When we hear “aloe vera,” the first thing that comes to mind is the plant commonly used to have thick, healthy hair. Many people do not automatically associate aloe vera with juice you’d normally drink, but the fact is, there is such a thing as aloe juice, and it is delicious and beneficial to our health and well-being.
Aloe juice is made from the aloe vera plant. This is a succulent plant common in tropical climates. Aloe vera is long considered a medicinal plant. Many people drink aloe juice. You can take it a step further by making smoothies or shakes.
Aloe Juice Trivia
- The Sumerians 4,000 years ago were already aware of the ability of aloe to help keep the digestive system healthy. Drinking aloe juice makes sense since way back then!
- Aloe juice is healthy and good for you. But just like everything else, there is a negative effect if you overdo it. Drinking too much aloe juice may result in an electrolyte imbalance. What’s the ideal consumption? Eight ounces per day is enough.
- The aloe gel appears delicious. But do not eat it like it is jello. This could result in permanent kidney damage.
- The aloe plant Manfreda maculosa (spice lily) is native to Texas.
Aloe Juice Buying Guide
Aloe vera leaves and commercially produced aloe juice are available in grocery stores and supermarkets. Look for aloe vera leaves in the produce section. You’ll find aloe juice in the juice aisle. Buy aloe leaves and make aloe juice at home if you have time. Store-bought aloe juice is available for those looking for ready-to-drink beverages.
Aloe Juice Production & Farming in Texas
As long as your soil has good drainage, your aloe plant will grow, although it helps if the pH of the soil you are using is around 6.0. Make sure your aloe receives full sun for at least six hours a day. Water your aloe plants daily but avoid overwatering. Remember that aloes store water that allows them to be drought resistant.
Aloe vera and aloe juice are available in Texas because there are many aloe farms and aloe growers in the state. Aloe Farms, in Harlingen, Texas, has been producing aloe vera products including aloe juice (which does not contain sugar, filler, or starch) since 1976. Texas Natural Supply, for Austin, Texas, sells 100% aloe vera juice. H-E-B, an American privately held supermarket chain based in San Antonio, Texas, sells Lily of the Desert’s Lonestar Aloe Vera Juice. Aloe King Texas, another Texas-based business involved in producing aloe vera products including aloe juice, is located in Mercedes, Texas.
Pesticides, Additives, and Chemicals:
Preservatives are used in making aloe juice to make the product shelf-stable. This is important for any beverage product that is expected to sit on the shelf for some time. Preservatives will help keep bacteria away, in liquids like aloe juice.
Geography
Aloes are from northern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Egypt. Today, Thailand is the biggest producer of aloe vera in the world. Other major producers of aloe include Mexico, Dominican Republic, the US, and Costa Rica.
The Rio Grande Valley in South Texas is a great place to grow aloes, with its fertile, sandy loam soil. The best places to grow aloe are those inside the USDA zones 8 to 11. In Texas, this means Zone III (Waco, Bryan College Station, Austin, Houston, San Antonio), Zone IV (Corpus Christi, Laredo), and Zone V (McAllen) in the Gardening Regions for Texas chart. If you live outside of these zones, you can still plant aloe but it should be in a container so that you can move it indoors during the cold season. Aloe is not cold tolerant and it will not survive the Texas winter.
Packaging:
Aloe juice is sold in plastic bottles.
Enjoying Aloe Juice
It’s ok to drink aloe vera juice even on an empty stomach. You can also drink this with your meal. Aloe juice tastes bitter. Not too bitter it is impossible to swallow, so be forewarned. It will take some getting used to before you are comfortable in drinking aloe juice. At some point, you will enjoy this part of your daily diet meant for wellness and well-being.
There’s aloe vera drink and there’s aloe juice, what is the difference? Aloe juice is pure, and the purpose of drinking it is for the sake of health and wellness. An aloe vera drink, on the other hand, refers to a drink that centers around aloe vera as its main ingredient, and it contains other things like sugar and even alcohol, like a cocktail drink you order from the bar.
Who should drink aloe juice? People seeking relief from heartburn as well as those seeking to improve their digestion and promote a healthier digestive system should drink aloe juice. Drinking aloe juice is good. It will help keep you hydrated. It will also help improve your skin. But don’t rely on aloe juice to help manage external problems like sunburns, burns, or scrapes. That is a job that calls for an aloe vera gel.
Storage:
Always put the bottle cap back on after pouring aloe juice. Keep it refrigerated. Without the cap, the aloe juice will absorb the smell of the other items inside the refrigerator. For store-bought aloe juice, check the expiration date or best before details on the packaging. For homemade aloe juice, make sure to drink it in two to three days.
Make aloe juice at home
If you are thinking of experiencing something new, why not try making aloe juice? It is easy to make natural fruit juice using fruits, but aloe vera requires additional knowledge and attention to detail. You will realize why along the way.
Drinking aloe juice allows your body to absorb vitamins A, C, E, B1, B3, B6, and B12. Aloe juice also gives you folic acid and choline. Aloe juice also offers the body calcium, magnesium, manganese, chromium, selenium, copper, potassium, and zinc. You get to benefit from aloe vera’s antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. Drinking aloe juice can help in your oral problems like gingivitis, cavities, and periodontitis. As a drink that hydrates, it can help people struggling to manage their problems with acne and dermatitis. Aloe juice is also an excellent drink for people suffering from IBS and/or constipation. This is also a great drink to have if the goal is detox and weight loss. Another benefit of drinking aloe juice is improving the chance of lowering cholesterol, promoting heart health, and reducing belly fat.
For this recipe, you will need aloe vera leaves, a sharp knife, and a blender.
Yield: This recipe makes 1 glass. Adjust accordingly if you want to make more.
Ingredients:
- Aloe gel from aloe vera leaf (2 tablespoons)
- 1 cup water
Method
Step 1. Extract the aloe gel from the aloe vera leaf. When preparing the aloe gel, make sure to completely remove the green outer skin and the yellow latex coating the inner gel. This is very important because if there is yellow latex mixed in your drink, you might have some digestive issues. After all, the yellow latex contains natural aloin which is a natural laxative.
Step 2. Once the aloe gel has been extracted from the leaf, soak this in clean water. This helps in lessening the naturally bitter taste of aloe gel.
Step 3. Put it in the blender. The outcome depends on your preference. If you mix aloe gel and water, you will have a gooey, thick liquid (how thick depends on the ratio of water and aloe gel). You can blend it long enough to make it a smooth drink, or not too much so that you still have some pulpy bits to chew on.
Step 4. You can add orange juice, pineapple juice, or even sweeteners like liquid stevia or honey. This way, you can have aloe juice in different flavors every day.
