Based on testimony and research, it would appear that diabetics who are taking concentrated aloe vera should monitor their blood sugar level very closely, especially if they are taking insulin. Research using aloe vera in diabetics has shown that blood sugar can be reduced up to 55%. Insulin doses were either reduced or totally eliminated when study subjects added aloe vera in sufficient quantities to their daily diet. The mechanism is thought to be related to aloe vera’s beta-cell protective effects, inhibitory effects on glucose-absortion speed, and a modulataion of liver enzymes.
Abstract: In the present investigation, the antidiabetic effect of Aloe vera leaf pulp extract was studied in vivo and in vitro as compared to glimiperide. Diabetes was induced experimentally in adult male albino rats by single-dose intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg body weight). The in vitro study was performed using isolated islets of pancreas from adult female albino rats. Both aloe extract (10 ml/kg, p.o.) and glimiperide (10 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly decreased serum glucose and significantly increased serum insulin levels as compared to control diabetic rats. Serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were significantly decreased while blood glutathione (GSH) was significantly increased by aloe treatment as compared to diabetic rats. Effect of aloe was better than the effect of glimiperide. Regarding the in vitro study, both aloe (10 µl/l) and glimiperide (10 µmol/l) significantly increased both basal and stimulated insulin secretion from the isolated islets of pancreas as compared to control. These results show a promising antidiabetic effect of aloe for further clinical trials regarding clinical use of aloe extract for treating type II diabetes.
Abstract: High blood sugar and adiposity are part of Metabolic syndrome (about 24% of adults harbor it). The main approach, weight reduction, is often unattainable. Aloe Vera (barbadensis) (AV) and cnidoscolus chayamansa (McVaugh) (CC) are two vegetables that seem to have an effect on blood glucose and body weight. The study aims to determine if the intake of aloe gel and/or Chaya infusion can reduce high blood sugar in adult women with pre-diabetes (Metabolic Syndrome). Methods: A Factorial assay, double blind, cross-over-controlled with random assignment, to four treatments: AV and CC, AV and Placebo 1, Placebo 2 and CC, and Placebo 1 and Placebo 2, at the outpatient clinic of the university Hospital and a community clinic. Two treatment periods of 4 weeks intermediated by one week for wash-out.
Abstract: Aloe vera gel exhibits protective effects against insulin resistance as well as lipid-lowering and anti-diabetic effects. The anti-diabetic compounds in this gel were identified as Aloe-sterols. Aloe vera gel extract (AVGE) containing Aloe-sterols has recently been produced using a new procedure. We previously reported that AVGE reduced large-sized intestinal polyps in Apc-deficient Min mice fed a high fat diet (HFD), suggesting that Aloe vera gel may protect against colorectal cancer. In the present study, we examined the effects of Aloe vera gel powder (AVGP) and AVGE on azoxymethane-induced colorectal preneoplastic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in mice fed a HFD. Male C57BL/6J mice were given a normal diet (ND), HFD, HFD containing 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose solution, which was used as a solvent for AVGE (HFDC), HFD containing 3% or 1% AVGP, and HFDC containing 0.0125% (H-) or 0.00375% (L-) AVGE. The number of ACF was significantly lower in mice given 3% AVGP and H-AVGE than in those given HFD or HFDC alone. Moreover, 3% AVGP, H-AVGE and L-AVGE significantly decreased the mean Ki-67 labeling index, assessed as a measure of cell proliferation in the colonic mucosa. In addition, hepatic phase II enzyme glutathione S-transferase mRNA levels were higher in the H-AVGE group than in the HFDC group. These results suggest that both AVGP and AVGE may have chemopreventive effects on colorectal carcinogenesis under the HFD condition. Furthermore, the concentration of Aloe-sterols was similar between 3% AVGP and H-AVGE, suggesting that Aloe-sterols were the main active ingredients in this experiment.
Choi, H. C., Kim, S. J., Son, K. Y., Oh, B. J., and Cho, B. L. (2013). Metabolic effects of aloe vera gel complex in obese prediabetes and early non-treated diabetic patients: Randomized controlled trial. Nutrition, 29, 1110-1114.
Abstract: The metabolic effects of an aloe vera gel complex (Aloe QDM complex) on people with prediabetes or early diabetes mellitus (DM) are unknown. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of Aloe QDM complex on body weight, body fat mass (BFM), fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting serum insulin, and Homeostasis Model of Assessment – Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) in obese individuals with prediabetes or early DM who were not on diabetes medications. Methods: Participants (n = 136) were randomly assigned to an intervention or a control group and evaluated at baseline and at 4 and 8 wk. Results: The study lost six participants in the control group and eight in the intervention group. At 8 wk, body weight (P = 0.02) and BFM (P= 0.03) were significantly lower in the intervention group. At 4 wk, serum insulin level (P= 0.04) and HOMA-IR (P = 0.047) were lower in the intervention group; they also were lower at 8 wk but with borderline significance (P = 0.09; P = 0.08, respectively). At 8 wk, FBG tended to decrease in the intervention group (P = 0.02), but the between-group difference was not significant (P = 0.16). Conclusion: In obese individuals with prediabetes or early untreated DM, Aloe QDM complex reduced body weight, BFM, and insulin resistance.
Abstract: Aloe vera inhibits inflammation and adjuvant-induced arthritis. The authors’ laboratory has shown that A. vera improves wound healing, which suggests that it does not act like an adrenal steroid. Diabetic animals were used in this study because of their poor wound healing and anti-inflammatory capabilities. The anti-inflammatory activity of A. vera and gibberellin was measured in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice by measuring the inhibition of polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration into a site of gelatin-induced inflammation over a dose range of 2 to 100 mg/kg. Both Aloe and gibberellin similarly inhibited inflammation in a dose-response manner. These data tend to suggest that gibberellin or a gibberellin-like substance is an active anti-inflammatory component in A. vera.
Abstract: In this research project, the authors extrapolate their earlier findings, and better characterize Aloe vera as a therapeutic alternative for physicians to consider. They attempt to evaluate A. vera as an effective treatment for some of the most critical manifestations of diabetes.
Abstract: A growing body of preclinical and clinical research shows that the gel of the Aloe vera plant, administered as a juice or in dried form, has significant antidiabetic activity. Not surprisingly, studies using animal models outnumber clinical trials, but animal studies provide supporting evidence and often provide insights into mechanisms of action.
Abstract: The effects of processed Aloe vera gel (PAG) on the course of established diet-induced non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) were studied in C57BL/6J mice. NIDDM was induced in C57BL/6J mice by feeding them a high-fat diet. Mice exhibiting diet-induced obesity (DIO) with blood glucose levels above 180 mg/dl were selected to examine the antidiabetic effects of PAG. Oral administration of PAG for 8 weeks reduced circulating blood glucose concentrations to a normal level in these DIO mice. In addition, the administration of PAG significantly decreased plasma insulin. The antidiabetic effects of PAG were also confirmed by intraperitoneal glucose tolerance testing. PAG appeared to lower blood glucose levels by decreasing insulin resistance. The administration of PAG also lowered triacylglyceride levels in liver and plasma. Histological examinations of periepididymal fat pad showed that PAG reduced the average size of adipocytes. These results demonstrate that the oral administration of PAG prevents the progression of NIDDM-related symptoms in high-fat diet-fed mice, and suggest that PAG could be useful for treating NIDDM.
Abstract: The protective actions of components isolated from Aloe arborescens Miller var. natalensis Berger on streptozotocin-induced necrosis of B cells in the pancreatic islets of the mouse were investigated to clarify its action mechanism involved in anti-diabetic effects.
Abstract: A placebo-controlled, single-blind human clinical trial found that diabetics receiving 15 milliliters of Aloe gel twice a day for 42 days experienced 43% and 44% reductions in blood sugar and blood triglycerides, respectively, while controls experienced no change.
Abstract: We examined the effects of lophenol (Lo) and cycloartanol (Cy), minor phytosterols of Aloe vera gel, in obese animal model of type II diabetes, Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats. Male ZDF rats were administered Lo and Cy at 25 g/(kg day) daily for 44 days. Consecutive treatment of phytosterols suppressed the hyperglycemia, and random blood glucose levels after 35 days of treatment were 39.6 and 37.2% lower than the control, in Lo and Cy treatment groups, respectively. Consistent with the random blood glucose level, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values of phytosterols treated rats were also lower than the control (Lo: 5.5 + 0.8, Cy: 4.6 + 0.7 vs. control: 7.2 + 1.5). In the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) after 28 days of administration, the glucose intolerance was improved in phytosterols treatment groups. Additionally, the continuous administration of Lo and Cy also reduced the serum free fatty acid (FFA) and triglyceride (TG) levels except total cholesterol (T-Cho). Furthermore, the weights of total abdominal fat tissues were significantly lower than the control in ZDF rats with Lo (27.7%) and Cy (26.3%) treatment. These observations suggest that Aloe vera-derived phytosterols could reduce visceral fat accumulation, and would be useful for the improvement of hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia.
Nutraceuticals World (2007, October). Botanicals for Diabetes, www.nutraceuticalsworld.com, 56.
Abstract: The dried gel from the Aloe vera plant (family: Aloeaceae) has been shown useful in three studies on NIDDIM. Five phytosterols, lophenol, 24-methyl-lophenol, 24-ethyl-lophenol, cycloartanol, and 24-methylene-cycloartanol, together with the water-soluble fiber glucomannan, appear to be the active constituents. Blood sugar reduction of up to 55% has been shown in in-vivo research. The mechanism is thought to be related to its beta-cell protective effects, inhibitory effects on glucose-absorption speed and a modulation of liver enzymes. A half teaspoonful of aloe daily for four to 14 weeks decreased fasting glucose level from a mean of 273 mg/dl to 151 mg/dl for five NIDDM patients. Two other human studies have confirmed similar effects with one teaspoon daily.
Abstract: Aloe vera, in various forms, has been applied to the treatment of diabetes of animals and humans in a few small-scale trials and one larger trial. The results indicate that Aloe has a hypoglycaemic effect (i.e., a blood sugar lowering effect), and other effects, sufficient to make it extremely interesting for possible wide-scale use in the treatment of diabetic conditions. The nature and implications of these findings are discussed in this newsletter.
Abstract: Obesity-induced disorders contribute to the development of metabolic diseases such as insulin resistance, fatty liver diseases, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). In this study, we evaluated whether the Aloe QDM complex could improve metabolic disorders related to blood glucose levels and insulin resistance. Male C57BL/6 obese mice fed a high-fat diet for 54 days received a supplement of Aloe QDM complex or pioglitazone (PGZ) or metformin (Met) and were compared with unsupplemented controls (high-fat diet; HFD) or mice fed a regular diet (RD). RT-PCR and western blot analysis were used to quantify the expression of obesity-induced inflammation. Dietary Aloe QDM complex lowered body weight, fasting blood glucose, plasma insulin, and leptin levels, and markedly reduced the impairment of glucose tolerance in obese mice. Also, Aloe QDM complex significantly enhanced plasma adiponectin levels and insulin sensitivity via AMPK activity in muscles. At the same time, Aloe QDM decreased the mRNA and protein of PPARγ/LXRα and scavenger receptors in white adipose tissue (WAT). Dietary Aloe QDM complex reduces obesity-induced glucose tolerance not only by suppressing PPARγ/LXRα but also by enhancing AMPK activity in the WAT and muscles, both of which are im-portant peripheral tissues affecting insulin resistance. The Aloe QDM complex could be used as a nutritional intervention against T2D.
Abstract: Background: Insulin resistance is an integral feature of meta-bolic syndromes, including obesity, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia. In this study, we evaluated whether the aloe component could reduce obesity-induced inflammation and the occurrence of metabolic disorders such as blood glucose and insulin resistance. Methods: Male C57BL/6 obese mice fed a high-fat diet for 54 days received a supplement of aloe formula (PAG, ALS, Aloe QDM, and Aloe QDM complex) or pioglitazone (PGZ) and were compared with unsupplement-ed controls (high-fat diet; HFD) or mice fed a regular diet (RD). RT-PCR and western blot analysis were used to quanti-fy the expression of obesity-induced inflammation. Results: Aloe QDM lowered fasting blood glucose and plasma insulin compared with HFD. Obesity-induced inflammatory cytokine (IL-1β, -6, -12, TNFα) and chemokine (CX3CL1, CCL5) mRNA and protein were decreased markedly, as was macro-phage infiltration and hepatic triglycerides by Aloe QDM. At the same time, Aloe QDM decreased the mRNA and protein of PPARγ/LXRα and 11β-HSD1 both in the liver and WAT. Conclusion: Dietary aloe formula reduces obesity-in-duced glucose tolerance not only by suppressing inflammatory responses but also by inducing anti-inflammatory cytokines in the WAT and liver, both of which are important pe-ripheral tissues affecting insulin resistance. The effect of Aloe QDM complex in the WAT and liver are related to its dual action on PPARγ and β-HSD1 expression and its use as a nutritional intervention against T2D and obesity-related inflammation is suggested.
Abstract: The purpose of the present study is to study the effect of aloe vera in the treatment of IBS patients in a randomized, double-blind placebo controlled study.
Abstract: Aloe vera L. high molecular weight fractions (AHM) containing less than 10 ppm of barbaloin and polysaccharide (MW: 1000 kDa) with glycoprotein, Verectin (MW: 29 kDa), were prepared by patented hyper-dry system in combination of freeze dry technique with microwave and far infrared radiation. AHM produced significant decrease in blood glucose level sustained for 6 weeks of the start of the study. Significant decrease in triglycerides was only observed 4 weeks after treatment and continued thereafter. No deleterious effects on kidney and liver functions were apparent. Treatment of diabetic patients with AHM may relief vascular complications probably via activation of immune system.
Abstract: There are a few nutritional approaches to address the increased needs of managing diabetic conditions. Previously it has been reported that UP780, a standardized composition of aloe chromone formulated with an aloe polysaccharide, has a significant impact in reducing HbA1C, fasting blood glucose, fructosamine and plasma insulin level in humans and improved impaired glucose and insulin resistance in high-fat diet-induced and db/db non-insulin dependent diabetic mouse models. Here we describe activity of UP780 and its constituents to improve insulin sensitivity in alloxan induced insulin dependent diabetic mouse model. Materials and method: Insulin dependent diabetes was induced by administering a single intraperitoneal injection of alloxan monohydrate at a dose of 150 mg/kg to CD-1 mice. Aloesin (UP394) was formulated with an Aloe vera inner leaf gel powder polysaccharide (Qmatrix) to yield a composition designated UP780. Efficacy of oral administration of UP780 at 2000 mg/kg and its constituents (aloesin at 80 mg/kg and Qmatrix at 1920 mg/kg) were evaluated in this model. Glyburide, a sulfonylurea drug used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, was used at 5 mg/kg as a positive control. Effect of UP780 on non-diabetic normal mice was also addressed. Mice administered intraperitoneal alloxan monohydrate developed progressive type-1 diabetes like symptom. After 4 weeks of daily oral administration, reductions of 35.9%, 17.2% and 11.6% in fasting blood glucose levels were observed for UP780, the UP780 Aloe vera inner leaf gel polysaccharide preparation without chromone (Qmatrix), and Aloesin (UP394), treated animals respectively, compared to vehicle treated animals. UP780 has no impact on blood glucose level of non-diabetic healthy mice. UP780 showed statistically significant improvement for blood glucose clearance in oral glucose tolerance tests. Similarly, enhanced improvement in plasma insulin level and statistically significant reduction in triglyceride level was also observed for animals treated with the composition. Conclusion: These findings suggest that UP780, a chromone standardized Aloe based composition, could possibly be used as a natural supplement alternative to facilitate maintenance of healthy blood glucose levels.
