Aloe vera has potential in treating diabetes because it can lower not only blood sugar, but also triglyceride levels which are often high in diabetic patients.

This study confirms the results of previous work done by Dr. O. P. Agarwal, who conducted a clinical trial on 5,000 patients with heart disease over a five year period.

After adding Aloe vera to the patients diet he found a marked reduction in triglyceride and blood sugar levels in diabetic patients.

(Side Note: ALL 5,000 patients were still alive at the end of the 5 years!!)

Another trial at Mahidol University in Thailand was conducted to see if Aloe vera could help diabetic patients who did not respond to glibenclamide, an antidiabetic medication used to lower blood sugar.

The patients taking the medication glibenclamide alone did not see an improvement in fasting blood glucose or triglycerides.

When the treatment group took Aloe vera for six weeks, on average, they experienced a 48% decrease in blood sugar levels and a 52% decrease in triglycerides.

Diabetes is one of the country’s fastest growing and most dangerous diseases. Approximately 16 million people in the U.S. (6% of the population) suffer from this disease and another 30 million are estimated to have diabetes but are undiagnosed.

About one million individuals are diagnosed with diabetes each year, a 40% increase over the past decade.

Furthermore, the rate of diagnosis in people in their 30′s has increased by 70%. This indicates diabetes is attacking Americans an earlier age.

Among other health problems, a patient with diabetes can have up to four times the risk of developing heart disease and stroke.

Further study needs to be done to better understand the anti-diabetic activity of Aloe vera. However, Aloe vera along with other lifestyle and diet changes may be able to help control this dangerous disease.

Aloe vera has been linked to a number of health benefits, including but not limited to pain relief from hemorrhoid surgery, improved oral health, helping with kidney stones, reducing the risk of cancer and helping with dry skin.

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

Q: What drugs interact with Aloe vera?
Dr. Perry: According to information compiled from medical journals by Healthnotes, Inc., there are only two drugs that interact with Aloe vera. In both cases, Aloe vera may enhance the activity of the drug.

The first is glyburide, a drug prescribed to lower blood sugar levels in type-2 diabetics. Aloe has been shown to have a supportive interaction with glyburide meaning it may help your medication work better.

One study in Thailand reported that combining aloe juice with glyburide significantly improved blood sugar and lipid levels in people with diabetes, compared with the placebo. Previously, glyburide by itself had not effectively controlled diabetes in the people in this study.

The second possible interaction of Aloe vera is with topical corticosteroids. These drugs, such as cortisone, are used topically to treat inflammation and itching skin. In the laboratory research done so far, applying aloe gel topically along with a topical corticosteroid enhanced the hormone’s anti-inflammatory activity in the skin.

Separately, the only other interaction caution I’m aware of was reported by doctors in Hong Kong. They believe that taking Aloe vera with the blood thinner sevoflurane, may enhance the anti-platelet effect of the drug. Their suggestion is to suspend using Aloe vera and sevoflurane together before a surgical procedure to reduce the risk of excess bleeding.

Aloe vera is widely known as a safe dietary supplement. As always, it makes sense to keep your healthcare provider informed of everything you are taking so together you can monitor and understand changes in your health indicators.

Q: Can you take too much Aloe vera?
Dr. Perry: Practically speaking the answer is no.
Here is the scientific evidence that supports my conclusion. First, to determine the safety of dietary foods and drugs, the FDA mandates tests called LD50s. The way these FDA tests are structured, animals are given extremely large doses of the substance being tested and the dose continues to be increased until a toxic level is determined.

LD50′s were performed on Aloe vera in the 1960′s and no matter how absurdly high the scientists made the Aloe vera dosage, they were not able to generate a toxic response or even a severe reaction.

More recently, work was done to determine what levels of Aloe vera might result in some adverse side effects- not toxicity, just unwanted reactions. The researchers found that the dose had to be greater than 2 grams of Aloe vera for every 1 kilogram of body weight before adverse side effects were recorded.

To put this in perspective, a 100 pound person would have to take 455 of our TrueAloe® capsules a day to reach this level. Similarly, a 200 pound person would have to take 910 TrueAloe® capsules a day.

We recommend taking between 4 and 8 TrueAloe® capsules a day. Based on the scientific evidence, this is well within safety guidelines.

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

Many loyal NatureCity customers made a specific request – and we listened. As a result, NatureCity’s powerful topical pain relief formula is now available as a roll-on, eliminating the need to touch the lotion.

The True Pain Relief Plus® fast acting formula is FDA approved to relieve arthritis pain, simple backache, bursitis, tendonitis, muscle strains, sprains, bruises and cramps. Here is a summary of the key ingredients that make it so effective:

Methyl Salicylate- derived from the oil of wintergreen, this distant cousin to aspirin reduces inflammation and eases pain by acting as a topical analgesic.

Menthol- increases blood flow to the affected area, producing a warm soothing feeling that can last for hours.

Capsaicin- stimulates blood flow and provides heat. It eases pain by depleting cells of pain producing “Substance P”, a neurotransmitter that sends pain signals to your brain.

Aloe gel- in addition to having anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties, aloe helps the other key ingredients get absorbed by the skin.

DMSO- an antioxidant that also helps reduces inflammation and ease pain. Furthermore, DMSO helps open skin pores allowing the other key ingredients to penetrate.

Camphor- this herb stimulates blood flow and works to enhance the effect of menthol.

This exciting new product is yours free when you place your order for one of this month’s Special Offers. Call customer service customer service toll free at 1-800-593-2563 to learn more.

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

Q:What is the difference between Aloe gel and Aloe juice?

Dr. Perry: First you first need to understand that the scientific terms “juice” and “gel” do not relate to the same terms used in the marketing of aloe products.

Aloe gel is the thin, clear, jellylike material making up the inner portion of the aloe leaves. Surrounding the gel is another layer of the leaf that contains the bitter yellow latex or juice (aka sap). The sap contains a family of compounds called anthraquinones. These compounds are cathartics, meaning they have a strong laxative effect. Some people experience stomach cramping and other related discomfort if they take large quantities of anthraquinones.

So if you heard someone had a side effect from drinking aloe juice, 99% of the time it’s because they were drinking the sap not an extract of the gel. Advertisements prepared by writers who do not understand the difference between aloe gel and aloe juice often use the word juice to describe the thin mucilaginous gel. This has created enormous confusion among consumers and may cause some to believe Aloe is not good to ingest.

This of course is absolutely untrue. Aloe is one of the best foods/supplements you can take. And if you purchase Aloe from a reputable company, there is no risk of consuming anthraquinones from the sap. By law, products sold in the United States, including TrueAloe®, are required to filter out the anthraquinones with laxative properties during processing.

The Aloe juice products you see advertised are made from the aloe gel, not the aloe sap. So it’s not aloe juice from a traditional scientific perspective. Confusing, but now you understand the difference!

Q:Why do you sell AloeCran as a powder and not sell Aloe juice as a liquid?

Dr. Perry: The quick answer is to give you more potency and save you a lot of money. All Aloe juice you see for sale is made from the dried gel powder. To this powder, manufacturers add water, put it in a bottle and call it “Aloe Juice.”

Here is the question: How much water are they adding? The Aloe industry is filled with companies notorious for diluting their product with water to the point where you receive almost no benefit from the Aloe gel.

With AloeCran, we ship you the Aloe gel powder and let you add the water. You know exactly how much Aloe you are getting with every serving. AloeCran is formulated to have twice the potency as aloe gel itself. That is, every 6oz serving of AloeCran has as much potency as 12oz of gel from the plant.

Plus, you save a lot of money, often paying as much as 50% less. We don’t have to pay to ship water all around the country. Add in the benefits of the cranberry extract and Fibersol dietary fiber and you have an incredible product and value.

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

NatureCity now provides the benefits of Aloe vera in a topical gel. The benefits of a quality Aloe vera gel could take reams of paper to fully describe. You may have an experience from your past where an Aloe leaf was freshly cut to relieve pain from a burn, insect bite, rash or other skin problem.

Results from a recent survey indicated that consumers want to have Aloe vera in their skin care products more than any other botanical ingredient. The problem is most products contain little if any actual Aloe vera. Listing “made with Aloe vera” on the label is a marketing scam used by many companies. These miniscule amount of Aloe vera often found in these products is not nearly enough to provide a benefit to you.

To get the moisturizing, healing and soothing benefits of topical Aloe vera, you need to have the same potency found in a freshly cut Aloe vera leaf. And that’s the purity and potency you can count on from NatureCity’s new TrueAloe® Topical Gel.

With summer in full swing, we are introducing this wonderful product by offering a FREE 7.5 bottle with every purchase of one of this month’s special offers. Call to get yours today, 1-800-593-2563.

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

Independent testing by a North Texas Research Laboratory confirmed that TrueAloe™ contains more than double the nutrients of other whole leaf Aloe vera products. This research verifies that the patented “cold process” technique used to make NatureCity™’s 100% organic TrueAloe™ produces a far more potent Aloe vera product.

Using a high heat process to stabilize Aloe vera degrades its nutritional content. Some experts believe that as much as 85% of other Aloe vera products are made using a damaging high heat process.

That’s why when buying Aloe vera products you should always verify they are made with a cold process technique. Otherwise, you may not experience all of the wonderful benefits the remarkable Aloe vera plant has to offer for your health.

The scientists at the North Texas Research Lab compared TrueAloeâ„¢ to three other Aloe vera whole leaf powders from prominent Aloe vera farms and manufacturers. Included in this group were Aloe vera samples from Texas, Mexico and Florida.

In the study, each whole leaf powder was tested to determine the amount of biologically active Aloe “polysaccharides” present.

These sugar carbohydrates comprise the single largest group of nutrient constituents in Aloe vera. Polysaccharides are also believed to be the backbone of Aloe vera’s unique health properties. Note: These are complex, long chain “sugars”, not the simple, caloric sugar such as sucrose or fructose. Polysaccharides don’t become fat!

The test results showed that TrueAloe™ was the only Aloe vera to contain polysaccharides greater than 2,000mg per liter of product. In fact, no other Aloe vera in the study contained more than 1,000mg of “polysaccharides” per liter. On average, TrueAloe™ contained 219% more of the potent polysaccharides than each of the other three Aloe vera whole leaf products.

The polysaccharides in Aloe are comprised of individual “sugar” molecules connected together in a chain. The size of these chains varies widely from 50 molecules to many thousands. The length of a polysaccharide chain determines its health properties. According to leading Aloe vera expert Ivan E. Danhof, M.D., Ph.D., these are the classes of Aloe polysaccharide chains and their health attributes:

Size: Small
50 – 600 molecules
Health Benefit
Reduce inflammation which is involved in conditions such as ulcerative colitis, arthritis, and gastric reflux. Also helps lower blood sugar.

Size: Medium
Up to 1,500 molecules
Health Benefit
These are the antioxidants that hunt down free radicals which is very important in preventing and treating arteriosclerosis, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and 50 other diseases.

Size: Large
Up to 5,000 molecules
Health Benefit
Have a direct antibacterial, anti-viral, anti-yeast and anti-fungus effect.

Size: Very Large
Up to 9,000 molecules
Health Benefit
These molecules bolster the immune system. These polysaccharides are isolated for treatment of immune disorders.

As described above, the abundance of polysaccharides in TrueAloe™ can help you in many ways. The North Texas Research Laboratory test results confirm what we have told you all along. NatureCity™’s organically farmed, cold processed TrueAloe™ whole leaf capsules give you more nutritional potency than regularly processed aloe vera.

Let TrueAloe™ “feed” your body each and every day. If you haven’t already, you will learn “the benefits are endless.”