Can Aloe Make Chemo Safer & More Effective?

In our recent Vol.20, No.1 edition of The Natural Path we looked at the recent explosion of research on Aloe. But here’s another exciting use of aloe that we just came across. Aloe may make chemotherapy safer and more effective. . . .

This intriguing study gave 240 people with metastatic solid tumours either their chemotherapy alone or their chemotherapy plus Aloe arborescens. The aloe was given at a dose of 10ml three times a day of a mixture of 300g fresh aloe leaves and 500g of honey in 40ml of 40% alcohol.

The people given the aloe did significantly better. There was a complete response in 10% of the people treated with aloe but in only 3% of those on chemotherapy alone: a statistically significant benefit. 34% of the people who received aloe had a partial or complete response versus 19% on chemo alone: again, a significant benefit. The percentage of people who achieved three year survival was significantly greater in the aloe group.

As an added benefit, the aloe protected against the side effects of chemo so that chemo was better tolerated in the group that took aloe with their chemo.

In Vivo 2009;23:171-5

For the latest research to keep your family healthy, get The Natural Path delivered to your inbox each month: Subscribe!