Why do we love aloe vera so much? Because it’s good for your health for more reasons than you probably even realize. Aloe vera gel has been used for decades for sunburn recovery. Its juices have become more popular in recent years, touting benefits like hydration (thanks to extra vitamins and minerals), constipation relief, clear skin and improved liver function. Oral aloe vera supplements have been associated with even more health benefits - potentially making it the next big trend in wellness.
The history of aloe vera use for medicinal purposes dates back centuries. Similar to a cactus, aloe grows in dry and hot climates around the world. In the U.S., you’ll typically find it growing in Arizona, New Mexico, California and some regions of Texas.
Aloe vera juice is readily available on grocery store shelves and in gel and lotion formats in the aisles of your local drug store. Aloe vera in an oral supplement form (like NB Pure’s Organic Aloe Vera) is beginning to gain traction in the wellness community as more health benefits come to light. Just what can aloe vera do?
Here are a few of the potential benefits you may get from an oral aloe supplement:
1. Antioxidants- Aloe vera is full of antioxidant nutrients, like vitamins C, E, folate and selenium. These powerful nutrients help protect body cells from damage by free radicals. In the long-term, cell damage can lead to bigger issues, including weakened immune response and the onset of various diseases. Consuming antioxidants is an essential part of an all body wellness routine.
2. Healthy Skin - Achieving healthy skin truly starts from within. Aloe vera’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can enhance your daily skin care routine helping to reduce wrinkles and improve skin elasticity. Mild or moderate acne prone skin may also benefit from an aloe vera supplement by reducing inflammation and clearing up infected hair follicles with its antimicrobial power.
3. Immune support - Aloe vera contains many vitamins and minerals, such as powerful polysaccharides, that aid the immune system for proper functioning. These antioxidant nutrients also have an anti-inflammatory effect helping to reduce chronic inflammation to support the immune system. Some animal studies have shown that supplementation with aloe vera may significantly enhance immune responses. These initial research findings demonstrate the potential promising benefits of aloe vera and the need for additional research to solidify the link in humans.
4. Digestive benefits - Taking an aloe vera supplement may be beneficial for constipation relief as well as irritation in the intestines such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). There’s evidence to suggest that aloe vera can have a laxative effect by increasing the amount of water in the intestines to help keep things moving. It may also contribute to the stimulation of peristalsis, which is the wave-like motion that promotes the movement of contents through the digestive tract. In one study, participants with IBS experienced a reduction in the severity of their symptoms after taking an aloe vera supplement.
Key Takeaway
Whether it’s in gel, lotion, capsule or juice form, aloe vera is abundant in potent vitamins and minerals with antioxidant capabilities that are essential for overall body wellness. An aloe vera supplement can complement and enhance a healthy eating pattern to support the immune system, skin, digestive tract and so much more.
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