Is there any specific indication for consuming Aloe Vera? What is the best method for taking it?

Question

Aloe vera is a herb largely found in tropical places and believed to be an excellent rehydrant and nowadays extensively used in cosmetic and edible preparations.

Answer 1

I've never really heard about any indications for ingesting aloe vera. Just cut the "fat" part of the leaf and take out the gelatinous flesh. If you're going to eat it, I recommend mixing it with some honey, since it by itself isn't that yummy.

Answer 2

The medical journals say no. No reason to take it internally.
It was originally applied externally in folk medicine for burns and skin irritations.

However, there is a company in Florida that sells the liquid form and sells capsules of it. Their comsumer base are mainly those that have arthritis. They have hundreds of testimonials, but that doesn't mean anything. The founders wife alledgedly had severe kidney problems that resolved when she began drinking the aloe vera.

What puzzles me is that they have been in business for years...and I use their Sportarub preparation (which contains aloe and menthol, among other things) for sprains because it doesn't irritate my skin like some over-the-counter preparations do.

I have tried their aloe vera capsules (I don't have arthritis, just stiffness in joints) but it caused loose stools, so I did not stay on it for a long enough period of time to evaluate it myself.

Answer 3

We buy aloe Vera juice by the gallon and use it for healthy digestion. Health food stores have it but so do health departments in the grocery.