The Unsolicited Endorsement: Alo aloe vera drink

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by Brian Clarey

When you’re married to a naturopath, you start to look at plants in a different way.

My wife’s philosophy is based on the idea that every malady that can assault the human body has a correlating, naturally-occurring organism on this Earth that will counter it.

Horseradish is not just a spicy and delicious root, it’s also great for asthma and to clear sinuses. Oregano can make a pizza taste just right, and it also fights off bacterial infections when rubbed on the feet with oil. And don’t even get me started on colloidal silver.

With aloe vera it happened in reverse. I’ve been using the plant for years to soothe sunburns and rashes. We have bottled juice on hand for cleanses and to add nutrition to smoothies. Its salubrious effects include reduction of glucose and stimulation of the immune system. It also keeps you regular, lubricating the entire digestive tract.

But I have recently discovered that it’s also delicious — at least when consumed in drink form.

I’ve been guzzling these Alo brand aloe vera drinks in the office for a few weeks now, refreshing bottles of flavored water, with slimy bits of aloe pulp suspended in the mixture.

Sounds gross, I know, but I swear that you get used to it. Even Ginsburg likes it.

The original flavor is my go-to, sweetened only with honey and cane sugar. But right now I’m rocking the mangosteen and mango version, two superfruits making one great taste.

And I’m pretty sure it’s good for me.

The nutritional label is not encouraging, though: There’s a little bit of sodium, a tiny bit of calcium and a good dose of Vitamin C, though the ingredients state that most of that comes from the addition of ascorbic acid. And each 16.9-ounce bottle contains approximately 35 grams of sugar, which sounds like a lot to me.

But man, it sure is delicious. And it’s got to be better for me than, say, Mountain Dew.