Research
Aloe vera for Bladder Health: Evidence, Interactions and Cautions
Aloe vera is an ingredient used in bladder supplements marketed to women. Below is what it has actually been studied for, how strong that evidence is, the drug interactions and cautions on record, and the primary source our grade rests on — all drawn from the HerWellReport ingredient dataset.
Also sold as: Aloe barbadensis miller; freeze-dried aloe vera capsules; SSAV
What the evidence says about Aloe vera
There is no published randomised controlled trial of oral aloe vera for interstitial cystitis. A phase 1 safety and efficacy study of freeze-dried aloe capsules at Wake Forest University Health Sciences (NCT04734106, 30 participants) began in February 2025 with estimated completion in April 2027, and no results are posted. NCCIH's aloe review covers acne, psoriasis, burns, radiation skin damage, weight loss, diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease, and does not mention bladder or urinary conditions at all. The response rates quoted in aloe marketing come from company surveys and questionnaires, not controlled trials.
The grade "none" means: none — No human trial evidence we could find for this use. Grades are explained in full on our methodology page.
Read the primary source this grade rests on (opens in a new tab).
Aloe vera drug interactions
- Cardiac glycosides such as digoxin (overuse of aloe latex may increase adverse effects)
Who should be careful with Aloe vera
- Oral aloe latex causes abdominal pain, cramps and diarrhoea, and the FDA removed it from over-the-counter laxatives in 2002 for lack of safety data
- the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies non-decolourised whole leaf extract as a possible carcinogen
- oral aloe leaf extracts taken for 3 weeks to 5 years have been linked to cases of acute hepatitis
Read more on HerWellReport
This entry is generated from row "Aloe vera (oral)" of the HerWellReport ingredient dataset (v2.1, updated 2026-09-23). The dataset is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 — how to cite it. Ingredient evidence is not evidence for any finished product, and nothing here is medical advice.