Frequently Asked Questions about aloe vera

FAQ


Is Aloe Vera good for horses?


Well, yes it is, providing you feed your horse a non-latex aloe vera product and you feed serving quantities that are sensible for the weight/size of your horse. Because aloe vera is going to be as good for your horse as the quality and quantity of (unique) nutrients it provides to your horse. There are huge, hidden differences between aloe vera products… we give you transparency in this ‘minefield’. In 7 Benefits of Aloeride aloe vera for horses we do not only list why good aloe vera is good for horses but we also give you insight in aloe vera quality measurements. Beacons to steer by in respect of “is aloe vera good for horses”.


How much aloe vera should I feed my horse?


For a small efficacy study on hooves, veterinary surgeon Peter Green BVSc, CertEO, MRVCS used a dosage of 240ml/day. Aloeride feeds a 400ml equivalent per sachet of 2,000mg powder. The not-so-much-difference in hoof growth with 240ml versus very significant hoof improvement with 400ml suggests, that Aloeride’s dosage suits an adult horse much better. Aloeride makes that affordable too. For most horses you’ll be sprinkling the content of 1 sachet on its feed once a day. It doesn’t matter whether that is its morning or evening feed. When you need an awful lot more support, then you can give 1 sachet twice a day (on feed or syringed into its mouth if your horse is turned out). Frankly for most situations 1 sachet a day is totally adequate. For significantly smaller horses you can give ½ a sachet a day but please DO make sure you properly seal the sachet as aloe vera powder is extremely hydrophillic and caking occurs before you can say ‘Jack Robinson’. Use the other ½ of the sachet the following day.

Can I give my horse too much aloe vera?


The world’s greatest expert on aloe vera Dr. Ivan E. Danhof PhD MD wrote to us that, once all polysaccharide receptor sites in the digestive tract have been saturated by aloe vera beta-linked polysaccharides, any remaining dosage simply passes through the alimentary canal and does no harm. In very layman terms this means that, if Sainsbury’s car park is full, you’ll drive on, leave the car park and shop another day. If Aloeride aloe vera runs out of binding sites in a small horse then… the polysaccharides will be pooped out. So it is more a matter of being wasteful than risking to give too much.
To keep a reverenced perspective on his advice: Dr. Danhof has impeccable credentials namely a B.Sc. in Biology and Chemistry, a M.Sc. in Nutrition and Microbiology, a Ph.D. in Physiology, and a Medical Degree with specialties in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. Dr. Danhof is a retired Professor of Physiology at the University of Texas who has written 80 research papers throughout his career. Additionally, he served as a Fulbright Scholar in Afghanistan investigating Botanical Medicine.

Is Aloe Vera good for healing wounds?


One of the most significant functions of the unique nutrients in good aloe vera is the fact that they heal epithelial tissue. This cannot be better explained than we did in What does aloe vera do (and what with does it do this). Professor Derek Knottenbelt’s expertise in equine medicine is recognised internationally and you should take heed of what he recommends and advises against in wound healing. The right way to heal wounds is 1) to keep the outside clean (rinse, disinfect), 2) if the laceration is deep the bring the tissue together because closing clean wounds helps to promote faster healing -leave infected wounds open until the infection clears- and 3) speed up wound healing by feeding a high dosage of aloe vera in addition to appropriate feed mix. This always is the safest way for healing wounds. Is aloe vera effective in wound care? Yes, very effective providing you feed nutrient-dense, pure aloe vera in a properly meaningful dosage and follow the example of how healthcare professionals deal with wounds. Aloe veterinary formula sprays may be useful for abrasions.

Can I put aloe vera on raw skin?


Professor Derek Knottenbelt OBE, BVM&S, DVMS, DipECEIM, MRCVS states that what people put on their horse’s wounds ranges from unnecessary commercial products to harmful homemade preparations. You can apply aloe vera as long as it doesn’t distress the horse. Aloeride mixed in with the emollient E45 and applied to skin helps to manage dry or itchy skin, eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis or ichthyosis and wounds. If you wonder “can I put aloe vera gel on an open wound?” then, other than aloe vera, also consider Iodosorb (slowly releases old fashioned antibacterial iodine into the wound bed – be careful with applying) or Manuka honey based Medihoney (contains antibacterial agents hydrogen peroxide and methylglyoxyl) or Traumeel Ointment (a very useful complex homeopathic remedy). Most people know aloe vera and manuka honey but fewer may know what is contained in Traumeel:
1. Reduce pain and inflammation: Aconitum napellus, Matricaria recutita, Hamamelis virginiana, Hypericum.
2. Anti-inflammatory: Mercurius solubilis
3. Accelerate wound healing: Arnica montana, Calendula officinalis, Echinacea, Symphytum
4. Reduce swelling: Arnica montana, Hamamelis virginiana, Achillea millefolium, Aconitum napellus, Atropa belladonna, Mercurius solubilus
Some of the research that has been carried out on Traumeel is:
1. Singer, Shepherd R., et al. “Traumeel S® for pain relief following hallux valgus surgery: a randomized controlled trial.” BMC Clinical Pharmacology 10.1 (2010): 1-8.
2. Singer, Shepherd Roee, et al. “Efficacy of a homeopathic preparation in control of post-operative pain—A pilot clinical trial.” Acute pain 9.1 (2007): 7-12.
3. Schneider, Christian. “Traumeel–an emerging option to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the management of acute musculoskeletal injuries.” Int J Gen Med 4 (2011): 225-34.
4. Sencer, S. F., et al. “Traumeel S in preventing and treating mucositis in young patients undergoing SCT: a report of the Children’s Oncology Group.” Bone marrow transplantation 47.11 (2012): 1409-1414.

Does aloe vera speed up healing?


Yes it does. The more nutrient-dense the aloe vera species, the better grown it is, the higher to daily-total-dosage of aloe vera, the better it
works. Aloe vera has significant stimulatory effects on cell proliferation and migration of both fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Surprisingly, aloe vera also exhibited strong protective effects on preservative-induced keratinocyte death. Keratinocytes in the growth media with both the preservatives and aloe vera had dramatically higher viability than cells in the control media without A vera. Conclusions. The results suggest aloe vera accelerates wound healing by promoting the proliferation and migration of fibroblasts and keratinocytes and by protecting keratinocytes from preservative-induced death. [Source: Wounds 2018;30(9):263–268.] Very useful tips on equine wound healing are given in this article.

How can you reduce the cost of aloe vera for horses?


We help you with cost straight out the gate, but it may not feel like that to you, because you may not know how much aloe vera raw material costs. Before our progressive discounts, the below is a fair comparison of the cost of aloe vera fed to horses. Unadulterated product samples of Aloeride, Aloequine, Barrier Animal Healthcare Pure Aloe Vera Juice, Forever Living Stabilised Aloe Vera Gel and Hilton Herbs Aloe Vera were presented for independent measurement by an accredited laboratory equipped for industry standard evaluation of aloe vera. We charge £4.60 per litre (that’s before you choose your multi-carton discount) for a nutritional density of 4,680 mg/L. A big MLM company charges £21.62 per litre for 3.23 x fewer nutrient density. Another company charges £7.55 per litre for 23.4 x fewer nutrient density…
This puts our standard price into perspective. Beyond that price advantage, we offer progressive loyalty discounts: when you buy 3 cartons/order you get 10% loyalty discount, when you buy 6 cartons/order you get 20% loyalty discount + worldwide post paid by us, when you buy a subscription for 1 whole year then you get 25% loyalty discount. Same 25% off if you buy 12 cartons outright (only 1x postage). Thus the cost of Aloeride aloe vera can drop from £1.84/horse/day to £1.38/horse/day which doesn’t take into account that, more often than not, Aloeride stops the need for other supplements.

Does aloe vera juice for ulcers in horses work?


Not always is the short answer because it depends on how deep the gastric lesion is (severity) and where it is located. It depends on dosage and ‘dosage of what quality’. Aloe vera juice distributors often say that with liquid you get better contact with the gastric wall. This is bunkum because stomach muscles churn and mix feed with digestive juices that have acids and enzymes, so foods including Aloeride solids meet the gastric wall all the time. Besides, gastric healing happens not just by direct contact! With Aloeride you feed 2,000mg per dosage (derived from 400ml of original organic aloe vera juice) and its nutrient density is 2.39 to 23.4 times higher than other aloe products we had tested. Rather than depend just on aloe vera for ulcers in horses, I recommend having a read of this article on feeds.

Does aloe vera juice help horses with ulcers?


Horses can get ulcers for various reasons so, by inference, there are various ways to help this. Research on aloe vera has shown its gastrointestinal effect as well as its effect on wound healing. Gastric ulcers in horses occur in various places and to various depths. In the wrong place or to a significant depth and aloe vera will not be enough to deliver a positive outcome. It does not matter whether you use aloe vera juice, aloe vera gel or aloe vera powder. A Consultant Gastroenterologist co-designed the processing of Aloeride aloe vera, so abandon the idea that juice or gel would be superior. The lower part of your horse’s stomach mixes chyme (feed) by its muscle action and that is how aloe vera working molecules make contact with the stomach wall. For more information read The problem of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS).

Is Aloeride competition legal?


For all professional riders we endeavour to obtain pro-active measurements on NOPS and doping. To see the latest NOPS Certificate of Analysis please click here. In respect of doping, you should understand that Aloeride® does not contain synthetic molecules, it is 100% pure organic aloe vera. We have asked permission from Dr. Lynn Hillyer (BHA’s Veterinary Adviser Medication Control) if HFL can check for urine metabolites in Aloeride nutrient loaded horses, if so, we’ll be in touch as soon as we have those results in. Pro-active doping blood tests cannot be done as this falls under Animal Experimentation Act.

Is the Aloeride quality really better?


In a word, yes it is.
The aloe vera barbadensis miller plant we use is the most nutrient dense of all the species of aloe vera. Growing crop organically ensures that it contains comparatively more nutrients than non-organic produce, a well known fact. Processing whole leaf and processing in multiple phases ensures that the absolute maximum of nutrients is prized out of the optimally grown, optimal plant species. Then cherry picking the best crops means that we use the ultimate within the natural ups and downs that are seasonal fluctuations (will climate change make life more difficult… yes it will for everything and everybody). This cherry picking happens through multiple international, independent laboratory tests prior to us committing to production. And yes we do reject crop that falls below our benchmark. The Soil Association oversees the whole organic aspect, ISO9001:2000 was another threshold for quality. Ultimately production happens within a British pharmaceutical clinical trial company simply because their Quality Control is second to none. HFL in Newmarket tests for NOPS and Doping metabolites. The quality of information that we offer to browsers and customers is excellent. The quality of financial help we offer customers also is excellent. All the above efforts together make Aloeride into the far superior aloe vera horse feed supplement, if you -like we do- want unbiased information then take a few minutes to read what independent laboratory tests found, and find out about our consumer-friendly pricing.

Aloe vera gel for horses


If you are going to dose aloe vera gel for horses properly then you must have very deep pockets. Retailers can’t or won’t tell you what nutrient density their the aloe vera gel has so you buy theirs on trust. Retailers like to make sales and we have been told on multiple occasions that customers were told that 40ml/day is going to do it for a horse. That is shameful advice and you may like to read to become better informed.

Is it true that aloe vera powder lacks the original medium and therefore doesn’t work?


This question came up at a British Dressage National Convention. An aloe vera gel distributor had told one of our customers that “aloe vera powder lacks the original medium and therefore doesn’t work”. So what medium shall that be then? Water by any chance?.. The word medium may sound technical -and by inference knowledgable- but of course it is utter bunkum. The magic of aloe vera is not in its water and this is explained beautifully in /the-magic-of-aloe-vera-is-not-in-its-water/

That unique, broad spectrum of nutrients


Aloe vera is a remarkable desert plant and has been recognised as such throughout the ages by people from all continents. It is the type of nutrients that aloe vera barbadensis miller contains and the quantity ingested of them that drives what your horse’s body can do. So here’s a list of what fuels the magic that is aloe vera:

What do we know about aloe vera?


Aloe vera has been valued throughout the ages and this documented empiricism dates back to well before Christ. Science saved us from subjective enthusiasm so aloe vera became probably one of the most researched herbs on the planet. The plethora of good quality research on generic aloe vera has showed it offers physiological support in the following areas:

Digestive system
Immune system
Skeletal system
Skin and hoof health
Effect On Cell Growth
Effect On Hoof Growth

For a list of good quality research click here.

Can my horse develop a tolerance to Aloeride?


The ‘tolerance’ referred to in this question happens in homeopathic remedies whereby your horse’ body gets accustomed to the homeopathic signal. It gets ‘bored’ with that same signal so reduces it’s response to that signal, thus the remedy becomes less effective. In electro-stimulation of neurons such fading is called Wedenski inhibition and this can be overcome by changing to 2 frequencies; keeping to 1 stimulatory frequency causes the neurological response to fade. This is the sort of ‘tolerance’ referred to in this question and it doesn’t apply.
How likely do you think you are to develop such ‘tolerance’ to carrots, broccoli or the vitamins and minerals within runner beans. You are not, are you. In similar fashion, the molecules within the aloe vera feed supplement Aloeride do what they do, they bind to polysaccharide binding sites, enter the blood stream intact via pinocytosis and other molecules within Aloeride like Chromium, Magnesium or Calcium are absorbed through the intestinal villi. Molecules within Aloeride aloe vera do not send out just a signal upon which the body responds, they simply provide food nutrients that the body uses. Fuel for the furnace. Consequently your horse can and should take Aloeride for as long as you like, its body’s response will not fade. Same applies to your carrots, broccoli and runner beans.

I’m on Forever Living aloe vera but am interested in Aloeride


How lovely that you are interested in Aloeride! We get regular queries from Forever Living users, so we wrote a FLP post that hopefully answers your first questions. If you need a bit more help then please Ask A Question via this link (you can also access this AAQ form via the right-hand column).
Forever Living Products is a company with a large product portfolio that is sold via multi-level marketing. We have a specialist product portfolio with straight forward retail margins. Our marketing is more factual than it is exuberant. Our common ground with FLP is a love of aloe vera.

Why doesn’t Aloeride have this Seal Of Approval?


Imagine that you are an aircraft manufacturer. You shall want to attach wings that won’t fall off at say 20,000 feet. British Standards help you identify nuts and bolts that will withstand pressures at 20,000 feet. Useful if not essential…

When it comes to Standards in aloe vera land, in 1981 one American manufacturer helped institute a Seal Of Approval that created the illusion of Standards. That same company was the first in the world to receive this Seal of Approval, something that wouldn’t have been possible under British Law. It is probably fair to say that every educational institution on the planet believes that self-accreditation doesn’t properly reflect academic or scientific achievement.

Subsequently a very misleading public statement was broadcast: “the Certification Seal represents the only way to validate an aloe vera product to the world market and to quality-minded consumers”. We authorised accredited, independent laboratories to measure the industry-standard value for working consituents in two products that carry this ‘Seal Of Approval’. Spot the variations… and you’ll understand why their statement was and is misleading.

How about chondroitin?


Chondroitin supplements consist of ground up shark or cow cartilage. The thinking behind this is that, if you provide a body with the raw material that is cartilage, a mammalian body will use that material to regenerate its own cartilage. Two common sensical things need to be considered here: 1) a foal growing up seems to develop cartilage just fine without the need for shark or cow cartilage, it builds it own cartilage from various amino acids in the mare’s milk, grass and herbs of choice in natural habitat. 2) if chondroitin had been hugely successful, the very first thing its marketing department would have shown us is cartilage changes in MRI scans… oddly enough, there is no such study, anywhere. The British Medical Journal published: compared with placebo, glucosamine, chondroitin, and their combination do not reduce joint pain or have an impact on narrowing of joint space (BMJ 2010;341:c4675).

The conclusion is very simple, joint care is best served by a) controlling any inflammatory process in the tissue of the joint and in tissue surrounding it, by b) controlling the pH of the synovial fluid and by c) providing ample elementary building blocks for maintenance & repair. Controlling the former (a) goes from steroids to non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs to phenylbutazone (the former two being veterinary prescribed medication) to help from feed stuff. Steroids present issues with connective tissue change, becoming positive for doping and risk of laminitis; NSAID may create issues with stomach and gut health; whereas feed stuffs may not work quite as quickly, it is the natural approach that keeps your horse competition compatible. One time-honoured example of this is to bruise and warm red cabbage leaves, make this into a compress and wrap it around a compromised joint, their anthocyanin pigments (eg, cyanidin, pelargonidin, petunidin) and polyphenols can deliver surprising relief. Only the third option (c) provides building blocks via diet, some ingested feed stuffs can help spontaneous remission of symptoms. The Veteran Horse Society and the Blue Cross found that feeding their aged horses Aloeride coincided with their horses moving freer and easier.

Postage for aloe vera subscription orders


Customers interested in an Aloeride Subscription asked us for an easier way to gauge postage cost i.e. without them having to go through the shopping cart to compare for instance our 6 pack freepost to our 12 months subscription. The below should help out. Kindly note that the sole purpose for us to create a subscription option was to help you by spreading out payment, the 25% loyalty discount on subscriptions is the icing on the healthy cake.

Within http://www.royalmail.com/price-finder you can see the postage we get charged:

click UK
click Small packet
click 2-3 days
click Don’t know value
type Any weight <1000 gram

and there you have it… £3.25, that’s what Royal Mail charges us for 1st Class and what we charge you. Kindly note that all shipments with a destination outside the UK are charged at ‘International Signed For Small Packets’ rate, for example:

click Overseas
click USA
click Small packet
click Within 5 days
click Don’t know value
type Any weight < 1000 gram

and there you have it… £12.45, that’s what Royal Mail charges us and what we charge you. Actually US customers receive goods way quicker than ‘within 5 days’ because we ship Aloeride from Missouri by USPS Priority Mail. Note that the two prices quoted in this web page represent December 2013 quotes by Royal Mail.