Well, when you're talking about Aloe True, it is often said that "theAloe is good. ”But the most important question should be another: what part of the plant are we using?
The leaf oftheAloe barbadensis Miller is not only composed of the gel transparent that we know. Between the green outer part and the gel inside is located the latex of Aloe, a yellowish and bitter substance that contains several molecules belonging to the family of Anthracenedione, including especially aloin A and aloin B.
And this is where you have to be careful.
Aloin is one of the main compounds present in the latex of the leaf of Aloe True And it's a hydroxyanthracene derivative.
Latex has very different characteristics from gel internal. It is bitter and has a marked laxative activity. Oral intake of significant amounts of latex may result in abdominal cramps, pain and diarrhoea.
For this reason, when theAloe is intended for food consumption, the production process must be designed to drastically reduce the presence of aloin and other hydroxyanthracene derivatives.
Therefore, it is not a matter of eliminating a "useless" substance: it is a matter of separating what you want to use from the material that can create problems.
The issue becomes especially important when it comes to prolonged consumption and high quantities.
Some hydroxyanthracene derivatives have been associated with genotoxic effects and, in animal studies, the onset of tumours. In particular, the IARC has classified the extract of Aloe True whole leaf unbleached as a possible human carcinogen. However, it is important to point out that this classification concerns the specific type of extract, characterized by the presence of the components of the leaf not adequately removed, and not the normal gel inside of Aloe suitably worked.
The National Toxicology Program also studied an unbleached whole leaf extract containing very high levels of aloin, observing effects associated with the consumption of this material in rodents.
This distinction is critical because simply saying “l’Aloe is carcinogenic" would be too generic and scientifically incorrect a conclusion.
The issue is above all about the presence and concentration of anthraquinones and the type of extract used.
The first effect that may appear is laxative.
An excessive presence of anthraquinone derivatives can cause diarrhea, cramping and abdominal pain. In addition, prolonged use of anthraquinone laxatives can create problems related to fluid and electrolyte loss.
But the most sensitive issue concerns the effects observed in toxicological studies on whole unbleached leaf, where the concentration of aloin was much higher than that of properly processed food products.
That is why today the processing ofAloe intended for oral intake has become a fundamental step.
There are mainly two approaches.
The first is to use only on gel leaf interior, removing the outer part and the latex before processing.
The second involves the processing of the whole leaf, followed by specific purification and filtration processes, including the discoloration with activated charcoal, which serves to remove most of the phenolic compounds and anthraquinones.
EFSA describes precisely this process: the whole leaf can be ground and subsequently subjected to charcoal filtration to remove hydroxyanthracene derivatives.
For food products based on Aloe suitably purified, the residual presence of aloin is brought to very low levels; in the literature relating to commercial products reference is frequently made to 10 ppm or less as a reference level for aloin in products intended for oral consumption.
There is a detail that many people notice when comparing different products based on Aloe True: some are practically transparent or very clear, others have a more greenish or cloudy color.
However, keep in mind one thing: the colour alone does not make it possible to determine whether a product contains aloin or not.
A product obtained from the processing of the whole leaf can start from the grinding or crushing of the whole leaf, including the outer green parts. Subsequently, if it is subjected to an adequate purification and decolorization process, the anthraquinones are largely removed.
The presence of a greenish colour can therefore be linked to the raw material used and the production process, but we cannot simply say that "if it is green it contains aloin". To really know how much it contains, you need chemical analyses, such as HPLC, not the color observation.
And this is precisely the concept that should guide the consumer:
it's not enough to look at a bottle of Aloe True. You need to know how it was obtained, what part of the leaf was used and how it was purified.
L'Aloe True it's an extremely interesting plant, but the quality of the final product also depends on the quality of the process.
The real value is not simply "having the whole leaf inside".
IS TO know what to keep of the plant and what to eliminate.
In the case ofAloe True, aloin and anthraquinones present in latex are precisely among the components that must be carefully checked when the product is intended for oral consumption.