Botanical
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a succulent plant whose thick leaves contain a clear gel and a bitter yellow latex.
Also listed as Aloe, Aloe Barbadensis
Why homemade aloe drinks are a poor shortcut
German food-control laboratories found that aloin from the outer leaf can contaminate the gel during preparation, even when the leaf is carefully peeled. Washing did not reliably remove it. Their advice is to avoid preparing edible gel from whole leaves at home, rather than assuming a peeled leaf is equivalent to a manufactured food-grade product. 1
Sources
- Verzehr und Zubereitung von ganzen Aloe-Blättern: ein Update Untersuchungsämter Baden-Württemberg