aloe vera

by Camilla Salem

For weeks, I'd been eying these spiky succulent leaves at Berkeley Bowl. I always knew that aloe vera came from this common plant, but never thought I would actually need or want the opportunity to work with it myself. And then there's the whole issue of cooking with it and how to harvest it. It's popular in coconut water these days, but other than that, ingesting it is somewhat uncommon. But those who regularly eat or drink this strange succulent rave about its supposed health benefits, from healing acne to curing cancer.

I did a quick scan of the Internet on how to cut and prepare fresh aloe vera right from the leaf. I found several recipes for smoothies featuring fresh aloe vera pieces and one that served it poached with lime juice. A smoothie sounded more appetizing. Honestly, I got a little bit nervous when I found out that the dark red sap that apparently seeps out should not be ingested or it will cause unpleasant digestive issues. Still, I went for it.

Filleting this piece of aloe vera was a strange experience: I was on the lookout for that dark red sap, though I didn't ever encounter it. The aloe vera gel looked sticky and mucous, not delicious (or even edible). I'd read in a few places that aloe vera on its own is kind of bitter, so of course, I immediately cut off a piece and took a bite. It tasted like nothing, but I did notice a strange sensation in my mouth and my tongue went a little numb. To find out what I did with the fresh fillet of aloe vera, keep reading.

by Heather Dale

Allow me to take some attention off coconut water for a moment, and shed light on another beverage growing in popularity — aloe vera juice. Growing up, we used aloe vera leaves on burns since the sap acts as a pain reliever and reduced inflammation. But drinking actual aloe vera juice? I had noticed it in health food stores, but had never actually tried it before.

After reading about aloe vera's healing benefits, I decided to pick up a bottle. Forewarning: aloe vera juice has a strong pungent taste, so if you can't cope with taking it straight, mix it in your morning smoothie or add it to a fruit drink. The recommended serving of this non-toxic beverage is one teaspoon after meals.

Although the juice is reputed to help with asthma and boost immune system, keep reading to see what it has been proven helpful for.

by POPSUGAR Beauty

Spent a little too much time in the sun? If you're nursing a lobster-red sunburn, here's how to soothe your skin. Find out what to do — and get the scoop on the surprisingly cheap product that delivers relief. (No, it's not Rolaids.) Watch now!