Most of us have tried coconut water with the hype around the said health benefits, but how many of you have tried aloe vera drinks? They always look thick and gloopy to me so I tend to steer clear, so when Alo asked if I wanted to try theirs I was a little apprehensive.
At first glance I could tell these drinks were different, for a start, they are all flavoured with something to compliment the aloe vera juice. This certainly makes them more palatable in terms of taste. The next thing I spotted was the bits floating in the drink. This really put me off at first as I am a ‘no bits’ kind of girl. Give me smooth orange juice or smooth yoghurt anyday. Once I bit the bulllet and had a sip I have to say the pieces are quite juicy and refreshing, almost jelly like in texture so not unpleasant at all.
So what about the health benefits? Well Alo use real aloe vera pieces which is unique as most similar drinks use dehydrated powders to make aloe vera juice. Aloe vera is widely recognised as being excellent for relieving digestive issues and irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. Many people use aloe vera based products on their skin to sooth irritation and it works the same way internally. It is also thought to assist the immune system, improve joint flexibility and strengthen joint muscles. Unfortunately I can’t find any evidence of these benefits, I’d like to see some research before I buy into the ideas to be honest.
Each bottle also has a q code on the back which provides positive tunes to enjoy whilst you drink. A total gimmick but certainly an interesting one!
My main issue with this product is it calls itself an aloe vera drink and talks of the benefits of drinking it. This product contains different amounts of aloe vera juice depending on the flavour you choose and between 11g-22g of sugar per serving, not per bottle, per serving.Whilst they use raw cane sugar it is still exactly that, sugar. I wonder how much this outweighs the health benefits of the aloe vera juice and pulp.
All that said these are pretty tasty, sweet as you can imagine, but tasty and I do feel hydrated after drinking them. Alo is available in the following flavours:
ALLURE – aloe vera with mangosteen and mango juices
APPEAL – aloe vera with pomelo, pink grapefruit and lemon
EXPOSED – aloe vera with honey
AWAKEN – aloe vera with wheatgrass
COMFORT – aloe vera with watermelon and peach
ENRICH – aloe vera with pomegranate and cranberry
ESCAPE – aloe vera with pineapple, guava and sea buckthorn
The latter is a firm favourite for me, what’s yours?
Alo is available to buy from Waitrose, Holland & Barrett, Ocado and Selfridges priced at £1.99 for 500ml.
Items sent for review purposes.
5 Comments
Drinking aloe vera juice is one of the most healthiest habit, as it seemingly aids in the process of weight loss, digestion, immune function, and even ‘easing general discomfort’. And rightly water melon purifies our digestive system and refreshes our system which can help combat the formation of free radicals known to cause cancer. And the goodness of these two vital essentials can now be found in a drink. Isn’t that amazing. I found this cool drink on http://www.bonvera.com/kevinwheeler/product/AL812475011296 which rightly energises me without any artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.So go for this soothing refreshers in this scorching summer heat.
Hola, I agree with what you said. honestly, I love the juice my only concern is how there are no preservatives and the expiry timeline is around 18 months. it seems fishy. other that, everything is cool.
Sugar is a natural preservative.
I just tried the Alo light refresh(cucumber, cantaloupe, aloe vera, stevia leaf extract and less cane sugar than the regular ones), no idea how healthy this is(excepting for the great properties of the aloe vera), but is really good!
I could drink any of these all day everyday and totally give up soda. However, the sugar/carbs are so high. My goal is to drink these and more water (novel concept, right?). The variety of flavors satisfies the fruit lover in me.