Aloe Vera Juice Good or Bad?

Status
Not open for further replies.
zoneout

zoneout

TCS Member
Thread starter
Super Cat
Joined
Apr 14, 2013
Messages
992
Purraise
99
Location
Stamford, CT USA
The woman that holds the record for the oldest known living cat at 29 when asked what her secret was she said aloe vera juice.   I have used it for myself and cats without a problem.  Of course I get the preservative free one from GNC.

The healing properties of aloe is well documented.   I have a problem though with blurbs I have seen that it is poisonous.   What is this about?   Are they maybe referring to the preservatives that could be bad for a cat?   I would really like to get to the bottom of this as in my experience it is a miracle plant useful for many ailments including constipation.
 
Last edited:
oneandahalfcats

oneandahalfcats

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 13, 2013
Messages
1,437
Purraise
179
zoneout said:
 
The woman that holds the record for the oldest known living cat at 29 when asked what her secret was she said aloe vera juice.   I have used it for myself and cats without a problem.  Of course I get the preservative free one from GNC.

The healing properties of aloe is well documented.   I have a problem though with blurbs I have seen that it is poisonous.   What is this about?   Are they maybe referring to the preservatives that could be bad for a cat?   I would really like to get to the bottom of this as in my experience it is a miracle plant useful for many ailments including constipation.
Click to expand...
There are important considerations when it comes to using Aloe Vera. One, only the juice from the inner leaf should be used, as there are parts of the outer leaf that are quite toxic. For this reason, only certified, organic products derived from inner leaf, should be used internally, rather than trying to take juice from an aloe plant. The other consideration is that you can overdo it by giving too much. As Aloe Vera has cleansing properties, this can cause severe stomach upset and so it is important to start with very small amounts to see how this is tolerated, and then to stick to giving this occasionally and in moderation.

Fact sheet on Aloe Vera : http://www.livestrong.com/article/446586-is-the-aloe-vera-plant-toxic/
 
stephenq

stephenq

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jun 19, 2003
Messages
5,672
Purraise
944
Location
East Coast, USA
It sounds all nice but if aloe Vera juice was the fountain of cat youth we would all be using it. Having a 29 year old cat doesn't confer on the owner special insights. I would personally credit genetics, proper care at home and good luck.
 
ldg

ldg

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jun 25, 2002
Messages
41,310
Purraise
842
Location
Fighting for ferals in NW NJ!
Yes, the preservatives are part of the problem. The other issue is the latex in the outer leaf, as oneandahalfcats points out. This has laxative properties, which in people at limited doses can provide benefit, but is toxic to cats.

I am not aware of a brand that is organic that uses only the inner leaf. What I use is George's Aloe Vera. It is not organic, but it uses no preservatives and is fractionally distilled, removing both the toxic components and the constituents that require other products to use preservatives. I use it with slippery elm bark syrup to settle nausea. http://www.warrenlabsaloe.com/faqs.htm
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5
zoneout

zoneout

TCS Member
Thread starter
Super Cat
Joined
Apr 14, 2013
Messages
992
Purraise
99
Location
Stamford, CT USA
Hmm.  just grabbed the bottle I got from GNC

Lily of the desert, certified Organic, preservative free, filtered whole-leaf.

I wonder if the filtering filters out the bad stuff.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top