Aloe Vera Juice

Aloe vera drinks, available from Walmart.com and others, are the most recent plant-based health craze. But according to Consumer Affairs, ingesting aloe vera may not be the best idea.

. . . risks there most certainly are — cancer, diarrhea and interference with diabetes drugs among them, according to the National Institutes of Health, which recommends against ingesting gels or liquids made from the leaves of the aloe vera plant.

The NIH has more on the plant, and it notes that aloe vera products were once used in over-the-counter laxatives.

The lesson here? Aloe vera may best be kept in shampoos and lotions and not your belly. But even if you’re just going to rub it on your skin, according to NIH “there is not enough scientific evidence to support aloe vera for any of its other uses.” So you may be best just saving your money. For more on supplements, check out our article here.