Aloe Vera Side Effects

Aloe vera is a medicinal plant with very thick leaves. The gel inside the leaves is used to make herbal medicine to treat many different things. Aloe vera may have side effects that you should know about.

Aloe vera can be applied to the skin to relieve burns and other skin irritations. Unless you have an allergy to aloe vera, you should not feel any unpleasant side effects from applying aloe vera gel to your skin.

When aloe vera is taken internally, there is a such as too much aloe. You need to only take the dosage that you are supposed to take.

There are two kinds of aloe vera gel you can use internally. One is aloe vera gel and the other is more of a full spectrum gel that contains parts of the whole aloe vera leaf. It is highly advised that you do not take large amounts of whole leaf aloe vera gel internally for a prolonged amount of time. If you do, you could experience:

• Diarrhea
• Stomach cramps
• Kidney problems
• Low levels of potassium

If you take whole leaf aloe vera products in large amounts daily and you develop diarrhea as a result, you could develop dehydration. Also, when you take large amounts of this specific type of gel daily, your digestive system may get too used to the "aide" and you may become dependent on whole leaf aloe vera juice in order to have a bowel movement.

If you are sensitive to aloe vera products, be very careful. You could develop liver problems from taking aloe leaf extract.

If you are diabetic, ask your doctor before taking any aloe vera products. Aloe vera may cause a change in your blood sugar levels.

Having an allergic reaction to aloe vera is possible. You have more of a chance of having an allergic reaction if you are allergic to onions, tulips, garlic, and other plants within the Liliaceae family.

If you are pregnant or nursing, do not use aloe vera internally because it could cause a miscarriage or certain birth defects. Children should not be given aloe vera juice internally.

If you have Crohn's disease or any other digestive problems, do not take aloe vera internally because it could cause an irritation.

Do not take aloe vera if you will be having surgery soon. Also do not take aloe if you have hemorrhoids or a kidney condition.

In closing, aloe vera gel taken internally is sort of a short term cleansing product. If you take full spectrum whole leaf aloe vera gel in large amounts for many days, you could face ugly consequences.