What Are the Benefits of Drinking Aloe Juice?
Applying aloe vera gel to a burn or sunburn can alleviate pain and help the skin heal more quickly. But many people also advocate drinking the aloe vera juice. What are the benefits and risks of drinking aloe juice?
Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N, CNS
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What Are the Benefits of Drinking Aloe Juice?
Carrie asks: “Is it true that aloe vera juice helps with intestinal health? And if so, what should I look for in a quality juice?”
What Is Aloe Good For?
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The juice of the aloe vera plant has been used throughout the ages, in particular as a skin soother. The viscous gel that oozes out of the leaves of this succulent plant can moisturize your skin and cool minor burns or irritation. And, by the way, natural aloe gel is colorless. Those bottles of bright green aloe vera gel you sometimes see owe their technicolor hue to artificial colorants!
Studies confirm that aloe vera juice has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties when applied topically. Applying to a burn or sunburn can alleviate pain and help the skin heal more quickly. Some people keep an aloe plant handy in the kitchen, a sort of living first aid kit.
But many people also advocate drinking the juice of the aloe vera plant, saying that it can relieve heartburn, alleviate IBS, lower your blood sugar, and a broad range of other claims.
Benefits of Drinking Aloe Juice
Let’s get the silly stuff out of the way first. Drinking aloe vera juice will not alkalize your blood (good thing, too, because you wouldn’t live long if it did!). It also won’t clear up your acne, or aid in detoxification. In fact, there are concerns that long-term use of aloe vera could actually harm your liver, not support it.
Aloe vera juice will not hydrate you any faster than regular water. And although aloe vera contains a few vitamins and antioxidants, it’s not a nutritional powerhouse. You can get these nutrients in greater quantities from much better-tasting foods.
Can Aloe Help the Digestive Tract?
Now, some of the claims for aloe vera juice actually have some research behind them. One study did find aloe to be somewhat effective in reducing symptoms of reflux and another suggested that it could reduce symptoms in people with ulcerative colitis. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be as useful for people with IBS.
Some aloe juice products, especially whole leaf preparations, contain a substance called aloe latex, which is the juice that comes from just under the skin of the plant. Unlike the clear gel in the center of the leaves, aloe latex is yellow in color.
Aloe latex has a rather potent laxative effect. In fact, it used to be marketed as an over-the-counter laxative. But in 2002, the FDA ruled that aloe latex could no longer be sold as an OTC laxative because its long-term safety was not established. This did not prevent aloe vera juice from being sold as a food or nutritional supplement.
And if an aloe juice product contains some aloe latex, it may relieve constipation. On the other hand, it can also cause cramping and diarrhea.
Unfiltered aloe juice also contains a compound called aloin, which can be highly irritating to the digestive tract. What’s worse, toxicology studies have identified aloin as a potential carcinogen. Many—but not all—aloe vera juice products are filtered to remove aloin. If you do choose to consume aloe juice, make sure it is aloin-free.
Can Aloe Help with Diabetes?
There is some preliminary research to suggest that drinking aloe juice can, in fact, lower cholesterol or blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. But, again, the long-term safety has not been assessed.
What Are the Risks?
Aloe may have dangerous interactions with other medications, including blood pressure drugs, laxatives, or diabetes medications. You should not consume aloe juice if you have diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, or intestinal problems—at least not without running it past your doctor first.
It’s also really important to avoid products containing aloe latex prior to having a colonoscopy, as chronic use can discolor the inside of your colon, which can make it difficult for your doctor to see what’s going on in there. Ironically, some holistic health gurus recommend aloe vera juice or aloe-based laxatives as a way to prepare for a colonoscopy! Personally, if I have to go through the discomfort of a colonoscopy, I want my colonoscopist to have a good view.
The Bottom Line on Aloe Juice
Aloe vera is safe and effective when used as a topical skin product. But when it comes to drinking aloe juice, many of the alleged benefits are not supported by evidence. Meanwhile, there are unresolved concerns, especially about long-term use. Fortunately, there are other more effective and less risky ways to alleviate heartburn and constipation, or lower your blood sugar.
Image © Shutterstock
About the Author
Monica Reinagel is a board-certified licensed nutritionist, author, and the creator of one of iTunes’ most highly ranked health and fitness podcasts. Her advice is regularly featured on the TODAY show, Dr. Oz, NPR, and in the nation’s leading newspapers, magazines, and websites. Do you have a nutrition question? Call the Nutrition Diva listener line at 443-961-6206. Your question could be featured on the show.