Hi this is Monica Reinagel, the nutrition diva here with your quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous.

And this week we're going to be talking about aloe vera juice.

Cary asks, is it true that aloe vera juice helps you with your intestinal health?

And if so, what should I look for in a quality juice?

The juice of the aloe vera plant has been used throughout the ages,

in particular as a skin soother.

The viscous gel that oozes out of the leaves of this succulent plant can moisturize your

skin and cool minor burns or irritation. And by the way, natural aloe gel is colorless. Those bottles of bright green aloe vera

gel that you sometimes see, oh, they're technical or hue to artificial colorants.

Studies confirm that aloe vera juice has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic

properties when it's applied topically to your skin.

So applying it to a burn or a sunburn can alleviate pain and help the skin heal more quickly.

Some people even keep an aloe plant handy in the kitchen, a sort of living

first aid kit. But many people also advocate drinking the juice of the aloe vera plant saying that it can relieve heartburn

alleviate IBS lower your blood sugar and a broad range of other claims.

Well let's get the silly stuff out of the way first. Drinking aloe vera juice will not

alkalize your blood and good thing too because you wouldn't live long if it did. It also won't

clear up your acne or aid in detoxification. In fact, there

are concerns that long-term use of aloe vera could actually harm your liver, not support

it.

Alovira juice also will not hydrate you any faster than regular water.

And although Alovira does contain a few vitamins and antioxidants, it's not a nutritional powerhouse.

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