One thing that I have never written about before on this blog is Aloe Vera Detox. Aloe Vera is an extraordinary beneficial succulent of the lily family but has been subject to a lot of misleading information by manufacturers of Aloe Vera products.
Before we get into that let’s take a look at the amazing benefits of Aloe Vera.
The Aloe Vera plant has been used in herbal medicine for thousands of years. Aloe Vera is said to boost your energy level, enhance your immune system, encourage cell regeneration, clean your colon as well as neutralizing toxins in your body.
With all the toxins that we are exposed to and get into our bodies every day it is a good idea to do an Aloe Vera Detox.
200 Active Healing Substances
Although there does not seem to be a lot of solid research to back up the many claims, scientists have found about over 200 active healing substances in the plant including vitamins, minerals, enzymes, sugars, anthraquinones, lignins, saponins, sterols, amino acids and salicylic acid.
Aloe Vera is included in many detox diet plans because of it healing properties both externally and internally.
It was originally used as a purgative due to the laxative qualities of the anthraquinones it contains in the latex layer. These days the majority of Aloe Vera products have had aloin, the major anthraquinone, removed.
Update on Aloin (July 2023)
The media is suddenly ablaze with headlines that Aloe Vera can cause cancer. But before you get alarmed by this if you are using Aloe Vera externally or internally please note that it’s the latex part of the Aloe Vera plant which contains aloin that has been blamed for this and as already mentioned the majority of aloe vera products have had it removed.
I don’t know why reporters have suddenly latched onto this because aloe vera whole leaf extract has been classified as a possible human carcinogen (group 2B) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer since 2016. It has only just recently (July 2023) been reported in the media that The World Health Organization classified it as a possible carcinogenic (cancer-causing substance) for humans.
The dicision was based on a two year study on rats which found that those whose drinking water was spiked with an extract of its leaves had a higher chance of developing cancers of the large intestine. Other research has shown that certain aloe chemicals are converted into those that may be damaging to DNA – and therefore possibly able to cause cancer in the guts of both rats and humans.
Remember though that what happens in rats does not always mean that it happens in humans and in these studies they often give doses far in excess to what is normal. Researchers have found that even though humans and mice share the same genes, they function differently in the cells of different animals.
The Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics has claimed:
The resulting evidence suggests that the collective harms and costs to humans from animal experimentation outweigh potential benefits and that resources would be better invested in developing human-based testing methods.
Should we be worried about using aloe vera? It has a long history of use for many conditions and researchers report that numerous studies show that its phytochemicals have anticancer effects. Provided that any aloe vera you buy is from a reputable source then I don’t think there is any cause for alarm.
Health Benefits of Aloe Vera Plant Sugars
Some of the most beneficial ingredients in Aloe Vera are the plant sugars known as polysaccharides, mucopolysaccharides and galactomannans
Aloe mucopolysaccharides have direct anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal/yeast and anti-parasite effects. They can also stimulate the cells of the immune system and are powerful antioxidants.
Galactomannans have a wide variety of immune stimulating and protective effects within the body. The Aloe barbadensis plant contains the greatest concentration of acetylated mannan which is also the most active form of mannans. This “acemannan” has been shown to have many effects in thebody, mostly in the gastrointestinal and on the immune systems.
Taken internally, Aloe Vera generally makes people feel better and may relate to Aloe’s ability to detoxify the body as reported in a study by Dr Jeffrey Bland published in 1985.
Researchers have proved that the outer leaf and rind, which were previously thrown away, contain 200% more of the active therapeutic ingredients.
Cheap Practices
Unfortunately most Aloe Vera products are very low in or even devoid of the polysaccharides that scientists feel are essential for the healing effects of real Aloe Vera. Dilution with water and cheap additives is common.
Many companies also stabilize the Aloe in a high-heat process that degrades some of the enzymes, polysaccharides and mucopolysaccharides.
Aloe Vera is an FDA-approved food and due to the peculiarities of the labeling laws companies can label their product a 100% Aloe drink even though it might contain only 10% Aloe and 90% water!
One solution is to grow your own! This guide shows you how to do it.
Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Detox Formula
In spite of this there are some good Aloe Vera products to choose from. Lily of the Desert has produced a preservative free, herbal Aloe Vera Detox Formula. As well as containing Aloe Vera juice from certified organically grown Aloe Vera plants it contains the well known liver detox herbs milk thistle, burdock root and dandelion leaf.
This Aloe Vera Detox Formula has a 46% higher concentration of the beneficial polysaccharides than other leading brands. It is cold pressed and has been minimally subjected to heat.
It is the law that all aloe plants must be heat treated in order to remove the harmful bacteria on the plant but the flash pasteurization that Lily of the Desert uses preserves the juice’s beneficial effects
For an Aloe Vera Detox simply take 2 oz (4 Tbsp) of the Aloe Herbal Detox Formula alone or in your favorite detox juice or green smoothie once a day until you are comfortable taking it and then take 2 oz at night while you follow your favorite detox plan. Because it has not been watered down it does have a bitter taste which is best disguised in juice or in a smoothie.
Lily Of The Desert Aloe Vera Juice Herbal Detoxifying Formula 32 Ounce
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