This post was most recently updated on July 5th, 2018
Aloe Vera is hands down one of my favorite house plants.
My first Aloe plant was given to me YEARS ago by my mother-in-law and at the time, I really had no clue how the little spiky succulent would forever change my life. She had quite a few aloe plants at her house and she would often tell me about the benefits of the Aloe plant.
I happened to already have some bright green, highly processed “Aloe” gel that I probably bought from Wal-Mart or somewhere like that, so I was not impressed. We literally stuck the plant in my backyard and that was where it stayed….in the container….for the next 3 years or so.
I wasn’t really into my super crunchy lifestyle back then and had no idea of all of the potential uses for Aloe. Needless to say, I DID NOT TAKE CARE OF THE ALOE AT ALL and this thing literally survived for YEARS…even through a hurricane!
Fast forward to 2018, I happened to come across an article stating that “Aloe vera, non-decolorized whole leaf extract” was named to the California Proposition 65 list of carcinogens. So of course I was like “WTH”?!?!?!?! This literally contradicted everything I had ever learned about Aloe.
CAN ALOE VERA CAUSE CANCER?
An investigation was in order. I had to do some digging to get to the bottom of this. First and foremost……..
WHAT THE HECK IS NON-DECOLORIZED WHOLE LEAF EXTRACT?!!??!
Simply stated, in laymans terms, it is the whole entire aloe leaf, including the thick green outer skin, gooey yellow/brown liquid (in the outer leaf), and the gel…all processed together WITHOUT a filtration process.
1. Leaf processing method: aloe vera leaf juice is obtained by grinding or macerating the entire aloe vera leaf followed by purification to remove the phenolic compounds found in the latex. This purification step is usually accomplished via activated carbon filtration in a process known as decolorization.
2. Inner leaf processing method: aloe vera leaf juice is obtained by stripping away the outer leaf rind, rinsing or washing away the latex, and processing the remaining inner leaf material. Decolorization is also sometimes employed with this method. (3)
A 2-year National Toxicology Program concluded that oral ingestion of the NON-FILTERED (aka nondecolorized) whole leaf was linked to gastrointestinal tumors in rats.(2) Another study in rats showed that FILTERED (decolorized) whole leaf aloe vera did not cause harmful effects. This suggests that the toxic components are likely removed by the decolorization process. (4)
SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?!??!
1. The gel is the SAFEST part of the Aloe Vera Plant.
4. IF PREGNANT OR BREASTFEEDING, the gel and latex (outer leaf) may be UNSAFE (1).
You can now relax knowing that Aloe Vera is still the bomb dot com. If you would like to read more deets about the study, I have provided references below!
(1) https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-607/aloe
(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3537128/
(3) http://www.iasc.org/Portals/19/Documents/Scientific/16_0531_Decolorization_statement_final.pdf?ver=2016-05-31-163902-973
(4) https://nccih.nih.gov/health/aloevera
- 28 Day Juice and Raw Foods ChallengeMarch 29, 2019 - 15:31
- Heal Your Body With Intermittent FastingJanuary 25, 2019 - 16:08
- Money Saving Tips to Slash Debt and Live Healthy at the...November 10, 2018 - 13:53
- Live Pure Smoothie Cubes: My ReviewAugust 11, 2018 - 18:10
- Cons of SisterlocksFebruary 11, 2019 - 23:51
- My Review of African Black Soap for AcneMay 29, 2018 - 19:51
- 13 Stocking Stuffer Ideas for KidsDecember 9, 2018 - 20:11
- 28 Day Juice and Raw Foods ChallengeMarch 29, 2019 - 15:31
- Heal Your Body With Intermittent FastingJanuary 25, 2019 - 16:08
- Money Saving Tips to Slash Debt and Live Healthy at the...November 10, 2018 - 13:53
- Live Pure Smoothie Cubes: My ReviewAugust 11, 2018 - 18:10
- Volcanic Mud Bath | Why you need one ASAP!March 23, 2019 - 16:44
- A Gallon of Water per day for Rapid Hair GrowthMarch 3, 2019 - 14:05
I had no idea there was even a concern about Aloe Vera – thanks for the info on this. Good to know!
No problem!
Thank you for telling me what non-decolorized really meant. It was refreshing to read info that was simple to understand. Now I feel relieved I can still grow and use this plant.