Many of us used Aloe Vera to treat hair and skin since it is one of the traditional medicine for thousands of years. However, there’s always this confusion of whether this perennial plant is only for skin and hair treatment, or is it also safe to eat? Well, the answer is YES!
The three parts of Aloe Vera are the skin, the Gel, and the latex. Of course, the best part is the Gel! Aloe Vera Gel is safe to eat, with its refreshing taste that can be added to some recipes like your favorite juice and smoothies. Now here we go!
To prepare the Gel:
- First, chose an excellent variety of Aloe Vera spiky edges on the top and alongside the aloe leaf.
- Cut off the skin on the flat side (reserve this side to add to your summer salad)
- Take off the Gel and cut it into cubes.
- Wash both skin and the cubes in running water to remove the dirt and its residue (if not, the latex residue can give both the Gel and the skin a bitter taste)
- Separate the Gel and skin
- Soak the aloe skin in water for 10-20 minutes before eating as it can be tough to chew (it depends on your preferred texture).
And now, let us try these recipes that I’ve gathered from my favourite sites:
Ingredients: (2 servings)
- 1 ½ cup Coconut Milk
- ½ cup Frozen Strawberries
- One banana,
- ¼ cup of Aloe Gel cubes
Steps:
- Place all the ingredients in a blender
- Blend ingredients in a high-speed blender for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy
- Taste the smoothie; you may add more coconut milk if you think its consistency is too thick. You may also add your preferred sweetener (I don’t want to add anything in my end; the taste is already enchanting for me…)
- Pour into the Mason jar. You may add fresh strawberries on top and drink it while it’s cold!
Ingredients: (1 glass)
- Take off the Gel from 1 aloe Vera leaf (medium to large size)
- 1 cup fruit juice (your favorite fruit) or lemonade
- Sweetener as desired
- 1 tbsp lemon juice as needed (optional)
You mixed all ingredients in a glass. You may add ice cubes to make it colder, and you may add mint leaves for toppings to add a refreshing taste.
Ingredients:
- Two large aloe Vera leaves
- 2 cups (473ml) water
- 2 tbsp sugar (or maple syrup)
Steps:
- Wash the leaves in cold water. Cut off the top and bottom of each leaf and take off the Gel, cut it in cubes with an even thickness.
- Put in cold water and let it sit for 15 minutes
- Drain the aloe Vera cubes and transfer to a medium saucepan. Add 2 cups of water and sugar.
- Bring it to boil and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl to cool.
- Used as topping for lattes, iced teas, fruit juices, or even smoothies. Aloe Vera jelly can stay in the fridge for up to three days.
Ingredients: (4 servings)
- ½ cup of sugar
- 2 ½ cups of filtered water, divided
- 12 oz. Bare Organic Aloe Vera Juice
- ¾ cup lemon juice
- A small handful of fresh mint
Instructions:
- For the syrup: combine the sugar and ½ cup of water in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Removed from heat.
- In a blender: pour the syrup, aloe Vera juice, lemon juice, and remaining 2 cups of water with a small handful of fresh mint leaves. Give it a whirl until smooth and taste. You may add more sugar if you want it sweeter or if you find it too sour (it depends on the variety of your lemons), you may add a bit of water.
- Strain mixture to disregard pieces of mint leaves and lemon pulp.
- In your ice cream maker, set it on the base and turn it on. While spinning, pour in the aloe Vera lemonade mixture until liquid becomes slushier; this should take about 20 minutes.
- Used a spoon to scoop the slush into four glasses. Drizzle with any remaining liquid, and you may garnish each glass with a mint sprig.
Ingredients: (4 servings)
- Arugula and canons mixture …)
- 1 Leaf of Aloe Vera
- 1 Handle
- 100g Cherry tomatoes
- 25g. Nuts
- Sesame roasted.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Mango vinaigrette Platé
Instructions:
Extract the pulp of the Aloe Vera leaf cut into 0.5 cm cubes and do the same with the mango pulp to arrange it in 0.5 cm cubes.
Put the lettuces in a dish, add the tomatoes cut in halves, the dice of aloe vera and the mango, add the nuts, season with the vinaigrette of mango Platé or similar and the olive oil and finally sprinkle with the sesame seeds .
Along with these delicious recipes, there is also a risk of consuming Aloe Vera
- If you are allergic to garlic and onions, you are more likely to be allergic to Aloe Vera.
- If you have intestinal problems like hemorrhage, heart disease, kidney problems, or electrolyte imbalances, do not take Aloe Vera orally or consult your doctor first.
- If you are taking drugs regularly for any treatment, consult your physician first. Taking Aloe Vera may block the absorption of your medicine intake.
- Due to a lack of studies and evidence that could prove the safety of eating Aloe Vera, it should not be consumed by children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.
Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19882025)
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