Aloe vera isn’t just for relieving sunburn. Sipping an aloe vera drink can help relieve the pain from heartburn, especially in your esophagus. Learn how drinking aloe vera extract can improve your heartburn condition and provide non-prescription relief.
How and When to Take an Aloe Vera Drink
An aloe vera drink won’t be the tastiest supplement you’ve ever taken. Aloe vera extract generally comes in a medium-sized plastic bottle and is designed for taking in small amounts.
An adult can generally take between two and four tablespoons, or one-eighth to one-quarter cup, of aloe vera extract a few times a day. Try to take it about twenty minutes prior to lunch and dinner. Depending on your morning stomach tolerances, it might not be a good idea to take this with breakfast.
Experiencing Aloe Vera Extract
Aloe vera extract is usually a yellowish-clear liquid. It doesn’t have a potent smell, but when you get a whiff, the after-smell has a light sting.
Tasting an aloe vera drink might be revolting at first. The lack of taste combined with the slimy texture and somewhat sterile aftertaste might cause a reflexive reaction in your throat when you swallow it.
The best way to drink aloe vera extract is to pour the desired amount in a small drinking cup. As you sip, lower your tongue a little and let it hit the back of your throat so you taste the least amount possible.
Don’t glug the drink. Swallow one sip, let it flow down, then take the next. You don’t want the whole dose to accumulate in the middle of your esophagus on the way down, and you certainly don’t want to burp it back up.
How to Know If the Aloe Vera is Working
You may or may not experience instant results with your aloe vera drink. Unlike prescription remedies, which are designed to shut off the acid in your stomach with the first pill, supplements are designed to heal, not just cover up the pain.
Using aloe vera results in cumulative healing effects. The idea is to take the aloe vera before the meal to calm the acid in the stomach. It also soothes any irritation in the esophagus on the way down, just like it would on a sunburn on your skin.
After your meal, you might notice that your heartburn is not quite as severe. After you take the aloe vera for a few weeks, the decrease will be more noticeable if the aloe vera is doing its job.
Cautions About Aloe Vera
Certain qualities of aloe vera tend toward laxative effects. This is the last thing you want if you’re already suffering heartburn.
You can avoid this possibility by only taking the recommended dosage. Additionally, do not drink any aloe vera extract that is not designed for internal consumption. In other words, the liquid spray aloe vera that’s in your sunburn squirt bottle was not designed for drinking!
If in doubt, be sure to ask a health care professional or alternative medicine expert if your brand and make of aloe vera were designed for consumption.
References
My own experience
Nutralegacy: Aloe Vera Extract: Helps with Stomach and Digestion