Certainly no, my dear friend Vilemar. But it might be safely used as a topical medical application for certain skin diseases or in soap and hand or hair solution! 

Certainly no, my dear friend Vilemar. But it might be safely used as a topical medical application for certain skin diseases or in soap and hand or hair solution! 

Aloe Vera is not safe for human consumption based on scientific evidences. Please see the attached link which contains information about "terrible" side effects including a possible carcinogenic activity.

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/aloevera

Dear Nizar,

In addition, its absorption through the skin is negligible! 

Dear Nizar,

Is the toxity referred due the peel constituents? Removing the peel, is it still harmful for health?

The statement of Prof. Barbara Sawicka (But for this reason, be careful with aloe preparations) is a wise one. Many times, my professors & the chief technicians  in Great Britain said to my classmates & me: "It is better to be safe rather than to be sorry". In industrial chemistry practical course, we use Aaloe Vera for hair & skin care products but I do not recommend it for human food products & I will not buy them if they contain it.

It is an interesting question; food made from Aloe Vera are not safe for human consumption if exceeding a specific dose as mentioned by previous contributions; it is however; scientifically proved that it helps weight loss; As you may have seen, Aloe Vera has made its way into the headlines rather a lot recently. It’s been hailed as a new wonder product, one which can provide a healthy addition to peoples diets, aid in weight loss and in some cases ‘cure’ or fix some diseases. And with headlines like these it’s no wonder people are listening!  See the following link:

http://foodandnonsense.com/behind-the-headlines-aloe-vera-for-weight-loss/

Dear Vilemar

Report published in November 2011 by the Brazilian National Sanitary Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), reports that food and juices based on aloe vera should not be consumed by the population. This is because there is no evidence of consumer safety of these foods. In Brazil, aloe vera has authorized use only in cosmetics and herbal medicines for topical use with healing function

According to ANVISA anthracene and anthraquinone substances present in aloe vera are mutagenic, or can cause mutation in human cells. According to the document, the aloe vera has potentially toxic biotransformation products. So not only have immediate effect and easily correlated with their intake, but also effects that set up long-term and asymptomatic, may lead to a severe clinical picture, sometimes fatal

I just found that thread looking at RG search for more material published on this topic.

Thanks,

Vilemar Magalhães

Probably not. Topical application on skin makes aloe vera a great natural product for conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. However, internal consumption may cause abdominal cramping and muscle weakness.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/527297-is-aloe-vera-gel-safe-to-take-internally/

I agree to dear Marvans statement.  Soap yes, food no!

Dear Vilemar

This article may be useful for you:

Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2010 Apr;50(4):305-26. 

Aloe vera as a functional ingredient in foods.

Rodríguez Rodríguez E1, Darias Martín J, Díaz Romero C.

Author information

Abstract

The main scientific discoveries on Aloe vera published mainly in the last three decades are presented in this work. After describing Aloe from a botanical point of view, the papers related with the chemical composition of different parts of the leaf of Aloe, particularly those in which the gel is described and are presented in a synthetic manner. The chemical analyses reveal that Aloe gel contains mannose polymers with some glucose and other sugars, among which the most important is Acemannan. Besides these, other components such as glycoproteins, enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals are described. Different factors also affecting the chemical composition of the gel, such as species and variety, climatic and soil conditions, cultivation methods, processing and preservation, are enumerated and discussed. On the other hand, the main therapeutic applications have been revised and the possible damaging effects of Aloe are also commented upon. A special emphasis is placed on the biologically active compounds or groups of compounds responsible for the therapeutic applications and which are their action mechanisms. The paper concludes that more research is needed to confirm the therapeutic and beneficial effects and to definitively clarify the myth surrounding Aloe vera. A general view on the problem of the commercialization and establishment of the quality and safety of Aloe products in the food industry has been offered here. The main points and European regulations that need to be considered regarding the quality control of prepared Aloe products are presented in this paper

Since there are many questions concerning food supplements the following link may be useful:

National Institute of Health

http://ods.od.nih.gov/Health_Information/ODS_Frequently_Asked_Questions.aspx

Aloe vera has a long history of use to heal minor wounds and burns on the skin. The plant is native to subtropical and tropical locations including South Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Dear Mahfuz, apply in certain cases, don´t eat.

Recipes with aloe vera? The recipes are based on the aloe vera plant can be of two types, the recipes dedicated to cosmetics, and creams and lotions for the skin or for internal use, in this case in the syrup from the various practical and effective healing properties.

Here is the recipe of homemade syrup aloe vera:

150 g of the pulp of aloe

250 g of honey

2 tablespoons of rum, whiskey, cognac or brandy

Preparation:

Blend all ingredients together and put everything in a glass container that is not well covered to allow passage of the light in the refrigerator.

Use:

Take a spoonful of syrup, three times a day, before each meal.

The mother of a patient I observed cured Crohn's disease of his son with aloe syrup:

Very disappointing results. 

No! Food made from Aloe Vera  is not safe. 

Juice is suitable for handling

I completely agree wit dear Krishnan that juice is suitable for handling heartburn and high level of cholesterol.

I´m not sure with your proposal to use aloe for heartburn. If the reason for this disease is reflux and to high level of gastric acid, the modern medicines are proton pump inhibitors, because this reflux phanomenon needs a reliable and intensively acting treatment.

I agree with you, dear Hanno. But our knowledgeable dear friends Ierardi and Kamal could enlighten us more on the issue of the heartburn raised above! 

I used to drink Aloe Vera juice or it's mix with apple juice almost on daily basis when I was in Malaysia, and I still consume it every now and then.

If it was NOT safe for human being, I would have not been here, writing this! ;-)

It didn't have any side effect on me

"Aloe vera juice contains leaf pulp that is rich in natural nutrients and fiber. This well-known herbal remedy for the skin also has many benefits for internal healing, cleansing and repair when ingested as a nutritional drink. However, it can cause adverse side effects and reactions..."

I think it is safe if you peel it. Or perhaps there are more than one species of aloe vera.

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/health-risks-benefits-taking-aloe-vera-juice-internally-5017.html

Thanks dear Kamal for the very quick and categorial clarification.

This is a very interesting  thread and illustrates well that all substances we ingest can have adverse effects.  I was always sceptical about the claims made that 'natural' products are safer than manufactured pharmaceuticals.  If 'natural' products did not have adverse effects then they would not work at all.  Adverse/side effects are signs that the drug is being metabolised (or not as the case may be) in the body.

All drugs and natural medications are toxins.  The very basis of pharmacology is the controlled use of toxic substances.  I have just been revising the use of human hormones used to treat a range of diseases.  Hypothyroidism is treated with Thyroxin, a natural substance.  It is however highly toxic if the dose in too high.  As for treating osteoporosis with Calcitonin (another 'natural' substance), significant evidence indicates this can increase invasiveness of cancer cells and shorten the period between the formation of the primary tumor and metastasis.

Watch out for the 'natural'... Nature can be very dangerous! 

Persistent use of anthraquinone as well as stimulant laxatives in the same group have been associated with carcinomas in rodent studies and there is evidence of genotoxicity.

According to the BNF anthraquinones such as cascara and castor oil are now obsolete and should not be used.  No direct indication of why appears in the BNF but it would appear that this is because risk/benefit is tilted too far in the risk zone. 

Caution should be used in patients with intestinal narrowing, The highly potent chemicals found in Aloe Vera can produce adverse effects such as faecal impaction, abdominal distension, gastro-intestinal obstruction and loss of electrolytes and should be used with the same degree of caution as any other pharmaceutical product.  Excessive use of these drugs can cause melanosis coli. 

Take especial care with patients who report problems swallowing.  The golden rule is never use any drug without consulting the pharmacopoeia and remember that natural products including Aloe Vera are drugs, not magic!

I have a healthy scepticism of rat studies because they have been used to justify all sorts of rubbish and we should all exercise caution when animal studies are directly linked to humans (note the comment on high doses).  We should also of course be sceptical about claims for 'cure all natural products' because by far the majority of them are unscientific balderdash.   However the article below from the New Scientist should give food for thought (if you will all pardon the pun) 

Aloe vera extract gave rats tumours

17:14 11 April 2011 by Peter Aldhous

For similar stories, visit the Food and Drink , Cancer and Drugs and Alcohol Topic Guides

Aloe vera food supplements and drinks are supposed to help your gut stay healthy – or so herbalists claim. But now a warning flag has been raised by the US National Toxicology Program (NTP), which has found that rats given drinking water spiked with an extract of the succulent plant developed tumours in their intestines.

The rodents were given relatively high doses of a whole-leaf extract of aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) over two years. In rats given water containing 1.5 per cent by weight of the extract, 39 per cent of females and 74 per cent of males had malignant or benign tumours in their large intestines. None of these growths were seen in rats given pure drinking water.

Mice given similar doses did not develop more tumours than normal – but rats are thought to be a better model for the risks to people, as mice have a different distribution of gut bacteria that process constituents of aloe vera.

Still, it's not yet clear what the results mean for people consuming products containing aloe vera as part of a "natural health" regime.

"At this stage, we're looking at designing the next round of experiments," says Daniel Fabricant at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which contributed to the report, and is responsible for regulating dietary supplements. "We want to relate the results to the commercial products that are out there."

Prime suspect

Experiments to estimate the risks to people are likely to last several years. The first task is to establish which biochemicals within the complex mixture extracted from aloe vera are responsible for causing the rats' tumours, says Nigel Walker of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, who evaluated the NTP results.

The prime suspect is a substance called aloin A, which together with other aloe extracts was removed from laxatives sold over the counter in US pharmacies in 2002, because manufacturers had failed to provide the FDA with sufficient information on safety.

If aloin A is to blame for the rats' tumours, then concern will focus on products made from whole leaf extracts. Aloe vera gel and "decolourised" extracts that have been filtered through activated charcoal contain much less aloin A.

Cure-all?

In addition to promoting general health, some herbalists claim that aloe vera supplements can help treat conditions including asthma and diabetes – although the US National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine warns that there is not enough scientific evidence to support these uses.

Lois Swirsky Gold at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies cancer hazards, notes that about half of all chemicals tested in rodents at high doses cause cancer, whether natural or synthetic.

"People are consuming herbal supplements with the idea that they're beneficial," she says. "The truth is that we know very little about their benefits or their risks. Just because they are 'natural' does not make them safe."

@ Alireza

I share the same views, I have consumed Aloe vera juice mixed gravy. (sambar) along with rice (steamed). Though this is not very frequent  but once in two months or so...All in my family consume, for health upkeep.

• Remove the thorny skin and throw away , the inner surface can be rubbed over face
• The white inner part  can squeezed and filtered in warm water; can be added with food or juices

http://www.looksforever.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/aloe-vera-uses.jpg

I am fully agree with Prof Umachandran, we can take Aloe vera juice mixed gravy along with rice (steamed). I take it once in three months ...........