Desert Harvest is the first company to discover the connection between Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS), a chronic inflammatory condition of the submucosal and muscular layers of the bladder, and the symptom-relieving benefits of Super-Strength Freeze-Dried Oral Aloe Vera. Because the etiology is unknown, there are no uniformly effective treatments nor is there a cure. Symptoms are similar to an acute urinary tract infection and include pelvic pain, urethral pain, urinary urgency, and urinary frequency.
Desert Harvest sponsored the first double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of oral aloe vera for IC patients and formulates supplements and skincare products that help and support the IC/BPS community find relief and improvement in their day-to-day lives.
Desert Harvest Super-Strength Aloe Vera Capsules have been shown in clinical trials to effectively reduce bladder pain, urinary frequency and urgency, pelvic pain, and urethral burning that are a part of many bladder disorders, but especially IC/BPS. Our Aloe Vera preserves glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) which adhere to the bladder mucosal lining, preventing potentially irritating solutes in the urine from reaching the bladder wall with its high concentration of nutrients. No harsh chemicals or side effects.
An estimated 4 to 12 million people in the United States suffer from IC/BPS, 90 percent of whom are women. Many people with IC/BPS are either misdiagnosed or undiagnosed.
Because Aloe Vera is antibacterial, antifungal, antibiotic, analgesic, anesthetic, antiseptic, antiviral, antimicrobial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory, and because there are no harsh side effects, it adds many more elements to the pain relief and improvement in day to day life for the IC/BPS sufferer.
"Compassion, patience, acceptance, and surrender -- these are but a few of the ways that living with chronic pain has changed me. It broke me down, creating space for me to rebuild myself. It encouraged me to yell at God so that I could intentionally create a relationship with something larger than myself. It forced me to prioritize myself and my healing above all else, for, without your health, you have nothing to give.
It feels like a bad dream. Looking back, I’ve been engulfed by a completely debilitating case of Interstitial Cystitis for the better part of my adult life. It has defined me. Thankfully, it has not destroyed me. One of the major turning points in my healing journey came when, after 12 years of being a "bladder cripple," as one doctor called me, I started taking Desert Harvest Super-Strength Aloe. This hands down saved my life.
I started taking DHA just after separating from my ex-husband of 15 years. During that painful time of my life, physically, mentally, and emotionally, the only work I was able to do was to nanny two toddlers for a friend at minimum wage. I was only able to have access to this incredible supplement because of the company’s aptly named Compassionate Assistant Program (CAP) designed to address these exact kinds of circumstances. Desert Harvest Aloe made their priceless product available to me free of charge, as my income was below the poverty level. And during COVID, it has continued to be a godsend, as my work was furloughed by the quarantine.
Five years after I started taking it, I am mostly recovered. I show up for my life now. From walking my daughter through virtual school to building a life coaching business and finishing the book that captures my healing journey -- I am alive and thriving.
From experiencing pain-free sex within a healthy romantic relationship to maintaining my sisterhood of social support, both contributing to and receiving their love and guidance -- I am alive and thriving. From finding a doctor who really listens to me, empathizes with me, and holds space for my healing, to become healthy enough to get my driver’s license and buy my first car at the age of 38 -- I am alive and thriving.
By healing my body and spirit I’ve become unstoppable. I was able to sit through three hours of negotiation during my divorce. I flew on airplanes and hiked mountains. I took my daughter to a movie theatre for the very first time. I put together a fundraiser and took her and her step-brother on vacation to Legoland too! I took myself on dates to the thrift store and tried on clothes for as long as I wanted. I went home to New Mexico from Washington DC for a wedding and a funeral. My life is mine to savor.
There were countless nights I spent sitting in a bathroom, alone, in too much pain to sleep. Time stood still then, as the world passed by without me. Now my schedule is filling up and my new struggle is figuring out how to balance building the career of my dreams with full-time motherhood while maintaining a healthy social life. I can handle healthy people's “problems.” It’s truly a privilege to rest when I get tired, knowing the repercussions for overexerting myself won’t include spending the next three days completely incapacitated, sitting on the toilet in anguish.
So, I feel like the battery bunny. I do everything, take every opportunity given to me, engage with everyone I meet with purity and wonder. There's so much I've missed. All that matters to me now is being the best possible mother, friend, and partner to my chosen family and serving the community that supported me in my journey to recovery. I would not be where I am today without the support of my people, prioritizing a healthy diet and daily exercise, pelvic floor physical therapy, endless journaling/prayer, some prescription medication, and taking the full suggested dose of Desert Harvest Aloe Super Strength Aloe. This supplement removed my pain and helped my body to heal. It gave me wings to fly and the freedom to live my best life.
To the founders and team at Desert Harvest Aloe, thank you. There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not grateful for the work you do. And I know that if I hadn’t found my way out of the haze of severe and constant pain, I wouldn’t have had it in me to live with this non-terminal disease. Your work not only improves the quality of the lives of your customers, which is significant, but it saves their lives as well. It saved mine."
Read what others say about Desert Harvest.
In 2002, Dr. Kristene E. Whitmore M.D. published Complementary and Alternative Therapies as Treatment Approaches for Interstitial Cystitis citing Desert Harvest Super-Strength Aloe Vera among the nutraceuticals effective for managing IC symptoms.
According to a 2016 survey, 660 Desert Harvest Super-Strength Aloe Vera customers responded:
- 92% of patients self-reported that they ‘experienced relief’ with concentrated oral aloe vera.
- 63% of patients reported substantial improvement in urgency and frequency of urination
- 69% of patients reported substantial improvement in pelvic pain
- 68% of patients reported substantial improvement in urethral burning
