Anyone drinking aloe vera juice?

althea · November 2007

althea · November 2007

I have a friend who's dealing with chirrosis (sp??) of the liver. It doesn't have a cure, but there's plenty of 'clean living' choices a person can make to slow down the deterioration. Part of his new lifestyle is aloe vera juice. I've been drinking it now for about a month, probably 1-3 ounces per day.

Supposedly there's a lot of benefits to be gained from aloe vera juice, but I've been lazy on doing my own homework on this. I'm about to use the last of what my friend gave me and need to decide whether to continue. What better place to ask than here. Tell me what you know, what you've experienced personally. Thanks in advance.

Anonymous · November 2007

It sounds like such a healing thing to drink, so I would also be interested in knowing of others' experiences with it....and also where it can be purchased.

~Marin

Blundin2005 · November 2007

Hi,

It is recommended here for the digestive system...very healing....sold in bottles and expensive. My friend juices her plant and takes it daily. I've been lazy to juice my plant. I bought the species for ingestion...it's different than the plant for the skin. I'm not versed on the subject but took the plant recommeded by the grower.

I'll bet a google search would bring up what you need. I found how to peal the leaves to get the pulp on a google search. Wish the hell I'd invested in google when they were IPO!

BlindedByScience · November 2007

Organic Aloe Vera at iHerb.com

I was given aloe vera juice (Nature's Way,Organic as in the link above) to help heal from radiation. I haven't investigated the claims, but it seems readily available and cheap. The 1 liter size is $4.24 on iHerb.com. I've also seen this brand, and others, at Whole Foods, so you don't have to order it online.

Europeans, particularly the Germans, use milk thistle to help heal cirrhosis of the liver. It's also helpful for livers damaged by hepatitis--both viral and alcohol-induced. The usual dose is 420 mg of silymarin daily divided into 3 doses. One brand that is recommended is Nature's Way (as for the aloe vera juice above). It is a standardized extract made by a German company and used in European research trials.

Anonymous · November 2007

I've been taking milk thistle for awhile now, ever since my last liver values showed one enzyme to be slightly elevated. I buy mine at Whole Foods or at Earth Fare. And as an aside, I just love that it comes from 'silymarin' Laughing !

~(sometimes silly) Marin

chemo072 · November 2007

I have a friend who insists that I drink aloe vera juice for healing etc. I figured, what's the harm? But here's the thing: it tastes TERRIBLE. So I drink it when she visits and that's it. I know she's trying to help, but ick.

JoanofArdmore · November 2007

I bought some Aloe juice at Whole Foods years ago when my arthritis was just starting to increase from AI.Sorry to say I bought it by mistake.Meant to buy Noni juice.Which was next to it.

(And this was before AI burnt out my brain!)

When I got it home I...noticed.Bt thought I'd give it a whirl.Must be healing and my innards werent that far out from chemo.

And just as Anya says, it tasted really gross?Ewwww.And I canned it.That bad.I SHOULD have returned it, they would have taken it back.but I just wanted to see the back of it.Sets my teeth on edge to think of it!After all, I have healed burns w/aloe for years.Thick sap it is.Nasty!

BTW if it is something soothing and healing for the guts you're after, I'd pick Slippery Elm Bark.It comes in caps, but also in powder.You can make a tea out of it.It's very (slimey) too, but much more palateable!I used to make it for my Rupert, when he got pancreatitis in old age and had a dicey tummy.It's great for sore throats too.

How about Noni juice?A friend tells me her doc suggested it against higher blood glucose.

I actually bought some caps just yesterday.I think no more drinking unknown tropical juices for this girl...

msannie57 · November 2007

Take a look at www.mskcc.org/aboutherbs

They have extensive information about many of these supplements and herbal remedies. Aloe is not recommended by them because of the potential for some pretty heavy duty side effects.

I mean, Vaseline is soothing on the outside of your body, but I wouldn't ingest it. "Natural" doesn't mean it goes in your mouth. Be careful with yourself!

angied808 · November 2007

i heard 2-8 oz of aloe juice a day...

also a big fan of milk thistle. makes me feel like i'm getting some of the chemo junk out of my body...

althea · November 2007

Thanks msannie for the link. That was certainly eye opening! I just really haven't been the same since chemo, and it's getting on towards 3 years since I started it. Taxotere especially did me in. I got horrid heartburn, and less horrid heartburn ever since.

The article mentioned aloe vera juice acting as a laxative. Frankly, that's been the opposite experience for me. This week marks my two years of taking tamoxifen. I was having persistent constipation coincide with that timeframe, so I blame the tamoxifen. I found relief from eating ground flaxseed for breakfast (been doing that since May). Once I started the aloe vera juice, it was as if I lost the benefit I had gained from the flaxseed. So I'm not a happy camper on that front.

I've also been noticing for several weeks that I'm having mild heartburn ALL the time. I expect it when I eat pizza, which is almost never these days. But I haven't been eating things that typically give me heartburn. So I found it most interesting when the adverse effects list included gi upset, nausea and vomiting. All of these have malingered since chemo, thankfully on a much milder scale than during treatments. Still, nausea is nausea, and I'm tired of it. I'm trying to shake it, and aloe vera juice was touted as benefitting the digestive system. I have two friends who sing praises for the stuff. I can't share their enthusiasm!

msannie57 · November 2007

Althea, Have you been evaluated by a doc for GERD? They do have lots of medications for it now although some people who take them feel that they have intolerable side effects. My 17 year old daughter is on Nexium because it's the only thing that relieves her reflux. I only mention being evaluated because persistent GERD can lead to esophageal damage, not to mention the fact that it's just unpleasant. And I'm sure you've read the whole flax seed/estrogen receptor positive debate. I'm just not sure how much one elevates ones estrogen level by eating flaxseed. It seems that the estrogenic effect would be lost in the digestion process. But you might want to ask the onc if he/she has an opinion on that topic as well.

althea · November 2007

I forget what GERD stands for. At my stage 2 reconstruction surgery, my surgeon did suggest that I get evaluated for delayed gastric emptying, which I think is the same thing as GERD. I was just hoping to find a home remedy for relief short of going to a gastroenterologist. And it had been getting better... until I started on the aloe vera juice!

And yes, I know all about the dissention over phytoestrogens and er+ status. My take on it, at this time anyway, is to consider these things taken in as food to be ok, but to steer clear of supplements which are way more concentrated.

I want to throw in a couple of more things from the link annie suggested in case someone does a search... there was mention of some other serious matters in the adverse reactions, including acute hepatitis, thyroid dysfunction, and perioperative bleeding (potential for excessive bleeding during surgery). Excuse me while I go pour the rest of my aloe vera juice down the drain. I'll have to ask my friend what his source of information is that touts all these alleged benefits.

NativeMainer · November 2007

GERD is gastroesophageal reflux disease. The stomach acid works back up the esophagus, this is what causes the pain of heartburn. If it happens over time, the cells of the esophagus can become damaged, leading to Barret's Esophagus, which is a pre-cancerous condition. I have this condition and have to have an endoscopy every 3 years. The dr takes biopsies from the esophagus to look for cancer, in the hopes of catching it early enough to treat successfully. It is treated with proton-pump inhibitors (priolosec, nexium, prevacid).

Santa · November 2007

AmyaM, Neways International www.newaysinternational.com sell a very pleasant tasteing aloe vera juice in a glass bottle. Called Newvera and certified by the aloe vera organisation. Pauline

rumoret · February 2009

Well great..........I just purchased some aloe vera drink......and now I'm afraid to use it.

Terry

BonnieK · February 2009

I tried aloe vera juice for digestive problems before being diagnosed with BC. I have GERD, but that juice tasted so nasty that I couldn't even get it down. I'm sticking with my Protonix for now.

~Bonnie

althea · February 2009

Rumoret, I doubt one bottle would do any harm. If it's unopened, however, perhaps you could return it. That stuff isn't cheap! I was drinking it with pomegranate soda, which made it easier to get down.

Bonnie, what is protonix?

Rosemary44 · February 2009

Don't throw your aloe vera juice away. It's great mixed with turmeric for itchy skin problems, mosquitoe bites, etc. Just a few drops of aloe mixed with tumeric, make a paste, and voila, skin condition gone.

vivre · February 2009

Althea, have you tried digestive enzymes for the gerd? My doctor recommended prilosec when I was having problems during treatments but it did nothing for me. Then I found a book called "The Power of Digestive Enzymes". It was all about how if our stomach does not digest food correctly, no matter how good our diet is, we will not get the proper nutrients. It talks about how the enzymes in the soil have been so depeleted and we do not get the benefits of enzymes. Also, anyone taking any antibiotics should take digestive enzymes because the antibiotics kill the good with the bad, hence why people often have nausea when taking antibiotics.

Adding digestive enzymes to my routine got rid of any heartburn I use to have.

Rosemary, what is that paste like when you put it on your skin. Does it absorb? It sounds interesting. My skin is not dry at all, but I am itching like crazy. I read this was a hormone problem, but I will try anything to make it stop.

althea · February 2009

Thanks vivre. No I haven't tried enzyme supplements yet. I came close a couple of months ago, but the ones I had in mind were a bit pricey. They're on my list of things to try. Right now I have a mix of supplements going that I've been consistent with for five weeks. I'm going to swap one one out soon to try something very specifically for my thyroid. I just know I can get this hypothryoidism kicked to the curb one of these days. Something's gotta work soon or I'll be running out of things to try.

Rosemary44 · February 2009

Vivre,

You can make it any consistency you like, but your skin turns orange. Ok, so nothing is perfect. It washes off.....eventually, maybe...ok, kidding, just don't put it on your face and need to go somewhere important.

I use it on the thick side though.

Anyone drinking aloe vera juice?

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