Fact Check Does Aloe Vera Causes Cancer Banned in USA
Details Fact Check Does Aloe Vera Causes Cancer Banned in USA
Aloe Vera
Common Names: aloe
Latin Names: Aloe vera, Aloe africana, Aloe arborescens, Aloe barbadensis
The Aloe plant is employed as a dietary supplement in a variety of foods and as an ingredient in cosmetic products.
The widespread human exposure and its potential toxic and carcinogenic activities raise safety concerns.
In 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a ruling that required manufacturers to remove aloe latex from over-the-counter laxative products because of a lack of safety data.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified whole leaf extract of aloe vera as a possible carcinogen in humans.
(This form, called non-decolorized, has not undergone activated carbon treatment to remove toxic anthraquinone components.)
Chemical analysis reveals that the Aloe plant contains various polysaccharides and phenolic chemicals, notably anthraquinones.
Friday, December 4, 2015 the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) listed Aloe vera (non-decolorized whole leaf extract) as carcinogens on its list of Chemicals known to the State of California to Cause Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity (Proposition 65 List), pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (commonly known as Proposition 65).
This action will affect countless dietary supplement and cosmetic products, which will now be required to bear a warning that the products contain a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer.
It is worth noting that in its April 23, 2015 Notice of Intent to List Chemicals by the Labor Code Mechanism:
Aloe Vera, Whole Leaf Extract and Goldenseal Root Powder, OEHHA referred to Aloe vera, whole leaf extract, whereas the official Prop 65 listing is now Aloe vera, non-decolorized whole leaf extract.
What is non-decolorized whole leaf extract of Aloe vera?
Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) is a succulent plant used in some personal care products and home remedies, and to flavor some foods and beverages.
Proposition 65 lists a specific type of Aloe vera extract: non-decolorized whole leaf extract.
This extract from the plant’s leaves is not filtered to remove cancer-causing chemicals naturally found in the Aloe vera plant.
Most consumer products with Aloe vera do not contain this type of extract, and are not known to pose a cancer risk.
They contain decolorized whole leaf Aloe vera extract. This extract is filtered to remove cancer-causing chemicals, and is not on the Proposition 65 list.
How does exposure to non-decolorized whole leaf extract of Aloe vera occur?
Exposure can take place by consuming products with non-decolorized whole leaf extract of Aloe vera or applying them to the skin.
A few consumer products contain this non-decolorized extract, though product labels do not always make this clear.
Home remedies with Aloe vera may pose a cancer hazard if the liquid extracted from the leaves is not properly processed to remove the cancer-causing chemicals.
During pregnancy, some chemicals of concern in non-decolorized whole leaf extract of Aloe vera can pass from mother to baby.
Ingestion of Aloe preparations is associated with diarrhea, hypokalemia, pseudomelanosis coli, kidney failure, as well as phototoxicity and hypersensitive reactions.
Aloe vera whole leaf extract showed clear evidence of carcinogenic activity in rats, and was classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a possible human carcinogen (Group 2B).
Due to its widespread human exposure and concerns that some components may cause cancer, in 1998 the National Cancer Institute nominated Aloe vera as a high-priority candidate for a carcinogenicity study under the National Toxicology Program (NTP).
In 2002, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final rule stating that use of Aloe as a nonprescription laxative drug is no longer generally recognized as safe and effective.
Recently, Aloe vera whole leaf extract has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a possible human carcinogen (Group 2B)
The use of herbal products has been growing rapidly in the general population.
Aloe has enjoyed a long history of providing a myriad of health benefits, and is one of the most frequently used herbal remedies employed throughout the world.
There are more than 400 species of Aloe, but the most popular and widely used species is Aloe barbadensis Miller (also called Aloe vera Linne, commonly referred to Aloe vera).
Aloe is derived from the Arabic word alloeh meaning “bitter and shiny substance,” and vera from the Latin word for “truth.”
Other species used in health and medicine include but are not limited to Aloe arborescens Miller (a member of the asphodelacea family), Aloeperryi Baker, Aloe andongensis, and Aloe ferox.
Aloe contains pharmacologically active ingredients associated with diverse biological activities including fungicidal, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, laxative, immunomodulating, and anticancer effects.
Aloe vera, known as the “plant of immortality” in early Egypt, has been used as a traditional medicine in Arab, Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, Indian, Japanese, Korean, and Roman cultures for more than 2000 years to empirically treat a broad list of disorders and ailments, such as skin problems (wounds, x-ray and radium burns, and psoriasis), constipation, external and internal ulcers, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and lupus erythematosus.
Due to the numerous purported beneficial effects, Aloe vera production has been an emerging industry for making laxative drugs, cosmetics, and functional food, such as face and hand creams, foundations, cleansers, lipsticks, suntan lotions, shampoos and hair tonics, shaving preparations, bath aids, makeup and fragrance preparations, baby lotions and wipes, yogurt, drinks, capsules, and tablets.
Aloe vera whole leaf extract, including the gel and the latex, contains more than 200 chemical substances.
The raw Aloe leaf is composed of approximately 98.5% water, the remaining solid material contains a range of compounds including nutrients (e.g., carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals) and non-nutrients (e.g., organic acids, lignins, phenolic compounds, anthraquinones, and phytosterols).
The chemical composition and the potency of the various constituents are influenced by many factors, such as species/subspecies, climate, land and irrigation, cultivation methods, harvesting, extraction processing, and storage conditions.
NTP Technical Report 577 described clear evidence of carcinogenic activity in F344/N rats after oral administration of Aloe vera whole leaf extract in drinking water
In a one-year study using Wistar Hannover rats, 4% Aloe arborescens (whole leaf powder extract) in the diet resulted in diarrhea, reduced body weight gain, yellowish pigmentation of ileocecal lymph nodes and renal tubules and severe sinus dilatation of the ileocecal lymph nodes
Topical and oral use of Aloe vera can cause skin irritation, hives, cramping, and diarrhea to those who are allergic to other plants in the lily family, for example, onion and tulips
Oral use of aloe latex can cause abdominal pain, cramps, and diarrhea. Oral consumption of aloe leaf extracts (for as little as 3 weeks and as long as 5 years) has been related to cases of acute hepatitis.
Aloe—in gel, latex, or whole leaf extract form—when taken by mouth may be unsafe during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
PS. - Ask your doctor before taking Aloe Vera Juice or tablets Always Consult MBBS Doctor Regarding Aloe Vera
Keywords: Aloe gel, aloe latex, Aloe vera, carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, toxicological effects
