There are many benefits of Aloe Vera juice, When Aloe Vera juice is taken  daily, it  helps a person to maintain good health, Aloe Vera juice is known to detoxify the body and cleanse the colon. Aloe Vera juice benefits a person with intestinal or stomach problems. It improves circulation, dilate the capillaries which result in cell growth . It acts as a antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agent, which prevents illness. Aloe is popular as a topical remedy for skin conditions like acne, burns, herpes and wounds. When consumed internally, it also provides relief against constipation and diabetes. Aloe (especially aloe vera) has many uses & benefits. • helps to heal minor burns, cuts & rashes. • helps to alleviate the pain of sunburn while speeding healing.  • helps as a skin moisturizer • helps to reduce inflammation.  

Most people use Aloe simply by cutting off a piece of leaf and squeezing the liquid onto their skin. This works, but it wastes the inner gel, which is the most potent part of the plant. To use the gel, you'll need to "fillet" the leaves rather than merely squeezing them. The filleting process also reaps much more aloe gel/juice.
The yellow sap also called "aloin" or latex should be avoided, it is used  as an ingredient in laxatives, and can cause diarrhea and other problems if taken internally. The mucilage and gel are the most important parts of the plant for medicinal use. Aloe should be processed within a couple of hours of harvest to  prevent oxidation.
How to collect the Aloe Juice: Begin by selecting a large, healthy outer leaf that's close to the ground. These are the oldest and most potent. If none of the leaves are close to the ground, the plant may be too immature to harvest. Cut close to the base of the plant at a slight angle.
Keep your leaf upright in a slightly tilted container for roughly 10 minutes. This allows much of the sap to drain out. You may not see the sap in smaller leaves. To make your task less messy, wear latex gloves like the professionals do.
Lay the leaf down flat on a cutting board. Carefully use a sharp knife to cut off the leaf's tip and its serrated edges all the way down both sides. Slice the inside of the leaf lengthwise so that the front and back can be separated. Use a spoon or a butter knife to scoop out the mucilage and the gel. Press down firmly, but lightly. Too much force may scrape out sap, which you want to avoid.
How to preserve aloe juice: Don't forget to store your aloe juice in the refrigerator. Use a glass or food-safe plastic container. Brown or dark green glass is best to block out excess light. Even a small amount of aloe juice can go a long way. To make it last even longer and to prevent discoloration (your juice will eventually turn brown), add a drop of vitamin E and a drop of grapefruit seed extract, or mix in some citric acid powder. Remember, however, that aloe is best when fresh.
Major Benefits
• Aloe Vera gel is particularly helpful when applied on damaged skin. It aids in the healing of first-degree burns, sunburn, minor skin wounds and even painful shingles by relieving pain and reducing itching. The gel also provides an air proof moisturizing barrier so that wounds do not dry out.
• Aloe Vera's capillary-dilating properties increase blood circulation, speeding the regeneration of skin and relieving mild cases of frostbite. The gel's antiviral effects may promote the healing of warts as well as diabetic wounds.
• The juice of Aloe  mixed with Haridra (turmeric) powder is given in spleen enlargement. Due to its pharmacological action on liver and spleen.
• It has  specific action on uterus, it increases the vascularity in uterus, and stimulates the uterine muscles, thus it promotes the menstruation  and also act like an  abortificient.
• It is also given in the joint pain  in the form of juice due to its Anti-inflammatory activity.
• Aloe vera juice can be taken internally for inflammatory digestive disorders including ulcers and heartburn. However, there's very little research on its internal use. In Japan, purified aloe vera compounds have been found to inhibit stomach secretions and lesions. Aloe-derived compound  are used as a treatment for people with ulcerative colitis.
• Aloe Vera is effective  as a  antiviral and immune-boosting agent for people with AIDS.
Possible Side Effects:
• Topical Aloe Vera is very safe. In rare cases, some people get a mild, allergic skin reaction with itching or rash simply discontinue use.
• Aloe Vera juice, however, may contain small amounts of the laxative ingredient in aloe latex because of poor processing. If you experience cramping, diarrhea, or loose stools, stop taking the juice immediately and replace it with a new supply.
• Never take Aloe Vera juice if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
 Dose: Consideration of dose is very important to achieve the desired result because too large doses may cause side effects and too small would not be effective.
• Kumari gel —2-3 gms, three times  in a day for external application.
• Kumari Ghana—250 mg, twice in a day.
• Juice—10 to 20ml, morning empty stomach.
• Powder (extract)—0.1-0.3 gm, as per condition of patient.
 Lecturer,  Dept. of Rasa shastra
Dayanand Ayurvedic College & Hospital,
Jalandhar-144008.
 shastra80@gmail.com