There seem to be lot of confusion between various products made out of aloe vera – gel, juice, drink, etc.
I will try to clear bit of that by talking about aloe vera drink in this article.
But before I go ahead here is a brief into about aloe vera for readers who do not know about it a lot.
Aloe vera has been used for its health benefits for centuries, dating back to ancient Egypt. This plant has powerful natural healing properties.
The term ‘aloe’ is got from the Arabic word ‘alloch’ which means bitter, shiny substance. The term ‘vera’ means genuine.
The transparent gel is got from the center of the succulent leaves and this is used to treat many dermatologic conditions like burns, wounds etc.
The dried latex got from the inner leaf lining is use for its laxative benefits.
What is Aloe Vera Drink and Properties
Aloe vera gel contains 99% water.
However, the remaining 1% has close to 100 ingredients that work synergistically to provide numerous health benefits.
The inner gel which is a clear liquid is used to make aloe vera drink. Aloe vera drink is also known as aloe vera juice.
Aloe vera contains vitamins C, B12 and E, protein, calcium, zinc, magnesium, essential fatty acids, amino acids, enzymes, germanium, salicylic acid, anthraquinones, lignins, saponins and more.
Aloe vera drink thus also has all the nutritional properties.
How is Aloe Drink Made?
When aloe vera juice is extracted, by simply squeezing out the gel from the center, it oxidizes very rapidly.
Let me explain this, when we cut an apple or potato and leave it for several minutes, it will quickly turn brown.
This is oxidization and it may cause a break down of vital nutrients, therefore reducing the benefits of the juice.
Hence, to get the best benefits, this oxidization must be overcome quickly.
There are also several varieties of aloe vera plants and not all of them offer similar benefits.
Aloe Barbadensis Miller aloe plants are said to offer the best benefits of aloe vera juice. For more details on aloe juice, its types, etc. see this article.
Anyone who grows aloe vera plants at home can make the juice too.
When you harvest the leaf, make sure you remove the rind and the aloin – which is the yellow lining (latex) below the rind – completely.
Ingesting this could cause cramping and diarrhea. Once this is removed, scrape out the gel using a knife. To quickly stabilize the juice and make it tasty, you can immediately blend it with grapefruit or orange juice.
Adding 2 tablespoons aloe vera gel to any favorite fruit juice is enough to make an aloe vera drink.
You need a lot of aloe vera leaves to make sufficient juice. Hence, most people prefer to purchase fresh aloe vera drink online or at their local health food store.
Benefits of Aloe Vera Juice / Drink
Diabetes : Studies have been conducted on the benefits of aloe vera drink for diabetes. 1 tbsp aloe vera juice, twice daily for 2 weeks was given to diabetic patients.
It was found that this lowered triglyceride and blood sugar level. Cholesterol levels were not affected.
Further research is recommended on studying the anti-diabetic benefits of aloe vera juice.
Arthritis : Animal studies have found that drinking aloe vera juice or taking oral aloe vera tablets could benefit arthritic patients by reducing pain and inflammation of the joints.
The presence of various vitamins, calcium, iron, manganese, and zinc in aloe vera juice offers anti-inflammatory benefits.
This could reduce joint pain, help with cell renewal and repair damaged tissues in patients with arthritis.
Internal Body Cleanser : Aloe vera juice is considered to be an excellent colon cleanser due to the presence of molybdenum, threonine and methionine.
It can also rid all morbid matter from the kidneys, liver, bladder and spleen.
Consuming aloe vera drink can provide relief for ulcers, stomach distress and indigestion.
It is a good vaginal douche and could be used to treat vaginitis.
Leg cramps, hemorrhoids, insomnia are all various diverse medical conditions which can benefit by drinking aloe vera juice daily.
Immune System Benefits : The various phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals found in aloe vera juice offer antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits.
It can help strengthen the immune system, lower blood pressure and improve circulation. Acemannan which is a phytonutrient found in aloe vera juice is said to prevent the spread of lung cancer.
It can also prevent the spread of HIV and therefore could be considered as a potential treatment for AIDS.
A 1997 study on the side effects of aloe vera juice found that consuming it daily did not display any negative effects.
On the other hand, laboratory animals given a daily dose of aloe vera juice were found to have lower risk of contracting heart diseases, kidney disease and leukemia.
Weight Loss : Aloe vera drink can be used as a potential weight loss tool. It contains high collagen levels that need extra energy to digest.
Collagen protein also maintains normal metabolism and lean body mass.
It helps efficient absorption of food and allows lesser calories to be absorbed by the large and small intestines.
All these benefit a weight loss program.
Constipation : Aloe vera juice can be used to treat constipation. Consuming 2-4 oz per day has laxative effects.
This is because it can limit the amount of water absorbed in the bowel, therefore helping easy movement in the digestive tract.
Do not exceed the daily dose for this could lead to diarrhea and nausea.
Other digestive problems like peptic ulcers, Crohn’s disease and heartburn can also be treated with aloe vera juice.
Asthma : The juice could also benefit asthma patients who are not on corticosteroid medications.
How to Make Refreshing Aloe Vera Drink Recipes?
Okay so you now know that aloe vera drink / juice is great, next steps? Either you can buy it from nearby or online store or make it yourself at home.
Either ways there are several ways to enjoy Aloe vera drink by mixing it with other flavors and ingredients. Here are a few of them.
Remember you can always make your own variant based on what you like or what is available!
The following is a healthy aloe vera drink with fruits and vegetables.
- Carrots – 2
- Green apples – 2
- Orange – 1 peeled
- Aloe vera pulp – 1 tbsp
- Cut the fruits and vegetables and blend them into a juice. Finally add the aloe vera pulp.
For a light and refreshing aloe vera drink, you can try this:
- Cucumber – 1
- Apple – 1
- Lemon – 1
- Aloe vera pulp – 2 tbsp
Extract the juice from the lemon. Blend the cucumber and apple. Then add the lemon juice and finally the aloe vera pulp.
For an exotic variant:
- Fresh pineapple – 1-2 cups
- Carrot – 1
- Green apple – 1
- Aloe vera pulp – 1 tbsp
- Coconut milk – Few tbsp (optional)
- Blend all the ingredients. Coconut milk will increase the flavor, anti-viral and anti-bacterial benefits of the drink.
Aloe vera drink Dosage
To treat constipation, it is recommended to take 0.04-0.17g dried aloe juice orally.
150g dried aloe juice can also be taken orally with psyllium and celandine for 28 days to treat constipation.
For type-2 diabetes, aloe vera juice (5-15ml) can be taken twice daily.
But let me warn you there are seldom any fixed or prescribed dosage as far as herbal remedies are concerned. Each one of us has to find its own!
Possible Side Effects and Precautions
Aloe vera gel used topically usually does not cause any side effects. Studies on oral intake of aloe have found that people must exercise caution when using it.
Aloe vera has a laxative effect and can cause diarrhea and abdominal cramps. It could also reduce the effective absorption of certain drugs.
Aloe vera could also lower blood sugar levels and hence those on diabetes medication must be careful.
Rat studies found that oral usage of non-decolorized extract of aloe vera leaf could cause development of tumors in the intestine.