Natural Health: Chesty coughs

Q. Where can psyllium husks and aloe vera gel be purchased?

A. Both psyllium husks (hulls) and aloe vera gel are usually available at health shops. If you are referring to my recent recommendations for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), it is important that you look for aloe vera drinking juice (sometimes referred to as a gel) rather than topical preparations of aloe vera gel.

Dr David Rampton, a Professor in the Department of Gastroenterology at the Royal London Hospital, states the following regarding medical trials involving aloe vera for inflammatory bowel conditions: “Oral aloe vera gel taken for four weeks produces a clinical response more often than a placebo and it also improves histological disease activity (... what is seen under the microscope when a biopsy is examined) and appears to be safe. These encouraging results suggest that further evaluation of the therapeutic potential of aloe vera gel drink in inflammatory bowel disease is warranted.”