Aloe Juices, Gels, and Supplements Review
How Much Aloe is Really
in Aloe Products? Find Out and See Our Top Picks.
Medically reviewed and
edited by Tod Cooperman, M.D. 
Initially Posted:
11/22/2021
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Table of Contents
Summary
·
Be very careful when you select and use an aloe product! Aloe products
differ by the type of aloe, part of the aloe leaf used, and amount of
purification (See "What It Is"). What's more,
ConsumerLab.com has found that many products over the years don't
contain their expected amounts of key aloe compounds (See "What CL Found")
·
Aloe vera "gel" and aloe vera "juice" that
has been purified (or "filtered"), are the safest forms of aloe and
are often applied to the skin or consumed as a liquid in small amounts for
potential therapeutic purposes (See "What It Does").
·
Whole aloe vera leaf (as well as Aloe ferox leaf)
contains aloe "latex" (known as aloins) which, if consumed, can cause
a significant laxative effect (See "What It Does"). These compounds have also
been shown to cause cancer in some animals (See "Concerns and Cautions"). The FDA has
banned the sale of all aloe products as over-the-counter (OTC) medicine,
although they remain legal as dietary supplements. Also be aware that
some aloe gels and sprays have been
found to contain benzene, a carcinogen.
·
See our Top Picks among
drinkable aloe, topical aloe, and aloe capsules based on our tests and
comparisons.
What It Is:
Aloe
vera (typically labeled as Aloe barbadensis)
is a short-stemmed cactus-like plant with thick and fleshy leaves. The inner
part of the leaf contains aloe "gel" which, although mostly water,
includes polysaccharide compounds, including acemannan.
The outer portion of the
leaf, beneath the skin, contains a different array of compounds including
aloins (one of which is the compound emodin), or aloe "latex."
Products made of whole aloe leaf or unpurified aloe
leaf juice will contain these compounds. Filtration and other
purification processes can reduce the amount of latex from aloe leaf juice.
This purification is sometimes referred to as "decolorization" as it
removes the yellowish latex. Products made of purified aloe vera leaf, or of
aloe vera gel (described above), will contain very little
latex. While most aloe products are made with Aloe barbadensis,
be aware that other species may be used, such as Aloe ferox (also
called Cape aloe), which contains more latex, although this should be noted on
the label.
What It Does:
Oral use:
Aloe vera juice (containing latex) can relieve constipation due
to its action as a stimulant laxative (see Concerns and Cautions).
There is some
preliminary, but insufficient evidence for the use of aloe for ulcerative
colitis (100 ml aloe vera gel twice daily for 4 weeks) (Langmead, Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2004) and diarrhea-predominant irritable
bowel syndrome (IBS) (50 ml decolorized aloe leaf extract taken four
times daily for one month) (Davis, Int J Clin Pract 2006).
Preliminary evidence suggests that oral administration of aloe vera gel might
be effective in reducing blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes and
in lowering elevated blood lipid levels. Taking aloe orally has also been
proposed as a treatment for osteoarthritis, due to aloe's potential
anti-inflammatory action (Cowan, BR J Community Nurs 2010). However, there have been no large,
long-term, randomized, controlled clinical studies with aloe gel for these
uses.
Topical use:
Although aloe vera gel is often used after sunburn or other burns,
the evidence is mixed as to whether it helps. It has also been applied to the
skin of patients receiving radiation therapy, but has not been effective in
reducing redness, itching, or peeling.
Some preliminary evidence
suggests that a cream made with 0.5% aloe (as opposed to pure aloe gel) may be
effective for treating genital herpes lesions. There is mixed
evidence for this cream in treating psoriasis. Several studies have
evaluated topical aloe in wound healing and, again, the
results have been mixed; in fact, one study suggested that aloe can actually
impair wound healing.
An ointment made of aloe
may reduce symptoms of seborrhea (red, scaly skin eruptions), and
some studies have shown benefits using aloe gel to relieve symptoms of lichen
planus, a skin condition characterized by itchy, flat, scaly patches.
Placing
aloe in the eye is recommended on some websites as a "home remedy"
for dry eye. This, however, appears to be based solely on a laboratory
study on cells from the cornea of the eye which found that certain ethanol and
ethyl acetate extracts of aloe reduced markers of inflammation and had free
radical scavenging effects (Wozniak, Pharm Biol 2012). Animal studies in
which aloe has been used to treat corneal lesions and burns have yielded mixed
results (Green, J Toxicol
Cutaneous Ocul Toxicol 2008; Atiba, Clin Ophthalmol 2015).
Quality Concerns and
Tests Performed:
Neither
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor any other federal or state agency
routinely tests supplements for quality prior to sale. In order to help
consumers identify products of better quality, ConsumerLab.com purchased and
tested aloe supplements, gels, and liquids to determine whether they contained
the labeled and expected amounts of acemannan
(expected to be 5% of the dry weight of aloe vera gels and aloe vera 200:1
extracts, and 2.5% of the dry weight of aloe vera leaf juice), as well as
aloins and emodin, which should only be found in appreciable amounts in
products made from the whole aloe leaf or its juice or
products listing Aloe ferox, Cape aloe, or aloe latex. Products
were also tested for potential contamination with lead, cadmium, and arsenic.
See How Products Were Evaluated for more
information on testing.
What CL Found:
Here's the run-down of what we found among the products, none of
which was found to be contaminated with heavy metals (lead, cadmium, or
arsenic).
How Much Aloe Is in
"Aloe" Products?
Products containing aloe
should contain the key aloe compound acemannan. Shown
below are the amounts of acemannan in 2 fl oz (1/4 cup) of drinkable products, one ml (1/5
teaspoon) of topical gels and sprays, or one capsule of an aloe supplement.
Among drinkable
aloe products, similar amounts of acemannan per 2
fl oz were found in three products, Lakewood (32.2
mg), Lily of the Desert (38.6 mg), and AloeCure (42.5 mg), while less than half this
amount was found in Solaray Aloe Vera
Drink (note that the term "drink" means that a product may
contain substantial amounts of other ingredients). However, no acemannan could be detected in George's 100% Aloe
Vera. It was, essentially, distilled water. In fact, no other compounds
that help identify authentic aloe (which include glucose and malic acid) were
detected in George's.
Although the label
on George's proclaims it to be "100% ALOE VERA" it
also notes, in smaller font, that it is a "Fractionally Distilled Liquid
from Aloe Vera Leaves," so it is possible that it was made from aloe
(which, like many plants, is 99% water), but the key aloe compounds were
removed by distillation. George's would
not be expected to provide any of the health benefits associated with aloe
(other than hydration from water). Why would a product that is essentially
water be marketed as an aloe product? Aloe gel and juice tends to have a bitter
or sour taste, so removing natural compounds and focusing on the water content
makes for a more palatable drink -- in fact, many online reviews rave that
George's tastes "just like water." It may be the most expensive water
you can buy!
[Be aware that our tests
of aloe in 2015 found that Carlson Aloe Vera Gel (sold as softgels) also had no detectable acemannan,
and Aloe Farms Aloe Vera Gel (sold in a large bottle) was
highly diluted (just 6.6 mg of acemannan per 2 fl oz). In addition, Alo
Exposed Original + Honey, which claimed to contain "15% Juice"
(i.e., aloe vera juice), had only trace amounts of acemannan,
suggesting little to no aloe vera juice. However, Pharm-Aloe Freeze
Dried Aloe Vera Leaf Juice (tested in 2017) provided 47.4 mg of acemannan per capsule. Lakewood Organic Pure Aloe
Gel had a high concentration of acemannan —
50 mg per 2 fl oz — but this is a different product
than the Lakewood Organic Pure Aloe tested this year, which is
aloe vera "juice" and not "gel" and contained a lower but
still substantial amount of acemannan (32.2 mg per 2 fl oz, or 128.9 mg in a full cup).]
Among topical
products, Aubrey Aloe Vera had triple the concentration of
acemannan as Lilly of the Desert 99% Aloe
Vera Gelly and nearly five times the
concentration in Burn Out Aloe Vera Skin Fix. In fact, per
milliliter, the amount of acemannan in Aubrey (0.7
mg/mL) is essentially the same or more than in most of the drinkable aloe
juices (mg/mL values are shown in the 2nd column of the Results table below). Interestingly, the
other two topical products are much more viscous (gel-like) than Aubrey,
but that's because they contain added thickeners. In fact, thickeners are the
second listed ingredient in both of those products: "ammonium polyacryloyldimethyl taurate"
in Lily of the Desert and "carboxymethyl cellulose"
in Burn Out. Aubrey's label notes that it has
"no artificial thickeners."
It's worth noting that in
our tests of aloe in 2015, Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera 100% Gel had
no detectable acemannan. Its "gel" feel was
due to "carbomer," a gel-forming polymer made from acrylic acid. We
found that when the gel dried, it was nearly impossible to remove from objects.
In fact, a CL member who had used it on her hair reported that, after it dried,
it would not come out and she had to cut off her matted hair to get rid of it.
The supplements that
we tested are specifically used as laxatives and contain little acemannan, but were rich in aloe latex (aloins). Priority
One had higher amounts of aloins as well as more acemannan
than Nature's Way.
Cost
The cost to get aloe (based on amounts of acemannan
in products and the price of the products) is shown below. The least expensive
source is, by far, Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Juice, as 20
cents per 25 mg (in about 1.5 fl oz). The cost
of Lakewood is almost double, Aloe Cure is
four times as expensive, and Solaray is
almost 15 times as much.
Among the topical
products, Aubrey Organics was by far the least expensive
way to get aloe, costing just one-quarter as much as Burn Out and
one-ninth that of Lily of the Desert.
Among the supplements,
although Priority One contained about twice the amount of acemannan as well as aloins as Nature's Way (as shown
above) per capsule, it was also much more expensive at 36 cents versus 5 cents
per capsule. Consequently, Nature's Way was actually a less
expensive source of these compounds than Priority One, as shown
below.
Top Picks:
Below
are ConsumerLab's Top Picks, based on
quality and cost, among aloe products tested and Approved in this review:
Drinkable Aloe:
Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Juice is our Top Pick in
this category as it contains more acemannan and at
lower cost (20 cents per 25 mg of acemannan) than the
other drinkable aloe products. Like all of the drinkable aloes that we tested,
this product has no detectable aloins, so should not have a laxative effect.
This product was also our top choice in this category in 2015 when the label
design was different but the listed ingredients were the same, although it
actually provided a higher amount of acemannan (45.1
mg) than now (38.6 mg) per 2 fl oz.
While Lily of the
Desert Aloe Vera Juice is our Top Pick, we can't say that
it or any of the Approved, drinkable products taste good -- all are sour. They
each include contain citric acid or lemon juice (as source of citric acid) to
help avoid browning, stabilize the juice, and overcome aloe's natural
bitterness), but Lily of the Desert stood out as the
best-priced, high-quality drinkable aloe.
Topical Aloe: (Gels and
Spays)
Aubrey Aloe Vera is our Top Pick in this
category. A similar product from Aubrey was our top choice in 2015. Although it
doesn't have the gel-feel of the other two topicals, it contains much more aloe
and the "gel" feel of the others is largely due the addition of
thickeners, as noted earlier. Aubrey has no artificial
thickeners, just aloe leaf juice and preservative/moisturizer made from
fermented radish root. It is also a less expensive source of aloe than the
others. An 8 fl oz bottle costs $10.49. (It is a pump
spray, so contains no propellants.)
Aloe Latex Capsules:
Aloe latex is potentially dangerous due to its laxative and potential
cancer-causing effects (see Concerns and
Cautions), and the FDA no longer allows it be sold as an over-the-counter
drug — although it can be sold as a dietary supplement. Consequently, we have
no Top Pick in this category. Both products, however,
contained the aloin (latex) expected in authentic Aloe ferox and
are, therefore, Approved. Priority One Aloe Complex is more
potent -- a capsule contained more than twice the amount of aloins than found
in Nature's Way. If you are going to use one of these products, we
would suggest first trying Nature's Way. It is worth noting that,
when we tested a similar Nature's Way product (Nature's Way Aloe Latex &
Leaf) in 2015, it had only half the amount of aloins (5.6 mg) and emodin
(36.7 mcg) per capsule than the product we tested this year.
Test Results by Product:
Listed
below are the test results for 10 aloe products selected by ConsumerLab.com.
The products are listed alphabetically within their category of product.
Also shown are the
labeled amounts and types of aloe ingredient, listed serving sizes, amounts of acemannan expected and/or found, and findings for aloins,
emodin, and heavy metals. Products listed as "Approved" contained
their claimed and/or expected amounts of acemannan
and met ConsumerLab.com's other criteria for quality
(see Passing Score). Price and cost comparisons are
in the 4th column, notable
features are in the 5th column, and the
full list of ingredients is the final column on the right.
Results of
ConsumerLab.com Testing of Aloe Drinks, Topicals and Supplement
(Click arrows or swipe left or right to see all columns)
Approval Statusⓘ
Product Name
Claimed Amount of Aloeⓘ
Acemannan Found
Aloins/Emodinⓘ
Heavy Metalsⓘ
Pill Sizeⓘ
Suggested Serving on Label
Impression
Cost for Suggested Serving
[Price per 25 mg of Acemannan]
Price
Notable Features
Full List of Ingredients Per Serving
Drinkable Aloe Vera Gel or Filtered Juice:
APPROVED
AloeCure® Pure Aloe Extract - Grape
Flavor
Dist. by American Global Health Group, LLC
2 fl oz [60 ml] (1/4 cup)
60.4 g [2 oz] fresh aloe leaves inner gel extract
Expecting 15 mg acemannanⓘ
Found:
Acemannan: 42.5 mg ✔
(709 mg per L)
Aloins A and B: Undetectable ✔
Emodin: Undetectable ✔
Heavy Metals: NA
Drink 60 ml, the equivalent of 4 tablespoons (2 fl
oz), twice per day.
Cloudy, light yellow, slightly viscous liquid. Somewhat sour with slight
grape flavor.
$1.40/2 fl oz
[$0.82]
$69.95/six 16.7 fl oz [500 ml] plastic bottle
(approx. 48 total servings)
Stevia extract 6 mg per 2 fl
oz
No sugar added.
2 fl oz
Calories 0, Calcium 40 mg, Sodium 20 mg, Potassium 21 mg, Aloe Vera Extract
(Made from fresh aloe leaves inner gel) 2 oz, Stevia extract 6 mg.
Ingredients: Organic Aloe Vera extract, honey, citric acid, xanthan gum, Sodium
Benzoate (preservative), stevia extract, grape flavor. Processed with pure
water. Contains 98.7% Pure Organic Aloe Vera Extract by Volume.
NOT APPROVED
George's 100% Aloe Vera
Dist. by Warren Laboratories, LLC
8 fl oz [240 ml] (1 cup)
Conflicting claims: labeled as "100% aloe vera" but then claims to be
a "distilled liquid" from aloe vera
Expecting 59.5 mg acemannan if "100% aloe vera
juice"ⓘ
Found:
Acemannan: Undetectable
(No aloe vera detected in product)
Heavy Metals: NA
No directions listed
Clear liquid with taste of clean water.
$3.19/8 fl oz
[Infinite cost, as no acemannan found]
$3.19/8 fl oz [240 ml] plastic bottle (1 serving)
Bitter Free - No Unpleasant Taste. No
Preservatives. No Additives. Anthraquinone Free.
8 fl oz
Calories 10, Total Fat 0 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg,
Sodium 5 mg, Total Carbohydrate 2 g, Dietary Fiber 0 g, Total Sugars [Includes
0 g Added Sugars] 0 g, Protein 0 g, Vitamin D 0 mcg, Calcium 0 mg, Iron 0 mg,
Potassium 0 mg.
Ingredients: Fractionally Distilled Liquid from Aloe Vera Leaves.
APPROVED
Lakewood® Organic Pure Aloe
Dist. by Lakewood®
8 fl oz [240 ml] (1 cup)
99+% aloe vera juice
Expecting 60.5 mg acemannanⓘ
Found:
Acemannan: 128.9 mg ✔
(537 mg per L)
Heavy Metals: Pass
No directions listed
Clear liquid. Slightly sour.
$1.90/8 fl oz
[$0.37]
$7.49/32 fl oz [946 ml] plastic bottle (approx. 4
serving)
USDA Organic seal. Kosher. Organic. Non-GMO.
BPA/ BPS/ DEHP Free. Unsweetened. No Preservatives. Gluten Free. Allergen Free.
Casein Free. Latex & Aloin Free (contains less than 2 ppm aloin). Not From
Concentrate / No Added Citric Acid. Fresh Pressed®.
8 fl oz
Calories 10, Total Fat 0 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg,
Sodium 200 mg, Total Carbohydrate 2 g, Dietary Fiber 1 g, Total Sugars
[Includes 0 g of Added Sugars] 0 g, Protein 0 g, Vitamin D 0 mcg, Calcium 200
mg, Iron 0.4 mg, Potassium 940 mg, Magnesium 60 mg, Manganese 1.1 mg.
Ingredients: Organic Aloe Vera Juice, less than 1% Organic Lemon Juice.
APPROVED
Top Pick
for drinkable aloe
Lily of the Desert® Aloe Vera Juice
Dist. by Lily of the Desert
2 fl oz [59 ml] (1/4 cup)
58.2 g [58 ml] organic aloe fillet juice
60 mg organic polysaccharide rich Aloesorb™
Expecting 14.6 mg acemannanⓘ
Found:
Acemannan: 38.6 mg ✔
(654 mg per L)
Aloins A and B: Undetectable ✔
Emodin: Undetectable ✔
Heavy Metals: NA
Drink 1-2 oz. per serving, up to 8 oz. daily.
Slightly cloudy liquid. Sour.
$0.30/2 fl oz
[$0.20]
$4.89/32 fl oz [946 ml] plastic bottle (approx. 16
serving)
Calcium 25 mg & magnesium 4 mg per 2 fl oz
USDA Organic seal. OneCert® Certified Organic
seal. Certified Aloe & Content & Purity In
This Product International Aloe Science Council seal. Kosher. Aloin free (less
than 1 ppm). Allergen free (allergen free facility). BPA free. Naturally gluten
free. GMO free. Vegan. Non-GMO.
2 fl oz
Calories 4, Sodium 12 mg, Total Carbohydrates 1 g, Calcium 25 mg, Magnesium 4
mg, Certified Organic Aloe Vera fillet Juice 58 ml, Certified Organic
Polysaccharide Rich Aloesorb™ 60 mg.
Other Ingredients: Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate (pH stabilizer). Contains
over 99% organic aloe vera juice.
APPROVED
Solaray® Super Digestaway™
Aloe Vera Gel Drink
Mfd. by Nutraceutical Corp.
2 fl oz [57 g] (1/4 cup)
No amount listed of aloe inner gel fillet
Expecting 14.5 mg acemannanⓘ
Found:
Acemannan: 13.4 mg ✔
(226 mg per L)
Heavy Metals: Pass
Drink 2 oz. (4 Tbsp.) of Super Digestaway™ Aloe Vera
up to three times daily.
Faint yellow, very slightly cloudy liquid. Sweet and sour taste.
$1.57/2 oz
[$2.94]
$25.18/32 fl oz [912 g] plastic bottle (approx. 16
serving)
Solaray Guarantees that NO
ingredients other than those listed on this label have been added to this
product.
2 oz
Calories 10, Total Fat 0 g, Total Carbohydrate 2 g, Sugars 2 g, Protein 0 g,
Sodium 5 mg.
Other Ingredients: Pure Deionized Water, Aloe Vera Inner Gel Fillet,
Crystalline Fructose, Natural Vanilla Flavor, FOS (Fructooligo-saccharides),
Herbal Blend (chamomile [flowering tops], slipper elm [bark], peppermint
[aerial], marshmallow root, blessed thistle [seed], and ginger root), Sorbic
Acid (to protect flavor) and Citric Acid (pH Adjustor).
Topical Aloe Vera:
APPROVED
Top Pick
for topical aloe (gels and sprays)
Aubrey® Aloe Vera
Dist. by Aubrey Organics, Inc.
Spray with no specific serving size
Per 1 ml:
Aloe leaf juice is the first of two listed ingredients, but specific amount not
stated
Expecting 0.25 mg acemannanⓘ
Found:
Acemannan: 0.76 mg ✔
Heavy Metals: NA
Spray onto affected areas of the skin as needed.
Spray liquid with no fragrance.
$0.04/ml
[$1.45]
$10.49/8 fl oz [237 ml] plastic bottle
Contains leuconostoc/
radish root ferment filtrate
Made with IASC Ingredients. Not from Concentrate.
Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis (aloe)
leaf juice, leuconostoc/ radish root ferment
filtrate.
APPROVED
Burn Out Aloe Vera Skin Fix
Dist. by Sun Research LLC
Gel with no specific serving size
Per 1 ml:
Aloe leaf juice is the first of many ingredients, but specific amount not
stated
Expecting 0.022 mg acemannanⓘ
Found:
Acemannan: 0.16 mg ✔
Heavy Metals: NA
Apply generously morning and night on all areas needing hydration.
Pump gel with light fragrance.
$0.04/ml
[$6.28]
$14.00/12 fl. oz plastic bottle
Contains organic matricaria
flower extract, organic Calendula officinalis flower extract,
organic lavender flower extract, organic white tea extract, organic cucumber
extract, organic Arnica montana flower
extract
Petroleum-free, Paraben-free, Fragrance-free.
Ingredients: Organic Aloe Barbadensis
Leaf Juice, Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Magnesium Ascorbyl
Phosphate, Organic Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Organic Calendula Officinalis
Flower Extract, Organic Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract,
Organic Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Extract, Organic Cucumis Sativus
(Cucumber) Extract, Organic Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Mixed Tocopherols,
Phytoplankton, Ascorbic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin
APPROVED
Lily of the Desert 99% Aloe Vera Gelly
Mfd. by Lily of the Desert
Gel with no specific serving size
Per 1 ml:
99% aloe vera juice gelly
Expecting 0.25 mg acemannanⓘ
Found:
Acemannan: 0.22 mg ✔
Heavy Metals: NA
Apply to skin. Repeat as necessary.
Tube gel with light fragrance.
$0.08/ml
[$9.44]
$9.58/4 oz [114 g, 114.8 mL] tube
Made with Certified Organic Aloe Vera Juice/Gel.
No Parabens. No Artificial Colors. No Animal Testing.
Ingredients: Organic Aloe Vera Barbadensis
Leaf Juice, Ammonium Polyacryloyl-dimethyl Taurate (Thickener), Benzyl Alcohol (Preservative), Ethylhexyl-glycerin (Preservative), Caprylyl Glycol
(Emollient), Organic Aloe Vera Barbadensis Leaf
Polysaccharides (Aloesorb™) Retinyl Palmitate
(Vitamin A), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Ascorbic
Acid (Vitamin C).
Aloe Ferox Capsules (Laxative):
APPROVED
Nature's Way® Aloe Latex With
Fennel
Dist. by Nature's Way Brands, LLC
1 vegan capsule
140 mg aloe ferox latex
Amount of acemannan not stated
Found:
Acemannan: 1.4 mg
Total Aloins A+B 12.7 mg
Emodin: 81 mcg
Heavy Metals: Pass
Large vegan capsule
Adults and children age 12 years and over: take 1 capsule with a full glass (8
ounces) of liquid at bedtime.
$0.05/vegan capsule
[$0.95]
$5.24/100 vegan capsules
Fennel seed 135 mg per vegan capsule.
Non GMO Project Verified seal. Certified
Authentic Tru-ID™ seal. Vegan. Gluten Free. No sugar,
salt, yeast, wheat, soy, corn, dairy products, artificial colors, flavors, or
preservatives.
Precaution: Not recommended for children under 12. Not for long
term use.
1 vegan capsule
Aloe ferox (latex) 140 mg, Fennel (seed) 135 mg.
Other Ingredients: Cellulose, plant-derived capsule (hypromellose),
magnesium stearate, silica.
APPROVED
Priority One® Aloe Complex
Dist. by Priority One Nutritional Supplements,
Inc.
1 vegetarian capsule
430 mg Cape Aloe leaf latex, Aloe ferox
100 mg Aloe vera leaf gum 200:1 extract
Expecting 5 mg acemannanⓘ
Found:
Acemannan: 4.7 mg ✔
Aloins A+B: 27.4 mg
Emodin: 776 mcg
Heavy Metals: NA
Large vegetarian capsule
Adults take one (1) capsule as needed, or as directed by your physician.
$0.36/vegetarian capsule
[$1.91]
$35.97/100 vegetarian capsules
Non-GMO.
Precaution: For professional use only. Not recommended for children
under 12. Not for long-term use.
1 vegetarian capsule
Cape Aloe (leaf latex) (Aloe ferox) 430 mg, Aloe vera (leaf gum) (extract
200:1) 100 mg.
Other Ingredients: Rice chelate, silicon dioxide, gluten free maltodextrin,
vegetarian capsule (hypromellose, purified water).
Unless otherwise noted, information about the
products listed above is based on the samples purchased by ConsumerLab.com (CL)
for this Product Review. Manufacturers may change ingredients and label
information at any time, so be sure to check labels carefully when evaluating
the products you use or buy. If a product's
ingredients differ from what is listed above, it may not necessarily be of the
same quality as what was tested.
The information contained in this report is
based on the compilation and review of information from product labeling and
analytic testing. CL applies what it believes to be the most appropriate
testing methods and standards. The information in this report does not reflect
the opinion or recommendation of CL, its officers or employees. CL cannot
assure the accuracy of information.
Copyright ConsumerLab.com, LLC, 2021 All
rights reserved. Not to be reproduced, excerpted, or cited in any fashion
without the express written permission of ConsumerLab.com LLC
ConsumerTips™:
Just
Gel or Latex as Well?
The first step in choosing an aloe product is deciding whether or not you want
aloe latex or just aloe gel.
As noted earlier, latex
naturally occurs beneath the skin of the aloe leaf, but can have a significant
laxative effect and, based on animal studies, may cause genetic mutations and
be carcinogenic (cancer causing) (see Concerns and Cautions). If you don't want the
latex (also known as aloins), look for products with just "aloe vera
gel," or aloe vera leaf juice that has been processed to remove the latex
(look for juice which has been "filtered," "purified," or
"decolorized."). You can also look products having the certification
seal of the International Aloe Science Council (IASC),
which requires certified aloe products for internal consumption to contain less
than 10 ppm (parts per million) of aloin. Although not all companies participate
in the program, our two Top Picks in this review either had
the IASC seal (Lily of the Valley Aloe Vera Juice) or noted that it was
made with IASC ingredients (Aubrey Aloe Vera).
If you specifically want
aloe latex, perhaps for its laxative effect, look for aloe vera juice which has
not been processed (it may be described as "raw") or look for
products made from the Aloe ferox species, which has more
latex. Two products like these are reviewed above. Keep in mind that a number
of other
supplements may be safe and helpful for constipation, such as
those providing fiber.
Dosage:
For constipation, aloe is typically taken in the evening. The dose is highly
dependent on the type of aloe used, but generally ranges from 50 to 200 mg of
dried aloe juice (as an extract or powder), or one tablespoon of juice up to
three times per day.
For diabetes, one
tablespoon of aloe gel daily has been used in clinical studies.
Topical aloe vera cream
(containing 0.5% aloe extract) used in clinical studies was applied three times
daily to speed healing of herpes lesions.
Quality:
Most aloe products do not list their amounts of acemannan
or aloins and ConsumerLab has found that some contain
little or no acemannan. Look for a product that has
been approved in testing by an independent third-party test, such as
ConsumerLab.com or the IASC (see above).
Concerns and Cautions:
Aloe
vera "gel" is generally considered safe when taken orally in small
doses, although it may lower blood glucose levels. Topically, it may cause an
allergic reaction in some people.
Products with aloe vera
latex, such as in unpurified aloe vera leaf "juice," may cause
diarrhea, which in turn can lead to electrolyte imbalance, kidney dysfunction,
dry mouth, headache, and nausea. It should not be used by people with kidney
disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, hemorrhoids, or diabetes. These
potential negative effects contributed to the FDA's decision to ban the use of
aloe in over-the-counter (OTC) drugs (Fed Regist 2002),
deeming aloe "not generally safe and effective."
As noted earlier, aloe
latex may, according to animal studies, cause genetic mutations and be
carcinogenic. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the
World Health Organization classifies non-decolorized whole leaf
extract of aloe vera as "possibly carcinogenic to humans." Based on
the IARC's classification, on December 4, 2015, California's Office of
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) added non-decolorized whole leaf
extract of aloe vera to the state's list of chemicals known to cause cancer,
as part of its Prop 65 law. The law requires that dietary
supplements sold in California include a warning if they contain one or more
chemicals on the list, as these substances may cause cancer or reproductive
harm. The Prop 65 list does not include aloe vera decolorized whole
leaf extract, aloe vera gel, or aloe vera gel extract. Surprisingly, it also
does not include aloe vera latex, although it is the latex portion of aloe
which has been shown to be a carcinogen.
Women
who are pregnant or nursing, children, and the elderly should not use
latex-containing aloe products. If aloe vera is used topically on nipples, it
should be washed off before nursing as this has been reported to interfere with
feeding and cause diarrhea in infants (National Library of Medicine 2020).
People with diabetes
should be aware that aloe may potentially cause blood sugar levels to fall too
low.
Rarely, liver injury
associated with oral consumption of aloe vera extract has been reported. From
2005 to 2016, there have been approximately 12 published reports of cases of
liver toxicity (i.e., elevated liver enzymes, jaundice, acute hepatitis)
worldwide associated with consuming aloe vera extract, typically occurring
between 3 and 24 weeks after starting supplementation. No components of aloe
vera extract are known to be particularly toxic to the liver; researchers
suspect that certain individuals may be "hypersensitive" or
experience an immune system reaction to aloe vera. Most cases resolve when aloe
vera extract supplementation is discontinued (LiverTox 2017; Yang, J Korean Med Sci 2010).
Information on this site
is provided for informational purposes only. It is not an endorsement of any
product nor is it meant to substitute for the advice provided by physicians or
other healthcare professionals. The information contained herein should not be
used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Consumers should
inform their healthcare providers of the dietary supplements they take.