The Amazing benefits of aloe vera

Aloe vera is a wonderfully soothing, cooling, moistening herb that has been used for thousands of years in Ayurveda, as well as by the ancient Egyptians and the early Greeks. Aloe vera is a succulent plant with large fleshy leaves. The fleshy inner leaf allows it to thrive in areas with very little rainfall where other plants cannot survive.

What is aloe vera good for?

Aloe vera is renowned for its cleansing and rejuvenating effects. These are due to it containing plant compounds called polysaccharides (complex sugars) which soothe and calm. In Ayurveda, aloe vera juice is also considered to be an excellent ‘carrier’ for other herbs, nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Research has shown that taking supplements alongside aloe vera may optimise their effective absorption. (1,2). It’s an easy herb to take as you can drink some aloe vera juice daily. Its best taken each morning on its own, or add to juices and smoothies. You can even enjoy it as part of a tea blend with our Cleanse tea.

What are the benefits of drinking aloe vera?

It's believed that drinking aloe vera juice can benefit you in a number of ways. The herb can also be used topically to soothe and nourish the skin and hair.

• Supporting digestive issues: Aloe vera is cooling and supports our mucous membranes in the digestive tract. As a mucilage, it also helps balance our digestive enzymes and stomach acid and is also likely to have a prebiotic effect.

• Skin heath: Aloe vera is a moisturising remedy and is a common ingredient in many skin products. It can be used internally through drinking its juice, or as an external gel to soothe and regenerate. It’s worth keeping a plant on your kitchen windowsill for any burns through cooking, helping with sunburn or to make the face mask below. Aloe vera is also in our Cleanse tea blend for this reason.

• Reproductive health: Traditionally, aloe vera is used as a rejuvenating tonic in both men and women. Its Sanskrit name ‘kumari’ means ‘young maiden’ reflecting its special place in supporting women’s health, especially during the menopause. It’s included in our Menopause Serenity supplement to help with heat and dryness at this transition.

How we source our organic aloe vera

Our organic Aloe Vera Juice comes from an organic farm in north-east Mexico, close to the Texan border. The plants are grown for four years before they are harvested to ensure they reach their full potential, containing a high content of the key polysaccharide constituents. In every litre of Pukka aloe vera juice, there is an average of 1000mg of polysaccharides, twice the level recommended in the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia.

Each succulent leaf is covered in a tough rind that contains a bitter compound called aloin, which acts as a repellent against thirsty herbivores. Aloin is also a strong laxative, so must be removed before producing juice. To make Pukka aloe vera juice the outer rind is hand peeled at source to produce ‘fillets’ of the inner leaf. These are blended to create a delicious and pure juice, free of aloin and its laxative effect. Provided aloe vera gel is effectively filtered to remove the laxative aloin (as is assured in Pukka Aloe Vera) then it is a safe supplement.

Not only is aloe vera juice full of polysaccharides, but it’s also richly moisturising, meaning aloe vera is very good for the skin. So, why not make a soothing aloe and honey mask?

Why not use Aloe vera at home to make a soothing aloe and honey mask?

This mask combines the soothing benefits of aloe with the anti-microbial and moisturising properties of honey to calm skin. Add 1 tablespoon of organic aloe vera gel or juice and 1 tablespoon of raw honey to a bowl. Stir until well-combined. Apply to your face or any other areas of the body and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water to remove.

What research is there on the benefits of aloe vera?

1. Vinson, J.A., Al Kharrat, H. and Andreoli, L., (2005). Effect of Aloe vera preparations on the human bioavailability of vitamins C and E. Phytomedicine, 12(10), pp.760-765 15 Yun JM, Singh S,

2. Jialal R, et al. (2010) A randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial of aloe vera on bioavailability of vitamins C and B(12), blood glucose, and lipid profile in healthy human subjects J Diet Suppl. 7(2): 145-53