Aloe Vera for Drinking

Aloe vera has long been available on the market for relief of sunburned or irritated skin. Recently, it has become popular to drink aloe vera as well as use it externally. Pre-mixed aloe vera drinks can be found at health food stores, and the thickened gel can easily be removed from a home plant and mixed with water. The purported benefits of taking aloe vera internally range from helping ulcerative colitis to being beneficial to diabetics. According to the Mayo Clinic, study results are mixed on many of these so-called benefits, but high marks are given to help with constipation.

History

In "Aloe Vera: Nature's Silent Healer," authors Alasdair Barcroft and Audun Myskja note that aloe vera was used in 18th and 19th century England by both doctors and vets to treat a variety of illnesses. They also maintain that this plant has been used for centuries by different cultures to treat both internal and external maladies.

Benefits

The proposed benefits of taking aloe vera orally are wide ranging. The Mayo Clinic lists a variety of internal and external benefits that have been studied. The only internal treatments that received a grade B, indicating "Good scientific evidence for this use," was use as a laxative. Those treatments receiving a grade C, indicating mixed results, include lung cancer prevention, help with diabetes, ease of lichen planus, an inflammatory disease that affects the mouth's lining, and ulcerative colitis.
Reader's Digest's "The Healing Power of Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs" notes that aloe vera has also been used for heartburn relief, though there is little research to support this benefit.

Amount

A safe and effective amount of aloe vera taken internally is one-half to three-quarters of a cup, three times a day, according to Reader's Digest. Also, the liquid may be substituted with pills or capsules, usually one to two a day, unless otherwise directed on the label.

Studies

Several studies have showed the efficacy of the internal use of aloe vera, including a study published in the British Journal of Dermatology that found aloe vera gel is "statistically significantly more effective than placebo in inducing clinical and symptomatological improvement" of oral lichen planus. A 2004 study at the Centre for Gastroenterology, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Science in London also found oral aloe vera gel was more beneficial for active ulcerative colitis than a placebo.

Contraindications

Taken internally, aloe vera may have the unwanted side effect of being a laxative, causing cramping, diarrhea and loose stools. Do not take aloe vera if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.