Relieve It With A Herb: Aloe Vera For Canker Sores

This article was originally published on www.zliving.com on October 26, 2018

Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) is a popular medicinal plant that’s been used for thousands of years. It is a thick, short-stemmed plant that stores water in its leaves. Best known for treating skin injuries such as sores or burns, it has several other therapeutic properties.

Each aloe vera leaf is full of a slimy tissue that stores water. This slimy, water-filled tissue is the ‘gel’ we relate to in aloe vera products. Aloe vera gel contains powerful antioxidants known as polyphenols. Polyphenols in aloe vera can inhibit the growth of certain types of bacteria that cause infections in humans.^[1]

Aloe vera could also accelerate the healing of burns. A review of four studies suggests that aloe vera could reduce the time taken to heal burns by around nine days when compared with conventional medicine.^[2]

Aloe Vera For Canker Sores
Most people have experience mouth ulcers, or canker sores, at some point in their lives. Canker sores usually form underneath the lip inside the mouth and lost for seven to 10 days.

Studies show that aloe vera can accelerate healing of mouth ulcers. Aloe vera is effective in reducing inflammation and has soothing properties that can help heal canker sores.

A study done on 180 people with recurrent mouth ulcers for a period of seven days showed that when an aloe vera patch was applied to the area it was effective in reducing the size of the ulcers.^[3] Another study found that aloe vera gel not only accelerated the healing of mouth ulcers but also decreased the pain associated with the ulcer.^[4]

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