Aloe Vera Tea: Health Benefits & How to Make It
Did you know that tea is the second most popular drink in the world, second only to water? (Which shouldn’t even count—like, how could you beat water?")
Aloe vera and tea aren’t two words we usually put together. A few hundred years ago, it would have been highly unlikely to blend a succulent from northern Africa with an evergreen shrub from southeast Asia. But over time (and with the aid of globalization) we have managed to combine tea with just about everything…leading to the creation of aloe vera tea.
While tea doesn’t actually have a lot of nutritional value, it is full of polyphenols that act as antioxidants, which promote health and help protect the body from cellular damage. Aloe vera, on the other hand, is one of the most well-known medicinal plants. It is rich in nutrients and has many healing properties, leading to its use in drinks like aloe water and aloe juices.
So, what happens when you mix the two and make aloe vera tea? Magic?
Maybe not, but it might be the healthiest tea you ever drink.
Just to clarify, when I use the word ‘tea’ in this article, I am referring to real tea (green, black, oolong, etc.), not herbal teas. However…feel free to mix aloe with herbal teas as well!
Benefits of Consuming Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is famous as a topical anti-inflammatory and moisturizer. But these properties are effective when aloe is taken internally as well. Because aloe vera is an anti-inflammatory, it can help decrease stomach ulcers, reduce the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, and help soothe other digestive issues.
Like tea, aloe vera contains antioxidant polyphenols. According to a study in the journal Agronomy, there are about thirteen different flavonoids (a type of polyphenol) in aloe vera gel.
That’s not all! Because aloe vera contains Vitamin C, along with several other vitamins, it may be effective as an immune booster. While aloe vera’s use as an immune booster hasn’t been proven yet, it has been proven that Vitamin C boosts immune health.
Dried Aloe: Does it Work?
Typically, tea is made from dried leaves. Which works just fine for tea and most herbs, because they contain non-volatile compounds. These compounds don’t evaporate with the water when the leaves are dried.
Because of this, dried tea leaves are actually stronger than fresh and have a higher concentration of flavonoids.
But aloe is not a shrub or herb. Instead, aloe is a succulent, and as such the gel is about 99% water. Several of the active compounds in aloe are volatile, meaning that the drying process can greatly decrease the effectiveness of these compounds.
So, if you find aloe vera tea that uses dried aloe, don’t waste your money. While the tea may be fine, the added aloe vera won’t do much. You would be better off drinking a fresh aloe smoothie.
Does this mean you should say goodbye to aloe vera tea? Not entirely. Smoothies don’t quite have the allure of a cup of tea, so I wouldn’t settle for smoothies just yet. Although store-bought aloe vera tea may be lacking, you can make your own aloe vera tea at home!
How to Make Aloe Vera Tea
Can you make your own aloe vera tea? Absolutely. But maybe not in the way you think…
As I said, aloe loses a lot of its potency if you try to dry it like traditional tea leaves.
Aloe vera tea is best when you use fresh aloe vera. So you get to use fresh aloe leaves and take a more creative approach when making aloe tea.
Use fresh aloe vera gel
The most straightforward way to make aloe vera tea at home is to add fresh aloe vera gel from the leaf directly to your tea. However, aloe vera pulp is very jelly-like. It does not easily dissolve and mix into tea. If you go for this approach, I suggest tossing the aloe vera chunks into the blender. If you don’t have a blender, press the aloe through a strainer or a grater to break down the gel. Then use a whisk to stir it into your tea. Just know that you will still have aloe pulp floating around in your tea.
Use aloe vera jelly
Because aloe gel is very jelly-like, another option is to cut the gel into small cubes for your tea. Aloe vera jelly is actually a common alternative to boba in bubble teas, and is drank through a wide boba straw. Although it’s normally a topping for iced tea, you can add aloe vera jelly to your hot tea as well.
Add aloe vera juice or aloe water to your tea
The easiest way to add aloe to your tea is to simply make a cup of tea like you usually would, and stir in aloe vera juice from the store. Most aloe vera juices and aloe waters contain a lot of sugar, so if you use this method, you won’t need to sweeten your tea. As a downside, most aloe juices contain a very low amount of aloe vera. Similar to using dried aloe, you will miss out on a lot of the health benefits.
If you enjoyed this article, click here to learn about adding aloe vera jelly to boba tea.
