Aloe Vera Juice To Reduce Oral Mucositis

Aloe vera offers a natural, cost-effective, low-risk possibility for alleviating symptoms of oral mucositis. The aloe vera plant has been used to treat topical burns. There is evidence suggesting it can be used for similar side effects with cancer treatment when taken by mouth. Studies have even shown promising evidence supporting aloe vera for gut inflammation.

Aloe vera juice is a gooey, thick liquid made from the flesh of the aloe vera plant leaf. It can be used both topically and orally.

Aloe vera is a succulent plant that’s used in traditional medicine. The clear gel from its leaves can be put on the skin as a moisturizer and to treat burns. Some people drink aloe vera juice as a laxative (something that helps you poop). Aloe latex (yellow substance that comes from just under the plant’s skin) is also used as a laxative.

A review of studies has found aloe vera gel to be helpful when used as a mouthwash to prevent oral mucositis (mouth ulcers) in people undergoing cancer treatment. When used topically, as a gel from the leaves, aloe is an effective, natural treatment for a variety of skin conditions, including burns, abrasions, cold sores, psoriasis, sunburn and frostbite. Three studies have shown that aloe vera gel has some beneficial effect as a topical treatment for mild psoriasis. 

I encourage everyone to keep a potted aloe vera plant in the kitchen (or just outside the kitchen door – here in Arizona, it grows profusely outdoors with little or no irrigation). There are many species, but aloe vera is the “true” aloe, and has the best effect.

Keep the plant in good light and in a pot with good drainage. To use the fresh plant, simply cut off a lower leaf near the central stalk, remove the spines along the edge, and split the leaf lengthwise. Then rub the exposed, gel-containing interior on the skin, and continue rubbing until the residue is mostly absorbed.

If you want to use aloe vera juice – whether to help heal ulcers or another GI tract irritation – avoid products that contain aloin (the laxative part of aloe).