Wound healing

Overview

Several topical and oral supplements have been studied for wound healing, all with low evidence ratings. Aloe vera results are mixed: some small studies found faster surgical wound healing and less pain, while others suggested possible slowing. Alpha-Lipoic Acid before oxygen therapy improved ischemic ulcer healing in one study. Fresh garlic ointment and olive oil cream showed modest benefits in single trials.

Ivy Gourd has not been adequately studied. Overall evidence for supplements in wound healing remains uncertain. See the heatmap and evidence reviews below for more detail.

Effect graph

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Relevant supplements

Relevant supplements sorted by DEX Score.


Aloe	★★★★★	Low
Olive Oil	★★★★★	Low
Alpha-Lipoic Acid	★★★★★	Low
Garlic	★★★★★	Very Low / None

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Studies

Find individual evidence reviews for supplements sorted by DEX Score.

4 supplements for and rated at least stars. All purchase bands. No minimum star filter.

AloeView supplement →

Reconsider purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeLowEvidenceHighTrustMedium

Evidence Review

Aloe vera’s ability to help wounds heal is unclear.
Some small studies found aloe gel helps heal surgical wounds and reduces pain, while others found it might slow healing.
For skin taken for grafts, one study showed aloe helped heal faster but another did not.
More evidence is needed.

Browse 5 studies

Systematic reviewTopical Aloe Vera Gel for Accelerated Wound Healing of Split-Thickness Skin Graft Donor Sites: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial and Systematic Review2018n=12

Double-blind RCT in 12 patients with 24 skin graft donor sites found topical aloe vera accelerated epithelialization versus placebo; systematic review of burn trials was mixed.

Effect: Benefit
Population: Skin graft donor site patients
Participants: 12

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RCTAloe vera gel and cesarean wound healing; a randomized controlled clinical trial2014n=90

RCT in 90 women after cesarean found aloe vera dressing improved wound healing scores at 24 hours versus control, but not at 8 days.

Effect: Benefit
Duration: 8 days
Population: Women
Participants: 90
Avg age: ~28

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RCTThe Effects of Aloe Vera Cream on Split-thickness Skin Graft Donor Site Management: A Randomized, Blinded, Placebo-controlled Study2011n=45

RCT in 45 skin graft donor sites found aloe and placebo creams both shortened healing versus dry gauze (about 9 vs 17 days), with no difference between aloe and placebo.

Effect: No Benefit
Population: Skin graft donor site patients
Participants: 45

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RCTEffects of Aloe vera cream on posthemorrhoidectomy pain and wound healing: results of a randomized, blind, placebo-control study2010n=25

4-week RCT after hemorrhoidectomy found aloe vera cream reduced postoperative and defecation pain and improved wound healing versus placebo.

Effect: Benefit
Duration: 4 weeks
Population: Post-hemorrhoidectomy patients
Participants: 25

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RCTAloe vera dermal wound gel is associated with a delay in wound healing1991n=21

RCT in 21 women with wound complications after surgery found aloe vera dermal gel significantly delayed healing (83 vs 53 days mean) compared with standard care without aloe.

Effect: No Benefit
Population: Women
Participants: 21

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Alpha-Lipoic AcidView supplement →

Reconsider purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeLowEvidenceLowTrustMedium

Evidence Review

It is uncertain if alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) helps wounds heal.
One small study found that taking 300 mg of a specific ALA supplement one hour before and after daily oxygen therapy for 14 to 30 days improved healing of ischemic ulcers.
More patients had reduced wound size compared to oxygen therapy alone.

Browse 1 study

RCTalpha-Lipoic acid supplementation inhibits oxidative damage, accelerating chronic wound healing in patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy2005

In chronic wound patients on hyperbaric oxygen, alpha-lipoic acid supplementation reduced lipid and DNA oxidation, lowered IL-6, and appeared to support wound healing as an adjuvant therapy.

Effect: Benefit
Population: Patients with chronic wounds

View on PubMed

Olive OilView supplement →

Reconsider purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeLowEvidenceLowTrustMedium

Evidence Review

It is not certain if putting olive oil cream on surgical wounds helps healing.
In a small study, women who applied a cream with 2% virgin olive oil twice a day after Caesarean section had modestly better wound healing than those who used a placebo cream or no cream.

Browse 1 study

RCTThe effect of olive cream on pain and healing of caesarean section wounds: a randomised controlled clinical trial2022n=35

An RCT in 103 women after caesarean section found topical olive cream twice daily for 8 days reduced pain and improved wound healing scores versus placebo or no treatment.

Effect: Benefit
Duration: 8 days
Population: Women
Participants: 35

View on PubMed

GarlicView supplement →

Do not purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeVery Low / NoneEvidenceLowTrustMedium

Evidence Review

Early studies show that applying a fresh garlic ointment twice a day for two weeks can help surgical wounds heal faster and cause less pain compared to using petroleum jelly alone.
However, more research is needed to confirm these benefits.

Browse 1 study

RCTEffect of Topical Garlic on Wound Healing and Scarring: A Clinical Trial2020n=17

In 17 patients with paired surgical wounds, 30% garlic ointment applied to one wound for 4 weeks did not significantly improve healing or scarring versus Vaseline on the contralateral wound.

Effect: No Benefit
Duration: 4 weeks
Population: Warts patients
Participants: 17

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Evidence visualised

Same ratings as above, aggregated so you can see coverage and imbalance.

Purchase-guidance distribution

How many supplements fall in each purchase band

Effect-size distribution

How large the reported benefits tend to be

Study distribution across 4 supplements for wound healing (8 studies total).
Supplement	DEX	Studies	Share
Aloe	★★★★★52%	5	63%
Alpha-Lipoic Acid	★★★★★44%	1	13%
Garlic	★★★★★32%	1	13%
Olive Oil	★★★★★44%	1	13%

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Overview

Effect graph

Relevant supplements

Studies

Evidence visualised

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