We’re not big juice drinkers in our house. We tend to get some in if we’re feeling run down just to give us a bit of a boost. I don’t think it’s ever occurred to us that drinking good juice might stop us feeling run down in the first place. Doh.
I was given the chance to try the Aloe Vera juices from Taj Foods. I was a little sceptical. When Aloe Vera juice first came out a couple of years ago and wondered, if like goji berries they might be a health food step too far. I was wrong and actually pleasantly surprised.
I was sent the original and the mango flavour to try. They come in 500ml bottles which I found was enough for about 4 or 5 days of morning juice drinks.
Aloe Vera juice is low sugar, apparently aids detox (it regulates the bowel), boosts immunity and is energising. There are 24 calories per 100mls and I was having around that each morning, so my calorie intake wasn’t taking a massive hit.
I started off with the mango juice. I’d heard Aloe Vera was an acquired taste so I thought I’d ease myself in with a familiar flavour. The juice wasn’t too sweet, but sweet enough, it contained pulpy bits which I took to be mango but on closer inspection were the pulp from the aloe plant. I like a pulpy juice so this didn’t bother me. The drink was very pleasant and enjoyable.
Once I’d polished off that bottle I cracked open the original flavour. I really didn’t know what to expect having never tried plain aloe before, but I was pleasantly surprised. The original was quite sweet, again it had pulpy bits but not unpleasantly so, and I quite liked it.
They do a range of flavours including lychee, strawberry, passion fruit and pomegranate & cranberry. I’d be keen to try some of the other flavours which are available online and you can also find them in Morrisons.
So, did it make a difference to me health wise? It’s difficult to say after only two weeks, but Aloe Vera does regulate the bowel and having been on heavy duty painkillers for over a year now, any help in that area is welcome (sorry, TMI?). I did feel more regular. My skin seemed to be clearer too and I’ve had a number of comments from people about how well I was looking lately.
I’ve got a friend who has been drinking the juice for a few months now. She looks amazing, her hair is shiny and her skin radiant, she has also reported the, erm, bowel regularity.
Given the fact my friend now looks like a shiny haired goddess I think I’ll be sticking with my morning Aloe Vera boost. Given it’s only 24 calories a time and all of the reported health benefits of Aloe Vera it’d be rude not to.
It’s important to note that Aloe Vera drinks are not suitable if pregnant, lactating or for children under 3.