Herb library · Herb · Aloe ferox
Cape aloe
The bitter dried leaf juice of a South African aloe, sold as a stimulant laxative. The European Medicines Agency accepts it for short-term use in occasional constipation, for no more than a week, and rules it out in pregnancy, breastfeeding and children under 12.
Serious warning
The European Medicines Agency contraindicates aloe laxatives in pregnancy, breastfeeding and children under 12, and warns that long-term or excessive use can cause loss of potassium and fluid, and that chronic overdose of anthranoid laxatives may cause toxic hepatitis.
Traditional use
Cape aloes, the dried bitter juice of Aloe ferox and related species, is a South African purgative. Writing in Cape Town in 1857, the physician L. Pappe recorded that the aloe of the Swellendam district gave the best extract, that large quantities were exported from the eastern districts, and that the colonists used a milder aloe for themselves.
What studies show
- Established
Occasional constipation: the European Medicines Agency accepts the standardized dried juice as a well-established short-term laxative for adults and children over 12, based on the anthranoids it contains. Use no more than a week, only after diet and bulk-forming fiber have been tried.
- Limited
Weight and cholesterol: in a small 3-month study of 40 obese adults in Romania (20 taking Aloe ferox capsules with diet, 20 placebo with diet), the aloe group had lower BMI, LDL cholesterol and fasting blood sugar. The authors note it can only be taken for limited periods because of side effects.
Be careful of
Cautions
- AmountEMA: once daily at night, the smallest dose that gives a soft stool, for no more than 1 week. Long-term use of stimulant laxatives can impair bowel function and cause dependence.
- InteractionPotassium loss from laxative overuse strengthens heart glycosides (digoxin) and interacts with antiarrhythmic drugs; diuretics, corticosteroids and licorice root add to potassium loss. EMA says people on these must see a doctor first.
- ConditionNot for bowel obstruction, appendicitis, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis), abdominal pain of unknown cause or severe dehydration. People with kidney disorders should be aware of electrolyte imbalance.
- PregnancyContraindicated in pregnancy (genotoxic-risk data for some anthranoids) and while breastfeeding (related compounds pass into breast milk), per EMA.
- NoteCramping, abdominal pain and watery stools can occur; red-brown urine is harmless. Chronic use can darken the bowel lining (pseudomelanosis coli), which usually fades after stopping.
- Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.
From the old books
What herbals and dispensaries of the past printed. History, in their words.
“The Cape Aloes are procured from several species of this extensive genus, so peculiar to South Africa. The Aloe ferox. Lam., a native of Swellendam, is generally acknowledged to yield the best extract.”
“It is much to be regretted, that the farmers do not take more trouble in purifying this valuable drug.”
Sources
- European Union herbal monograph on Aloe barbadensis Mill. and on Aloe (various species, mainly Aloe ferox Mill. and its hybrids), folii succus siccatus (opens in a new tab) · EMA · read September 25, 2026
- Beneficial effects of Aloe ferox on lipid profile, blood pressure, and glycemic control in obese persons: A CONSORT-clinical study (Medicine, 2021) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
Reviewed September 25, 2026.