Aloe vera has a long history of popular and traditional use. It is used in traditional Indian medicine for constipation, colic, skin diseases, worm infestation, and infections (Heber 2007). It is also used in Trinidad and Tobago for hypertension (Lans 2006) and among Mexican Americans for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM; Coronado et al. 2004). In Chinese medicine, it is often recommended in the treatment of fungal diseases (Heber 2007). In Western society, Aloe vera is one of the few herbal medicines in common usage, and it has found widespread use in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food industries. In the case of health, the therapeutic claims for the topical and oral application of Aloe vera cover a wide range of conditions, but few claims have been the subject of robust clinical investigation. The conditions for which clinical trials of Aloe vera have been conducted include skin conditions, management of burn and wound healing, constipation, DM, and gastrointestinal disorders.
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