Can Aloe Vera Help With Type 2 Diabetes?
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An Overview of Aloe Vera and Its Touted Benefits
Aloe vera, a succulent plant commonly found in warm countries (its origin is thought to be Sudan), has been used in traditional medicine for more than 2,000 years, according to research.
A powerful anti-inflammatory, aloe vera has been used to treat a variety of health complaints, including constipation, colic, and high blood pressure, though you’re most likely familiar with it as a treatment for sunburns. In fact, aloe vera was officially listed as a skin protectant in the first written collection of known formulas for common drugs in 1820 (known as the U.S. Pharmacopoeia), according to the book Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects.
There are two substances from aloe vera that are used in health products: a clear gel that’s commonly applied to the skin to relieve burns and psoriasis, and a yellow latex, known as aloe latex, that can be taken by mouth as a remedy for constipation, according to the Mayo Clinic. The gel can also be taken by mouth in supplement form to treat othe conditions, including osteoarthritis, bowel diseases, and fever, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).
According to Herbal Medicine, aloe vera contains more than 200 active substances, including:
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Enzymes
- Polysaccharides (a natural form of carbohydrates)
These components likely work together to offer the potential benefits of the plant.
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Possible Benefits of Aloe Vera for Type 2 Diabetes
“There is some data that suggests that aloe vera may help lower blood glucose levels,” says Vandana Sheth, RDN, CDE, a national spokesperson for the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the author of My Indian Table: Quick & Tasty Vegetarian Recipes.
For example, one review suggests oral aloe vera supplements can lower fasting blood sugar by 46.6 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) and A1C blood levels by 1.05 percent. Fasting blood sugar and A1C measurements are used to diagnose diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic, and A1C is typically used to tell how well blood sugar levels are being managed on average over a three-month period, says the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
Similarly, one meta-analysis of people with prediabetes or early untreated type 2 diabetes who took aloe vera supplements showed on average a 0.4 percent reduction in A1C and a 30 mg/dl reduction in fasting glucose levels. However, the authors noted that the available studies were small and of poor quality.
Why might aloe be good for type 2 diabetes? According to the authors of one review, aloe vera supplements may lower the absorption of sugar into the gastrointestinal tract following a meal, stimulate the breakdown of sugar, and prevent sugar production.
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Risks of Aloe Vera for People With Type 2 Diabetes
Unfortunately, taking aloe vera for diabetes isn’t a risk-free solution. In fact, the blood-sugar-lowering effects of aloe vera can come with other consequences.
According to the NCCIH, people with type 2 diabetes who use medications to lower blood sugar should be careful about taking aloe vera orally. If you combine the two, you can send your blood sugar levels crashing (a serious condition known as hypoglycemia), notes the Mayo Clinic.
“If you’re taking any medication that lowers your blood sugar significantly, adding in aloe vera may cause hypoglycemia, which is just as bad as hyperglycemia, if not worse,” Winslett says. When blood sugar levels get too low, you may feel fatigued, shaky, and sweaty, and develop an irregular heart rhythm. When hypoglycemia worsens, you may experience confusion, blurred vision, seizures, or even loss of consciousness.
And because aloe vera has been shown to have laxative effects, it may lower the absorption — and therefore the effectiveness — of other oral medications, says the NCCIH.
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How to Add Aloe Vera to Your Diabetes Treatment Plan
If you’re interested in taking aloe vera for diabetes, it’s best to talk to your doctor first. But even if your doctor gives you the all-clear, proceed with caution. Monitor your blood sugar closely to avoid low blood sugar reactions, Sheth says.
Additionally, because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t put supplements through the same rigorous vetting as conventional medication, you’ll want to look for an aloe vera gel supplement that’s been third-party tested for safety. A few top testing agencies include NSF International, ConsumerLab, and USP.
Even then, it’s difficult to ensure that the supplement you choose off the shelf contains the active ingredients you are looking for: When tested, some popular aloe vera supplements in the United Kingdom were missing the phenolic natural compounds that have antidiabetic effects, according to research.
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What’s the Right Dosage of Aloe Vera for Diabetes?
More research on the effects of aloe vera for type 2 diabetes is needed before healthcare providers can recommend exact dosages, Sheth says. Existing research may offer a clue: In one small study, participants with type 2 diabetes took 100 mg of aloe vera gel powder, 200 mg of aloe vera gel powder, or received no treatment for three months.
Those who received aloe vera supplementation also received nutrition education. The 200 mg group saw the largest improvements in health markers: Compared with the control group, those patients saw their fasting blood glucose levels drop by 15.4 percent, total cholesterol drop by about 10.1 percent, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL, also known as “bad” cholesterol) drop by about 14.6 percent.
The upper tolerable limit for aloe vera in all its forms is still uncertain, but it’s clear that proceeding with caution is key. According to the Mayo Clinic, taking 1 gram (g) of aloe latex for even a few days can cause kidney damage that can be fatal.
In some cases aloe vera consumption is associated with negative side effects, including diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, muscle weakness, and even acute hepatitis, per research. That is why it’s so important to discuss aloe vera supplementation and possible dosage with your doctor before taking it.
Overall, aloe vera shows some promise for aiding diabetes management, but the lack of large-scale, quality research makes it difficult to make definitive recommendations. Aloe vera deserves further investigation, but most diabetes experts agree that, based on the currently available research, aloe vera is not yet ready for clinical use.
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