Native to the Middle East, Aloe vera (aloe) is a perennial plant that thrives in both tropical and arid climates. The juice contained in the leaves of this plant has been used for centuries as a healing substance, and in the last few decades, Western science has uncovered a variety of scientifically-backed benefits of aloe. When dried and powdered, aloe extract can be taken orally, and this ingestion method may provide antioxidant, cardiovascular, immune, and other benefits.
The components in aloe are water-soluble, which means that they dissolve in your body’s abundant aqueous fluids.
The only known source of the beneficial components of aloe is the Aloe vera plant itself.
While it appears to be highly beneficial to human health, Aloe vera is not recognised as an essential nutrient. As a result, there is no nutrient reference value (NRV) for this substance.
The only food source of Aloe vera is aloe juice, which is not as concentrated as Aloe vera extract. Unless you make a point to drink a large quantity of aloe juice every day, it is impossible to absorb beneficial quantities of this substance from food.
While it is primarily used as a topical substance for wound healing, Aloe vera appears to have quite a few beneficial properties when concentrated in extract form and ingested orally. For instance, aloe contains components that are generally regarded as antioxidants, and certain studies also suggest that Aloe vera may be beneficial for diabetics, people who are immunocompromised, and individuals who have digestive disorders.
Aloe vera extract appears to have powerful healing benefits that could improve your well-being no matter what your health status may be. Taking aloe orally could be useful in the case of vitamin C deficiency, and since aloe extract contains many substances that are generally regarded as antioxidants, there’s never a bad time to ingest Aloe vera.
The active ingredients in aloe are water-soluble, which means that aloe extract should start taking effect within 2-3 days. Repeated supplementation with aloe extract is necessary, however, to experience the best results.
Since aloe vera extract is water-soluble, it should only take your body around 24 hours to process and absorb this beneficial supplement.
Like all water-soluble compounds, the active ingredients in Aloe vera extract will generally make their way out of your body within 1-3 days.
Research indicates that Aloe vera extract contains a large variety of components that are widely believed to exert antioxidant activity in the body.
Based on scientific research, there is reason to believe that taking large doses of aloe latex, a component of aloe leaves, could cause adverse effects. The most commonly noted adverse effects of aloe latex overdose include liver damage and reduced platelet formation, although this can usually only occur from supplementing with absurdly large doses.
Since it contains water-soluble compounds, Aloe vera generally flushes out of your body within a few days without leaving any build-up behind.
Aloe is a natural, plant-based substance, so it does not conflict with any dietary restrictions.
While certain substances in aloe have been isolated and semi-synthesised, there are no synthetic alternatives to aloe extract itself, which contains the full spectrum of components present in Aloe vera leaves.
No data exist on the potential absorption rates of synthetic forms of aloe vera.
There is no reason to believe that synthetic forms of aloe might have advantages over natural forms—especially since aloe extract can’t be fully replicated in a laboratory.
When taken orally, aloe is usually ingested in juice or powdered extract form. Aloe juice can also be applied topically to aid wound and irritation healing.
A 2020 review of the evidence covers a variety of different aloe studies conducted over the last six years, and the authors conclude that evidence is amassing indicating that Aloe vera might be incredibly useful for improving digestive health and fighting against bacterial infections. Also this year, a German study found that components in Aloe vera improve insulin permeability through intestinal tissues, which supports the idea that this ancient healing substance could be useful for diabetes.