Aloe vera is known as one of the best ways to make a sunburn feel better. When the sticky, gooey substance is in gel form, it feels like a cool balm on your hot skin.
But that’s not the only thing aloe can do. Beth Czerwony, RD, who is a registered dietitian, says that aloe is a simple plant. “It doesn’t look like much of a big deal. But it can be very helpful in many ways.”
Believe it or not, one of the best ways to get the health benefits of aloe vera is to drink its juice.
What is the juice of aloe vera?
It is very easy to make juice from aloe vera.
Start by taking a few healthy, fully grown aloe vera leaves. You can think of these as pillows, but instead of down or feathers, they are made of gel-filled leaves.
Next, cut the leaves with care. Get the clear gel out and mix it with water. You now have delicious aloe vera juice to drink.
It might be hard to believe that this simple drink has so many health benefits. But Czerwony says that the fact that it is simple is a good thing. Aloe vera juice doesn’t have chemicals, fragrances, or other things added to it like lotions that contain aloe vera.
She says that the aloe vera juice itself is much more powerful. “If we look at properties, you’ll get more for your money if you drink the juice than if you put it on your skin.”
Aloe vera juice benefits
Aloe vera juice is full of antioxidants, which are substances that make it less likely that you will get diseases like diabetes and heart disease. But aloe vera juice has more uses than just preventing problems.
A choice with few calories and sugar
Not all juices are good for you. For one thing, not all of them have a lot of real fruit in them. A lot of sugar is also added to many of them. Aloe vera juice, on the other hand, is good for you. Czerwony says that an 8-ounce serving is not high in protein, fat, or carbs, but it is low in sugar and has only 8 calories. “It’s pretty even,” says Czerwony. “You can drink it by itself or mix it into smoothies.”
Clears up the skin.
Even though it might not make sense, being dehydrated is often the cause of acne. Because of this, your skin makes more oil, which can lead to acne. Czerwony says that if you drink aloe vera juice, you will stay hydrated. “That will give your skin more moisture, so you’re less likely to get acne.”
Relieves constipation
Good news if you can’t go to the bathroom. The texture of aloe vera juice can change the texture of your poop, making it softer.
Lessens acid reflux
Heartburn happens when stomach acid gets into the oesophagus. A small study done in 2015 showed that aloe vera juice can help reduce some of the stomach acids that cause heartburn.
Keep your eyes healthy.
Beta carotene is a type of antioxidant that is usually found in orange and yellow fruits and vegetables. There is a lot of beta carotene in aloe vera juice. Your body turns beta carotene into vitamin A, which is good for your eyes in general.
Add more vitamins and minerals to your diet.
Aloe vera juice has calcium and magnesium, as well as vitamin C, which is a very useful vitamin that helps the immune system, among other things. “Calcium and magnesium levels are often low in people with muscle pain,” says Czerwony. If you don’t get enough of these in your food, drinking aloe vera juice could help.
What is the right amount of aloe vera juice to drink?
As with anything tasty, don’t eat too much of it. Czerwony says that a cup of aloe vera juice a day is a good limit. She says, “Drinking more won’t always give you more benefits.”
She also says that you should start with a small amount of aloe vera juice to see how your body reacts to it. “If you make a sudden change in what you eat, your body will wonder what’s going on,” Czerwony notes. “Start slowly because you don’t really know how your body will react to aloe vera juice.”
When you decide to drink aloe vera juice, you should also think about why you are doing so. “What do you want to happen in the end? Some people say they want to be healthy, but what does that mean?” Czerwony asks. “Some people say, ‘Hey, it has a lot of antioxidants. It has lots of good things in it, like vitamin C, vitamin A, beta carotene, and more. I’d like to eat that.’ OK, I can see that.”
Can aloe vera juice be drunk every day?
Czerwony says it’s safe to drink aloe vera juice every day. But if you drink too much, you might get cramps or diarrhoea. This can lead to an imbalance of electrolytes. “If you have some of these stomach problems, you should probably drink aloe vera juice every other day or every third day,” she says.
If you’re going to start drinking aloe vera juice, it’s a good idea to check in with yourself and keep track of how you feel. “Don’t do it if you’ve been taking it every day for weeks and haven’t seen any benefit,” says Czerwony. “Don’t put things in your body that won’t help you if you don’t have to.”
Above all, it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before making any big changes to your diet. “Tell your doctor every time you try something different,” says Czerwony. “Aloe vera juice could be the cause of sudden stomach cramps you don’t understand. It’s possible you don’t even know that’s what it is. But if your doctor finds out you changed your diet, they can tell you to stop.
“People think that if something is natural, you can have all of it,” she says. “I always tell people that something being natural doesn’t mean it can’t hurt them in other ways.”