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We are all aware that aloe vera is great for the skin and hair, especially if you have dry and sunburned skin. In reality, aloe vera has more to offer than just being used a topical ointment or as a hair improvement tool.
If you are aware of the many changes in our modern world, you should know by now that living healthy is one of the hottest trends right now. Along with this newfound passion, different health food crazes have gone viral. One of the crazes is aloe vera juice, but is it just a passing wellness craze or is there some truth to the hype we hear constantly?
What is Aloe Vera?
Aloe vera is a succulent plant belonging to the genus, aloe. It is a wild plant that grows in tropical climates throughout the world and is cultivated for medicinal and agricultural purposes. It is also used as a decorative, potted plant.
The aloe vera plant is very sturdy even though it looks like it is fragile. It can grow in freezing climates as well as hot climates, and in droughts or in rainforests as long as the plant’s roots aren’t damaged or drowned.
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Botanical name: Aloe vera
This plant is a short-stemmed or stemless, succulent plant that grows from 60 to 100 cm. in height. It has thick and fleshy green to grey-green leaves while some varieties have white flecks above and below the stem. Its margin is serrated bearing small white teeth that somewhat resemble thorns. Also, aloe vera is rich in phytochemicals which are known for their healing properties.
Among its many uses, aloe vera is now being explored for its health benefits in juice form. Aloe vera juice has leaf pulp that is rich in fiber and natural nutrients that can help with internal cleansing, healing, and body cell repair when consumed. Consult your healthcare provider first if you are not sure it is safe for you to consume aloe vera juice.
The juice’s active components include different vitamins, minerals, enzymes, sugars, fatty acids, Anthraquinones, hormones, and other essential amino acids.
History of Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a popular medicinal plant which has been used in many industries such as health, beauty, and skin care for many centuries now. The word aloe vera comes from the Arabic word “Alloeh” which means “shining bitter substance.” In Latin, “vera” means “true.” Even Greek scientists considered aloe vera to be a universal panacea. Meanwhile, the Egyptians branded it as the “plant of immortality.”
Health Benefits of Aloe Vera
- Digestive Benefits – According to a study conducted by the “British Journal of General Practice”, aloe vera intake reduces irritation and promotes the healing and repair of stomach and intestinal ulcers. (1) It is also helpful if you have indigestion, colitis, and Candida. Other GI issues like irritable bowel syndrome, heartburn, and similar inflammatory conditions in the GI tract can be cured or controlled by drinking aloe vera juice by reducing inflammation and providing relief.Drinking aloe vera juice can likewise boost the levels of healthy bacteria in the gut to improve digestion as well as balance stomach acids. It offers a laxative-like effect, so you can to end constipation by drinking aloe vera juice. Also, aloe vera juice contains alprogen which is an anti-inflammatory glycoprotein that can heal internal wounds and promote smoother digestion.
- Immune System Benefits – (2) A scientific research study confirmed the antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties of aloe vera. It helps the immune system cleanse the body of invading pathogens and toxins. Moreover, it helps decrease the effects of rheumatoid arthritis, seasonal allergies, and other immune disorders caused by inflammation.Aloe vera has two potent substances that support the immune system: aloctin A and acemannan. These active ingredients help fight off harmful pathogens and have antioxidant properties that protect the cells from being damaged and also halt and reverse aging. Nutritionists also recommend drinking aloe vera juice because of the enzyme, bradykinase, which is beneficial for eliminating harmful waste.Moreover, aloe vera juice contains carrisyn which promotes white blood cell production to protect your body against disease-causing microbes and it has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Aloe vera juice also aids in producing macrophages which are the body’s defense mechanism against different pathogens and harmful substances.
- Heart Benefits – Drinking aloe vera juice can also boost blood circulation. (3) The medical journal “Angiology” published a clinical study indicating that aloe vera can help lower body fat levels among people who have high cholesterol levels. As a result, there are less blood clots and fat deposits in the arteries and in circulation. The study also concluded that diabetic patients experienced the highest improvement when it comes to reducing cholesterol, and they stabilized insulin levels in a separate study.
- Anti-inflammatory – Aleosin found in aloe vera is an anti-inflammatory substance that eases muscle and joint pain. It also has antioxidant properties to fight off free radicals and it provides comfort and relief to people with arthritis or other joint pain diseases. (4) Aloe vera reduces prostaglandin production and blocks the cyclooxygenase pathway to prevent inflammation.
Other Aloe Vera Juice Benefits
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- It increases your vitamin and mineral levels. Aloe vera is rich in Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, E, and folic acid. It also contains essential minerals like iron, potassium, selenium, and zinc.
- Aloe Vera promotes hair growth. It is rich in nutrients that promote good health and beautiful hair.
- Aloe hydrates the skin and provides a soothing effect, heals burns and can treat acne. Aloe vera has long been used as a skin remedy because of the healing and soothing nutrients and compounds for the skin that are found in aloe vera.
- Promotes an alkaline body
- Promotes weight loss
Aloe Vera Juice Recipes
Drinking two to four ounces of aloe vera juice two times daily will give your body eight essential amino acids which are normally not produced by our bodies. When it comes to aloe vera juice, there are ways to make this healthy drink more palatable with the following recipes. Just remember that because of the distinct aloe vera taste, you should include an acidic fruit in your drink to overcome the strong flavor. Try including limes, lemons, pineapples, grapefruits and oranges since they are excellent choices to complement your aloe vera drink.
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1. Virgin Aloe Vera Juice
Ingredients
Fresh aloe vera leaves
Preparation
Cut the leaves into pieces and boil them for several minutes without letting them boil over. Remove the pot from the flame and let it sit for one hour while still in the pot. Take out the aloe vera leaves and drink the liquid.
2. A Light and Crisp Aloe Vera Juice
Ingredients
2 tablespoons aloe vera gel, 1 cucumber, 1 apple, and 1 lemon
Preparation
Blend, chill, and drink this refreshing concoction immediately. First, blend the cucumber and the apple in a blender. Next, add the lemon juice. Cut an aloe vera leaf open and scoop out 2 tablespoons of the pulp and add it into the earlier mixture.
3. Tropical Escape with Aloe
Ingredients
1 tablespoon aloe vera gel, 1 green apple, 1 carrot, 1 to 2 cups of pineapple
Preparation
Blend all ingredients, chill, and drink. Optional: Several tablespoons of coconut milk (to boost aloe’s bacteria fighting properties).
You can enjoy aloe vera juice health benefits by simply drinking a glass of this healthy concoction every day. If you have a sensitive palate and drinking aloe vera juice is not for you, then try aloe vera supplements or aloe vera pills so you still benefit from its healing properties without a funny face when you try to drink it.
Conclusion
You can never go wrong when you start eating healthy and that includes drinks, too. Our body is in constant stress each day with everything it has to endure, and this is more so when we feed it food we shouldn’t be eating.
Gradual diet changes that include the consumption of healthy beverages such as aloe vera juice can go a long way to improve your health and the quality of your life in the years to come.
Drinking two to four ounces of aloe vera juice daily may not sound like much, but it is enough to trigger chemical changes in your body to get rid of the harmful free radicals and substances that make you sick without you knowing.
Other Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/
http://naturalsociety.com/
http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/
http://skinnywithfiber.org/
http://thealoeverasite.com/
http://www.aloe-vera.org/
http://www.aloeplant.info/
http://www.greenprophet.com/
