Overview of Cape Aloe
Scientific Name: Aloe ferox
Order: Asparagales
Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae
Do not confuse with aloe (Aloe vera or Aloe barbadensis), krantz aloe (Aloe arborescens), or Zimbabwe aloe (Aloe excelsa).
Strong:
insufficient informationGood:
insufficient informationPromising:
insufficient informationConflicting (Unclear):
insufficient informationLimited Evidence:
- Anti-Bacterial and Anti-Fungal [1]
- Another species of aloe, Aloe excelsa (Zimbabwe aloe), may have similar medicinal properties as cape aloe
No Evidence:
insufficient informationNo Clinical Research:
All other conditions.- Side effects have not been studied.
- Avoid or contact a licensed healthcare practitioner, if you have allergies to plants in the order Asparagales (asparagus, onions, etc.), and caution, since there is not enough research on the use of supplements containing cape aloe.
- There were several isolated cases that cape aloe may have caused acute kidney failure and liver dysfunction.
There is not enough research on the use of supplements containing cape aloe during pregnancy and breast-feeding, so consult a licensed healthcare practitioner before use or avoid use.
Major:
insufficient informationModerate:
insufficient informationPotential:
insufficient informationCape aloe is not a "drug", so the best doses have not been thoroughly established. Make sure to follow the specific product instructions and take as directed on the label, or consult a licensed healthcare practitioner before use.
1. Coopoosamy RM, Naidoo KK. A comparative study of three Aloe species used to treat skin diseases in South African rural communities. J Altern Complement Med. 2013 May;19(5):425-8. 2. Luyckx VA, Ballantine R, Claeys M, Cuyckens F, Van den Heuvel H, Cimanga RK, Vlietinck AJ, De Broe ME, Katz IJ. Herbal remedy-associated acute renal failure secondary to Cape aloes. Am J Kidney Dis. 2002 Mar;39(3):E13. 3. Afendi FM, Okada T, Yamazaki M, Hirai-Morita A, Nakamura Y, Nakamura K, Ikeda S, Takahashi H, Altaf-Ul-Amin M, Darusman LK, Saito K, Kanaya S. KNApSAcK family databases: integrated metabolite-plant species databases for multifaceted plant research. Plant Cell Physiol. 2012 Feb;53(2):e1.