Pure aloe vera is a magical substance that comes from inside the leaf of an aloe vera plant.
This beautiful plant has numerous healing properties, read on to learn more.
Pure Aloe Vera Delivery Methods
You can consume aloe vera in the form of juice, gel, or pill, and you can use the inner leaf, outer leaf, or both.
Aloe Vera Leaf: Inner or Whole Leaf
When it comes to aloe vera, I stick with the inner leaf, as the outer leaf can be caustic on the digestive system and if overused can lead to the constipation it is supposed to solve.
Anthraquinone from Outer Leaf
This is because the outer leaf of the aloe vera plant contains a substance referred to as anthraquinone which contains intense, as opposed to gentle, laxative properties.
Types of Aloe: Inner Leaf as a Laxative
Alternatively, the inner leaf of the aloe vera plant has gentle laxative and gut healing properties that are derived from the polysaccharides.
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Pure Aloe Vera Benefits
While aloe vera contains both monosaccharides and polysaccharides, it’s the latter that are full of important healing properties.
Polysaccharides
One of the main polysaccharides in aloe is acemannan, a bioactive polysaccharide that has these potential benefits:
- Immunoregulation
- Intestinal Health
- Anti-Oxidant Properties
- Wound Healing Activation
- Neuroprotection
How Much Aloe Vera Juice to Drink Daily
Most evenings, an hour or so after dinner, I make an aloe vera drink to soothe my gut.
Benefits of Aloe Vera Juice
I typically have around a cup a day to get the benefits of aloe vera juice.
Best Aloe Vera Juice
I drink Lakewood Organic Pure Aloe and have found it to be the best aloe vera juice for me –it’s organic and in a glass bottle, both of which are fantastic.
Best Aloe Vera Gel
My Ayurvedic teacher, Maya Tiwari, recommended the brand, Lily of the Dessert, as the best aloe vera gel.
While I love the gel and it may be more potent, I am not as compliant when using it, due to the difficulty in liberating the gel from the bottle.
Ayurveda and Benefits of Aloe Vera
According to Tawari, “Aloe has been used medicinally for millennia by Chinese, Greeks, and Indians, and when it comes to Ayurvedic medicine, aloe is a very important plant.”1
She goes on to state that aloe helps to regulate the intestine’s peristaltic movements, promotes digestion, and relieves abdominal distension by promoting downward movement of the vayus, or “wind” element.
Incidentally, wind is related to air, one of the five elements of the Ayurvedic framework, the other four are: space, fire, water, and earth.
If the element theory of Ayruvedic medicine looks familiar to you, it may be because of the overlap with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Aloe Vera Drink
Inspired by all the aloe vera talk, but not sure where to start with an aloe vera drink?
I love making Aloe Vera Juice Lemonade, stay tuned for that creation.
I haven’t ever made aloe vera juice from scratch, though the boys love pulling a leaf off this houseplant and smearing the gel on themselves when they get sunburned.
Constipation on Keto
Aloe vera juice soothes my digestive system and helps me deal with constipation.
Trust me, constipation on the Keto Diet can get really real. If you’re dealing with it, check out How I Healed My Gut for more tips.
How to Hydrate
When it comes to relieving constipation proper hydration is also critical.
Home Remedies for Constipation
It’s really important to get enough fiber on the Keto Diet so that your digestive system doesn’t get backed up.
Here are some of my favorite home remedies for constipation:
Do You Drink Pure Aloe Vera?
Are you a fan of aloe vera juice? I am! Leave a comment and let me know how you consume aloe.
Olivia J says
Aloe Vera Juice is one of my favourite drinks! It is so good for you especially if you are trying to practice better gut health! I usually drink store-bought, but I want to find a recipe I can make at home! If you have one please let me know!
Elana says
Olivia, I haven’t tried that but you are inspiring me!
Joan Seliger Sidney says
Yes, I’m drinking it to improve my MS slowed motility. Please pass this to Elana, thanks.
Elana says
Joan –yes, it’s great for that! Elana here, I’m the only one answering these comments :-)
Alex S says
Aloe Vera is awesome! There are also so many benefits of using Aloe Vera for your skin as well! It has so many great properties.
Elana says
Alex, agree!
Judith Fine-Sarchielli says
Recipe fir Aloe Vera Lemonade please.
sarchjudith@icloud.com
Thanks!
Elana says
Judith, I will be sharing that soon!
Teresa says
I enjoyed your article about aloe vera! I love it for skin care, I mix a drop or two with my face cream, morning and evening. Also I use for hair. I have frizzy, tangly long hair, I used to use lots of serums and hairspray. After washing my hair, I put a gob of aloe vera gel and a squirt of argan oil on my hand, mix, and apply thru my hair, detangles and smooths and moisturizes! Also seems to work like a styling gel. Love it! I take aloe capsules (Pharm-Aloe) and sometimes drink aloe (George’s) which is part of the Cusack Protocol for Ehrlers-Danlos syndrome. I think it helps a lot with joint pain and a whole lot of other issues! I’ve enjoyed reading your articles for many years!
Elana says
Teresa, thanks for your kind words and for sharing all of your aloe vera usage ideas!
Alton Bailey says
Your information and tips are great. Because of the taste, I mix 2 ounces of Aloe vera juice with 2 ounces of pomegranate juice. I have this three times per day — before each meal. It works and tastes great.
Elana says
Alton, that sounds DELICIOUS!
Julie Munoz says
How do u make the aloe Vera lemonade? I use to drink it all the time got away from it but funny at Whole Foods yesterday their it was
Elana says
Julie, recipe coming soon!
Nan says
Hey Elana! Thanks for the many great points using aloe. I will be trying this again.
I also had a hair analysis done by Eidon and now hava new menu to balance my critical minerals.
This will also help the body rid heavy metals.
I have reduced the mercury but still have some lurking I the tissue.
I use Eidon Electrolytes formula and Multiple minerals formula to help maintain a strict keto, micro green, choco fudge sauce regime!
There are other minerals on my menu but wanted to tell you this quick and super effective product makes ketolife easypeasy.
N
Elana says
Nan, thanks for another fab comment –I am going to get those minerals :-)