Aloe vera is a plant that has a variety of remedial and nutritional uses. The plant’s leaves are full of gel. The gel is used to heal burns, wounds, and other dermatological conditions.
However, some anecdotal evidence also supports the oral use of aloe vera juice. Although most of these evidences are promising, more controlled trials are needed to determine whether drinking aloe vera juice is effective.
Here are eight health advantages of drinking aloe vera juice.
Aloe vera juice may help:
- maintain blood sugar
- alkalize the body
- treat constipation,
- relieve heartburn
- treat the skin
- hydrate the body
- maintain digestion
- prevent deficiency
According to the Indian Journal of Dermatology, aloe vera contains roughly 75 active compounds such as vitamins, enzymes, minerals, sugars, lignin, saponins, salicylic acids, and amino acids.
These active compounds have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and laxative properties, which may have positive outcomes (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).
Active Compounds in Aloe Vera Juice
- Vitamins. Aloe vera contains vitamins A (beta-carotene), C, E, B12, folic acid, and choline.
- Minerals. Aloe vera provides calcium, chromium, copper, selenium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium, and zinc.
- Enzymes. Aloe vera contains 8 enzymes such as aliiase, alkaline phosphatase, amylase, bradykinase, carboxypeptidase, catalase, cellulase, lipase, and peroxidase.
- Sugars. Aloe vera provides monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) and polysaccharides (glucomannans/polymannose).
- Anthraquinones. Aloe vera contains 12 anthraquinones, which are phenolic compounds that are used as laxatives. Aloin and emodin have analgesic, antibacterial, and antiviral properties.
- Fatty acids. It provides 4 plant steroids; cholesterol, campesterol, β-sisosterol and lupeol, which have anti-inflammatory properties. Lupeol has antibacterial and analgesic qualities as well.
- Hormones. Auxins and gibberellins are anti-inflammatory properties that help in wound healing.
- Amino acids. It contains 20 of the 22 amino acids required by the human body, as well as 7 of the 8 essential amino acids. It also has salicylic acid, which has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
- Others. Lignin is an inert substance, usually added to topical therapies. It improves the penetrative impact of the other components on the skin. Saponins, which are soapy chemicals that make up roughly 3% of the gel, have cleaning and antibacterial effects.
Health concerns of ingesting aloe vera
There are some health concerns about the long-term ingestion of aloe vera juice. Non-decolorized, unpurified aloe vera extracts can have a strong laxative effect, resulting in diarrhea and stomach pains.
Long-term ingestion of aloe vera, particularly non-decolorized, unpurified aloe vera juice, can cause lifelong kidney damage (8, 9).
Researchers determined that the negative effects generated by unpurified aloe vera juice are due to anthraquinone, a laxative.
Although anthraquinone is a natural chemical component found in the leaf of the aloe vera plant.
Several animal studies have showed that whole-leaf aloe vera extract ”Non-decolorized” can also cause large intestine cancer.
Aloin, which gives aloe latex its yellowish hue, which causes this carcinogenic effect (10, 11, 12).
Although more research is needed to confirm this, decolorized aloe vera (aloin removed from the gel) is thought to have a low cancer risk.
The safety of aloe in persons with liver and kidney disorders is unknown. If you have liver disease, kidney disease, diabetes, digestive difficulties, heart disease, haemorrhoids, or electrolyte imbalances, avoid using aloe vera orally.
Oral aloe should not be used in children, pregnant women, or nursing moms because of a lack of safety study.
Conclusion
Although drinking purified and decolorized aloe vera juice is harmless, it may have a laxative effect, resulting in unpleasant stomach symptoms.
There are many applications for the aloe plant and the various gels and extracts derived from it. Researchers are still discovering new applications for this succulent.
If you are on diabetes medication or have another medical condition, talk with your doctor before consuming aloe vera juice.