Commercially many people promote packed aloe vera juice as a healthiest drink ever because of many health benefits that it possesses. But how healthy is your packed aloe vera juice as compared to fresh juice? Also, excess of anything can be bad for your health so even do aloe vera juice. Let us find out how to get maximum health benefits of this juice.
Aloe Vera Juice Composition:
Aloe Vera plant produces two substances which are thought to be useful are gel and latex. Aloe Vera gel is the clear and jelly-like substance found in the inner part of the aloe plant leaf. Aloe Vera latex comes from just under the plant's skin and is yellow in color. Some aloe products contain both gel and latex. Active components of aloe vera juice are listed below:
Vitamins: It contains vitamins A (beta-carotene), C and E, which are antioxidants. It also contains vitamin B12, folic acid, and choline. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals in your body and protect it from free radical damage.
Enzymes: It contains various enzymes like alkaline phosphatase, amylase, bradykinase, etc which helps to reduce excessive inflammation when applied to the skin topically.
Minerals: It provides various important minerals like calcium, copper, selenium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium, etc which are important for the proper functioning of various enzymes that work in different metabolic pathways.
Sugars: It contains various sugar constituents like monosaccharide mainly in form of glucose and fructose and polysaccharides as glucomannans or polymannose. Recently, alprogen and C-glucosyl chromone are also discovered in aloe vera which are thought to have anti allergic properties.
Anthraquinones: Anthraquinones are phenolic compounds traditionally known as laxatives. Aloe Vera juice is supposed to have 12 of these compounds.
Fatty acids: It provides various plant steroids which have anti-inflammatory action and also possesses antiseptic and analgesic properties.
Hormones: It contains auxins and gibberellins compounds that help in wound healing and have anti-inflammatory action.
Is aloe Vera juice good for health?
Is aloe vera juice good for your health or not depends how you consume this juice like whether are you taking fresh juice or some packed juice. While packing of the juice it is required to pass it through various stages including heat treatment, filtration, etc to maintain its shelf life. This type of processing harms those health benefiting compounds adversely. Also, to preserve the shelf life of the product and to add flavor high amount of sugar is being added which make you prone to many health issues. Therefore, you get the health benefits from aloe vera juice the best way is to have it fresh. For this, you can grow a plant of aloe vera in your kitchen garden and use it whenever you want.
Potential Side Effects:
Excess of anything can harm your health also applies on Aloe Vera juice. They have many health benefits but it also have some potential side effects as listed below:
Skin Reaction: Aloe Vera juice is believed to be effective in curing skin diseases but it may also cause redness, burning or stinging sensation if you have sensitive skin. The best way to check the sensitivity is by first applying to small area and see for any possible reaction.
Intestine disorders: Aloe Vera juice contains various laxative compounds but over consumption of this can harm your small intestine lining. When this juice is consumed orally it irritates the cells of small intestine which lead to bowel movement. But too often consumption of this juice makes you dependent on it for bulk passage and also affects your intestine lining adversely. In certain cases it can also cause diarrhea, stomach pan, blood in urine, kidney problem, etc. Consumption of aloe vera juice for longer duration of time makes you develop a kind of tolerance for it which means over period of time you need to increase the dose to get the same laxative effect. Higher dose of it for long period of time can make you prone for serious colon issues. Also, if you have Intestinal conditions such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or obstruction do not take aloe vera latex as it will irritate your colon lining making your condition worse.
Low blood sugar level: Aloe vera juice contains compounds which are supposed to lower the blood sugar levels. So, if you are diabetic and already taking medicines then consult your doctor first before starting taking aloe vera juice in your routine.
To protect yourself from these side effects control the amount of juice you consume in a day and always have a fresh juice instead of some packed options. Also, if you have any medical condition consults your doctor first before starting it as a part of your routine.