Strongly laxative and potentially carcinogenic, fresh aloe vera leaves should be consumed with caution, reminds the Directorate General of Health and Fraud Control (DGCCRF).
Renowned for its moisturizing, soothing and antioxidant properties, aloe vera has been enjoying growing success for several years now. Regularly used in cosmetics, medicines or as a dietary supplement, this plant would not only have the power to soften dry and irritated skin, but also that of relieving gastrointestinal problems when consumed.
What magazines and sites that advertise aloe vera rarely say is that consuming the plant requires caution.
A “very powerful” laxative
In a press release published on Thursday 2 August, the General Directorate of Health and the repression of fraud (DGCCRF) recalled that the consumption of fresh aloe vera leaves can be accompanied by “multiple undesirable effects widely documented” and particularly restrictive.
[#securite #consommation]
Risks associated with consuming fresh leaves of#AloeVerahttps://t.co/qu0icDtoWY pic.twitter.com/Br91UDP9Uh– DGCCRF (@dgccrf) Aug 3, 2018
Among them, a “very strong” laxative effect caused by the yellow liquid contained in the outer part of the fresh leaves and which is called latex.
However, observes the DGCCRF, the methods of preparation recommended on the packaging of sheets sold in commerce or those present on the Internet “most often forget to recall the risks associated with the consumption of latex and do not explain how to get rid of it. “.
Potentially carcinogenic leaves
This is not the first time that a health agency has warned about the consumption of aloe vera. In an opinion published in January 2018, the European Food Safety Agency (EASA) estimated that the hydroxyanthracenic derivatives at the origin of this laxative effect were “likely to damage DNA and to be carcinogenic”.
Faced with the risks presented by the consumption of aloe vera leaves, the DGCCRF and the General Directorate of Health (DGS) have announced that they have contacted the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety ( Anses) so that it “assesses the risks associated with food use of fresh aloe vera leaves”.
Pending the results of the ANSES expert appraisal, the two organizations also recommend “to remove the external part and any presence of latex” from the leaves, to “consume only the gel located in the center of the leaf” .
They also recommend that pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as frail people and children, avoid all consumption of fresh aloe vera leaves, including the gel they contain.
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