How should fresh aloe vera flesh taste?

So while fasting sometimes my stomach gets a bit irritated, nothing major but it is there. Read that aloe vera helps and I have used the juice with the pul/flesh before. Ive never had it direct from the plant, just tried a bit and yuck LOL very overpowering almost like distilled denatured alcohol, almost where I going has this gone bad?

I've bought the leaves fresh in the grocery store before.

They say to cut away the thick skin, then soak the flesh in water for a while to allow the latex to leech out. Then I used to blend it and mix it with lemon juice and local honey.

The latex can cause diarrhea and upset stomachs, which is why leeching is suggested..

As far as I can tell, quality aloe vera doesn't have much taste, but I usually mix it with other juices, I haven't tried it by itself in a while, and I can't taste it when I mix it with other juices. It makes an excellent addition to fruit punch.

The best advice I can give on this subject, is to check the medicine section of the grocery store for aloe vera juice sold by the gallon. That's how I buy it now. It's less than $10 gallon, is good quality, and seems to stay fresh in the refrigerator for an extended period of time.

This is the product I use:
fote.com...

Here's an article warning about the side effects of drinking aloe vera:
STOP! If you swear by aloe vera juice, wait till you read these 4 side effects

As always, do your own research and consult your health care professionals.

a reply to: putnam6

From what I understand, the yellow part between the skin and the flesh is what tastes bad. Just the pulp should be slightly bitter to neutral.

I believe there are some funky varieties of aloe vera that aren't edible... all I remember is they have a different colour and spots.

Is it your plant or growing in the wild?

a reply to: putnam6

Yeah, fresh aloe has a very bitter taste. And the outer skin is actually poisonous, as are some species of aloe.

Aloe barbadensis is the most healing variety of aloe vera. Mine are blooming right now.

But I only use fresh leaves for burns. I buy "George's" brand aloe juice for tummy issues -- no taste and no refrigeration needed.

a reply to: IndieA

This is the product I use:
fote.com...

I didn't know that FOTE made aloe juice -- thank you! I'm a big fan of their aloe gel, and their vitamin-enriched cream, but I've never seen their aloe juice. Probably because I've been buying George brand for so long I haven't looked!

After cutting off a leaf, I make it lean against something so that the cut rests on a paper towel until the pink stuff is gone. That's the stuff (latex?) that upsets stomaches like other's wrote before.

But I don't eat it, I only use it for outside of body use.

originally posted by: IndieA
I've bought the leaves fresh in the grocery store before.

They say to cut away the thick skin, then soak the flesh in water for a while to allow the latex to leech out. Then I used to blend it and mix it with lemon juice and local honey.

The latex can cause diarrhea and upset stomachs, which is why leeching is suggested..

As far as I can tell, quality aloe vera doesn't have much taste, but I usually mix it with other juices, I haven't tried it by itself in a while, and I can't taste it when I mix it with other juices. It makes an excellent addition to fruit punch.

The best advice I can give on this subject, is to check the medicine section of the grocery store for aloe vera juice sold by the gallon. That's how I buy it now. It's less than $10 gallon, is good quality, and seems to stay fresh in the refrigerator for an extended period of time.

This is the product I use:
fote.com...

Here's an article warning about the side effects of drinking aloe vera:
STOP! If you swear by aloe vera juice, wait till you read these 4 side effects

As always, do your own research and consult your health care professionals.

Yea I got Lily of the Desert pulp juice, Ive used it before it's decent, it's not my first gastric disturbance rodeo, and so far I haven't been trampled by the bull.

But I had never done the flesh, and yes I read about how to get the edible part I just got about a teaspoon and mixed it with about 8 ounces of water. Have no doubt I can come up with recipes to mask the taste LOL, thinking aloe vera vodka, tequila, or bourbon shots might fit the bill.

originally posted by: Encia22
a reply to: putnam6

From what I understand, the yellow part between the skin and the flesh is what tastes bad. Just the pulp should be slightly bitter to neutral.

I believe there are some funky varieties of aloe vera that aren't edible... all I remember is they have a different colour and spots.

Is it your plant or growing in the wild?

No, our grocery store sells the leaf by itself, I read a bit and watched a video about fileting an aloe vera leaf. I've read further that it is usually bitter tasting towards the tip, which is where I started.

originally posted by: TDDAgain
After cutting off a leaf, I make it lean against something so that the cut rests on a paper towel until the pink stuff is gone. That's the stuff (latex?) that upsets stomaches like other's wrote before.

But I don't eat it, I only use it for outside of body use.

Yea I definitely did not do the lean, but I will do that now.

Here's what I used

www.organicfacts.net...

Ingredients
1 aloe vera leaf large
3 cups water filtered
Instructions
Using a sharp knife, remove the outer layer of the aloe vera leaf, which is often covered with thorns.
The second layer of the aloe vera leaf is the latex part, which is predominantly yellowish in color.
Cut through the latex layer of the leaf, to reveal the clear aloe vera gel inside.
Fresh aloe vera, a bowl of aloe vera gel and a bowl of sliced aloe vera on a wooden table
Scoop out the gel as much as possible and transfer it to a small bowl.
Measure out two tablespoons of aloe vera gel and add it to the water in the blender.
Blend thoroughly for 2-3 minutes, until the liquid has a uniform consistency.
Fresh aloe vera leaves and a glass of aloe vera juice on a wooden table
Add some lime juice or a few pieces of cucumber to the infusion, to enhance its flavor.
Notes
You can also prepare a variation of aloe vera juice with honey, alcohol, or white vinegar for additional flavor.

a reply to: putnam6

Like poison?

You shouldn't be eating that stuff....

a reply to: putnam6

Like I wrote, (I) never ingest the plant parts. My aunt taught me the plant and the trick with the paper towels, as well as the two plants themselves, are from her. I would ask her but she died a few years ago.

So I do not know the exact type of mine and if it's eatable. And I did not care about the latex skin yet. Just the pink stuff I was told is the no-good-stuff and to soak it off. So I scrube out the jelly or simply make the cutting surface contact skin for a while. I squash the leaf a bit before that.

The paper towel thing, I do that directly after cutting. Maybe that is of importance? Not sure.

originally posted by: Timber13
a reply to: putnam6

Like poison?

You shouldn't be eating that stuff....

PLEASE everything Ive read is you have to eat a gram of the latex alone to potentially be bad for you. I heard of plenty of people using it for heartburn and GERD daily without ill effects.

www.healthline.com...

Aloe Vera Leaves Are Generally Safe to Eat
Aloe vera leaves are comprised of three parts: the skin, the gel and the latex. They’re best known for their gel, which is responsible for most of its health benefits (1Trusted Source).

While most people apply the gel to their skin, it’s also safe to eat when prepared right.

Aloe vera gel has a clean, refreshing taste and can be added to a variety of recipes, including smoothies and salsas.

To prepare the gel, cut off the spiky edges on the top and alongside the aloe vera leaf. Next, slice off the skin on the flat side, remove the clear gel and dice it into small cubes.

Make sure to wash the gel cubes thoroughly to remove all traces of dirt, debris and residue. Latex residue can give the gel an unpleasant bitter taste.

The latex is a thin layer of yellow liquid between the skin and the gel of the leaf. It contains compounds with powerful laxative properties, such as aloin (2Trusted Source).

Eating too much latex can have serious and potentially fatal side effects (3Trusted Source).

In contrast, the aloe vera skin is generally safe to eat. It has a mild flavor and a crunchy texture, perfect for adding variety to your summer salads. Alternatively, the skin can be enjoyed by dipping it in salsa or hummus.

To prepare the skin, cut off the spiky edges on the top and alongside the plant and slice off the skin on the flat side. Make sure to wash the skin thoroughly to remove any dirt, debris and latex.

You can soak it in water for 10–20 minutes before eating it if you find it too tough to chew.

It’s very important to choose leaves from the aloe vera plant and not from other aloe species, as these may be poisonous and therefore unfit for human consumption.

SUMMARY
It’s generally safe to eat the gel inside the aloe vera leaf, as well as the skin. Wash the skin or gel thoroughly to remove traces of latex, which can have unpleasant and potentially harmful side effects.

a reply to: TDDAgain

Well if it's draining off the latex, it has to be a good thing as that's the laxative part. Still everything Ive read suggest you would have to eat a gram of the latex alone to get sick


Every preparation Im seeing suggests separating the gel filet and rinsing it well, eliminating the concerns for the latex.

a reply to: putnam6

A raisin weighs literally a gram.

Taking 1 gram a day of aloe latex for several days can cause acute kidney failure and can be fatal.

Mayo Clinic

Not to mention, there are varieties that are more toxic than others. I don't think this is a great place to promote eating something that could kill you. It IS poisonous. That is a fact.

If you want the "medicinal" values out of is, you're better off eating exlax because that's all it's really good for. I mean, other than making you really sick or dead.

I don't understand the promotion of eating bad plants. I get that some plants are medicinal but not everything out there that some person wrote in a book somewhere 200 years ago is always a great idea to put in your mouth. I can detail how horribly bad half of the home remedies were that I grew up on. Everything from ingesting poisonous seeds for a cold to drinking a broth of herbs and various unknowns with a half pound of sugar in water to wash it down... Yeah, not so great remedies.

If they make you sick, they're poison. 1 gram isn't a lot of weight. You should look up example of things that weight "just a gram". That's not really hard to do. It doesn't just make you sick... it can make you dead.

I just noticed that my link from above is misdirecting, so let's try this again.

STOP! If you swear by aloe vera juice, wait till you read these 4 side effects:
www.healthshots.com...

Aloe vera has been considered a ‘wonder plant’ in the field of medicine. It is nothing short of an elixir for health, beauty, and skincare needs. That’s because it is packed with vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that make it a great antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory agent. In recent times, aloe vera juice has also gained prominence as the ‘perfect health drink’, but is it really so? Are there some side effects of aloe vera juice we must be wary of?

On the flip side:
4 super convincing reasons to drink aloe vera juice on an empty stomach:
www.healthshots.com...

You probably already know that vitamins and minerals are absolutely essential to staying healthy and preventing various illnesses. Turns out, aloe vera is a powerhouse of both. It contains calcium, magnesium, folic acid, and vitamins C, A and E.

5 Healthy Benefits of Drinking Aloe Vera Juice:
www.healthline.com...

Aloe vera juice contains polyphenols, which are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants have been shown to have several health benefits, but specific research on aloe’s antioxidants and human health is lacking.

This WebMD article has more information about the risks and benefits of consuming aloe vera.

www.webmd.com...

One 8-ounce serving of pure aloe vera juice includes:

Calories: 8

Protein: Less than 1 gram

Fat: Less than 1 gram

Carbohydrates: 3 grams

Fiber: 2 grams

Sugar: Less than 1 gram

Aloe vera juice contains high levels of magnesium, which is a vital nutrient for nerve and muscle use. Magnesium helps your body with more than 300 different enzyme reactions, including those that regulate your blood pressure. It also helps regulate heart rhythm. 

a reply to: IndieA

You can get all of those benefits from eating a healthy diet. You don't need aloe as 'supplements'. Why would you go to something that can hurt you for something you can get literally anywhere else?

a reply to: Timber13

How many people do you know that eat a health diet?

We live in a world of fast foods, processed foods, and even our fruits and vegetables are lacking nutritional value.

Besides, aloe is an edible plant, aka food. Some foods just have side effects and, or interactions, and should be taken in moderation, and or with caution.

For example, here are some precautions for consuming grapefruit.

www.webmd.com...

A heart muscle disorder (cardiomyopathy): Drinking grapefruit juice might increase the risk for abnormal heart rhythm. People with this condition should consume grapefruit juice in moderation.

Hormone sensitive cancers and conditions: Consuming large amounts of grapefruit might increase hormone levels and therefore increase the risk of hormone sensitive conditions. People with hormone sensitive conditions should avoid grapefruit.

Irregular heartbeat: Eating large amounts of grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice might worsen irregular heartbeat. Don't use grapefruit if you have this condition.

Postmenopausal adults: Postmenopausal adults should avoid consuming large amounts of grapefruit. It's been linked with an increased risk of breast cancer in these patients.

a reply to: IndieA

You're missing a very important factor here and you're using a lazy excuse to combat the obvious.

Eat an apple. They aren't that hard to find. Actually, even more available than Aloe.


Why would you go out of your way for a poisonous folk remedy that doesn't have anymore of a health benefit than a common vegetable. Trying to get nutrient from a poisonous plant or a plant that has poisonous parts or causes problems in the human body instead of an easy to find, common source is just dumb.

But hey... You do you. That's your Darwin. Be my guest. I'm just showing that it's poison.


I mean.. What do you honestly think this will do for you that another easily and readily available source of vitamins can't? It just baffels me that people would just rather do ignorant things like this. Even your own information shows that I'm telling the truth.

*SMH*

a reply to: Timber13

I do eat apples and people have posted various reasons why they drink aloe vera juice in this thread, but here's another list of 18 reasons.

18 Reasons to Drink Aloe Vera Juice Everyday shutterstock_242698879

If you are so concerned about people consuming aloe vera juice, maybe you should take it up with the many companies that sell it, the FDA, or the DEA. Maybe you can get the federal government to schedule it as a schedule 1 controlled substance, as they have mis-scheduled other substances.

Also realize that, there is often a fine line between a poison and a medicine, and that fine line is often the dosage.