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No Clear Verdict: Studies of aloe vera produce mixed results

By Anahad O'Connor

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Published: October 1, 2008

The claim: Aloe vera gel heals burns.

The facts: Aloe vera has been a common skin-care remedy since the first century A.D., when Dioscorides, a Greek physician, advocated using it for burns

But only in recent years have scientists conducted research to determine whether it lives up to its reputation. Some have found that aloe contains certain anti-inflammatory compounds and may act as an antibacterial agent. But studies on its effects on minor and moderate burns have been mixed.

In 2007, for example, a study in the journal Burns analyzed data from four controlled clinical trials involving a total of 371 patients, some of whom were treated with topical aloe vera and others with a placebo. Patients in the aloe vera group appeared to have slightly shorter healing times, but the evidence was not convincing, and the authors recommended further research.

In another study, scientists applied aloe vera to second-degree burns. They found that it "hindered the healing process" when compared with a common antibacterial cream. Then in 2008, still another study looked at aloe vera applied to burns for six weeks and found that it decreased "subdermal temperature within the skin." But it did not reduce bacterial counts or speed the regeneration of skin.

The bottom line: Inconclusive. Studies of aloe vera's effect on burns have produced conflicting findings.