Drinking Aloe Vera Gel: Effects and Uses of the Miracle Plant

Drinking aloe vera gel is a trend being promoted as healthy by actors, fitness stars and other socialites. However, not every product is recommended. We have put together what is behind it and whether aloe vera actually supports health.

Promise of effectiveness when drinking aloe vera gel

Aloe vera gel is an insider tip among beauty products. Not only from the outside, but also from the inside, it should help to detoxify the body, strengthen the immune system, have an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effect, support wound healing and provide relief from migraines, asthma or depression.

• Apparently, people and naturopaths have trusted in the beneficial effects of aloe vera for centuries – this describes the historical presentation of the German Aloe Vera Center. The plant was already used by the Egyptians. The plant has its botanical origin in Africa. From there she was carried to the New World. The Maya even called the juice the “fountain of youth”.
• In fact, the thick, prickly leaves of the aloe plant come up with a potpourri of ingredients. For the most part they are so-called mucopolysaccharides, i.e. mucilage (including glucomannan), as well as salicylic acid, enzymes, amino acids and some vitamins and minerals. However, the concentrations of ingredients in the gel are relatively low.
• Nevertheless, many today see the use of aloe vera products as not entirely uncritical. Many claims are not proven. In fact, there are very few studies that examine the consumption of aloe vera gel or juice and find positive effects.
• In animal experiments, faster wound healing was observed and positive effects on blood sugar were found in diabetic animals. In a human study with at least 5000 participants, in which bulking agents from psyllium were administered together with aloe vera gel, improvements in blood lipid levels and cholesterol levels were shown .

Reservations about aloe vera

The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfARM) reports reservations about aloe vera products in addition to the consumer advice center in North Rhine-Westphalia . It is important to ensure that the gels and juices have a low content of so-called anthranoids (aloin). These are considered carcinogenic.

• The transparent gel is made from the pulp of peeled aloe vera leaves. This is what differentiates the gel from aloe vera juice: it is usually pressed from the whole leaves, then freed of unwanted substances from the leaf peel and preserved. Juice is naturally more liquid than the gel.
• Aloin is the ingredient that supports the laxative effect of aloe vera. However, it is also the substance that causes problems with long-term consumption because it is classified as a carcinogenic anthranoid. Therefore, the BfARM points out that food or dietary supplements with such substances should be avoided.
• The anthranoids are found in the skin of the aloe vera leaves. If a juice is made from the whole leaf without first removing the skin and then filtering out the unwanted components, it is better to leave it alone.
• When consuming, you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Most of these recommend an amount of about 100 milliliters per day in adulthood, half for children. Pregnant women and children should never drink juices containing aloin.

Pay attention to quality when buying

Those interested in aloe vera gel and juices are spoiled for choice. The qualities differ. Of course, there are also price differences. Attention: Gel is offered both as a cosmetic and as a food. When buying aloe vera gel to drink, pay attention to the following aspects:

• It should be noted that it is gel. Juice is – as already described – not the same. Sometimes gels are offered that are made from juice that has been thickened with alginates, xanthan gums or something similar. It is better to use ‘original’ gel scraped from the aloe vera leaf.
• A good indication of high product quality is the acemannan (also called aloverose) content, one of the most important components of the plant. A value of around 1,200 mg per liter indicates very good quality.
• Because the ingredients in the gel are relatively sensitive to oxidation and spoilage, some manufacturers add preservatives. There is very little objection to vitamin C and citric acid as well as vitamin E. Sorbic acid and benzoic acid and their salts are judged somewhat more critically. If you don’t want this, you can choose aloe vera gel that is as natural as possible.
• Sweeteners are also not uncommon to give the slightly grassy-tasting natural gel a more pleasant taste together with citric acid.
• Recommended are aloe vera gels, which come from plants from ecological cultivation. In most cases, fewer additives are to be expected with these organic products. However, harvesting is also done worldwide for organic gels: Mexico, the Canary Islands or Spain.

How to make aloe vera gel yourself

Pure freshness is possible in in-house production. If you have one or more aloe vera plants, you may want to make your own gel from them. Make sure it is actually a real aloe vera (barbadensis). If that is certain, you can start harvesting the leaves.

• Using a sharp knife, cut the leaves relatively far down. Depending on the size of your plant, don’t harvest too much at once because the gel doesn’t keep very long.
• Now place the leaf pieces in a container with the cut side down so that the yellow, poisonous juice can flow out from under the bark. Leave them like this for about two hours.
• Then shorten the leaves by about 3 centimeters from below. In this way you also remove residues of the unwanted aloin.
• Then you can scoop out the gel from the aloe vera leaves with a spoon. To do this, score the leaf pieces lengthwise.
• You can put the gel in a clean, well-sealable jar and store it in the fridge for a maximum of one to two weeks. It can be kept even longer (about 6 weeks) if you puree it with vitamin C powder or vitamin E oil.