Aloe Cucumber Cooling Smoothie

This Aloe Cucumber Cooling Smoothie Recipe will help you chill out on a hot Summer’s day!  Plus it may aid in alleviating digestive complaints such as constipation and nausea, while offering minerals for hydration from the cucumber and coconut milk.

Aloe Cucumber Smoothie Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of aloe gel – scraped from the leaves of an aloe plant
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into pieces
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1/8 cup of fresh ginger slices
• 2 cups of ice
• 1/8 cup of honey OR 1 green apple, peeled, cored, and sliced

Aloe Cucumber Cooling Smoothie Instructions

• Put all the ingredients in a high powered blender for about 30 seconds.  Garnish with a cucumber wedge.  Serve chilled.
• Avoid ingestion of aloe during pregnancy and lactation.  Aloe may also interfere with certain medications and excessive or prolonged internal use may affect potassium levels.

Some Research on the Ingredients

• In a double blind study, aloe gel was effective in treating the symptoms of ulcerative colitis.  From:  Langmead, L., Feakins, R. M., Goldthorpe, S., Holt, H., Tsironi, E., De Silva, A., … & Rampton, D. S. (2004). Randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial of oral aloe vera gel for active ulcerative colitis. Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics, 19(7), 739-747.
• Aloe reduced constipation in rats.  From:  Wintola, O. A., Sunmonu, T. O., & Afolayan, A. J. (2010). The effect of Aloe ferox Mill. in the treatment of loperamide-induced constipation in Wistar rats. BMC gastroenterology, 10(1), 95.
• Aloe and myrrh reduced stomach ulcer symptoms in human patients.  From:  Mansour, G., Ouda, S., Shaker, A., & Abdallah, H. M. (2014). Clinical efficacy of new aloe vera‐and myrrh‐based oral mucoadhesive gels in the management of minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a randomized, double‐blind, vehicle‐controlled study. Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine, 43(6), 405-409.
• In a multi-center, double blind, randomized study of over 500 cancer patients, ginger intake significantly reduced chemotherapy induced nausea.  From:  Ryan, J. L., Heckler, C. E., Roscoe, J. A., Dakhil, S. R., Kirshner, J., Flynn, P. J., … & Morrow, G. R. (2012). Ginger (Zingiber officinale) reduces acute chemotherapy-induced nausea: a URCC CCOP study of 576 patients. Supportive care in cancer, 20(7), 1479-1489.
• In two small studies of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, ginger intake reduced nausea.  From:  Hickok, J. T., Roscoe, J. A., Morrow, G. R., & Ryan, J. L. (2007). A phase II/III randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial of ginger (Zingiber officinale) for nausea caused by chemotherapy for cancer: a currently accruing URCC CCOP Cancer Control Study. Supportive cancer therapy, 4(4), 247-250.
• In a randomized double blind study of 120 women with post operative nausea, ginger powder intake significantly reduced day surgery nausea and vomiting.  From:  Phillips, S., Ruggier, R., & Hutchinson, S. E. (1993). Zingiber officinale (ginger)–an antiemetic for day case surgery. Anaesthesia, 48(8), 715-717.
• Ginger, peppermint, aniseed and fennel, citrus fruits, dandelion and artichoke, Melissa and chamomile have digestive enhancing activities.  From:  Valussi, M. (2012). Functional foods with digestion-enhancing properties. International journal of food sciences and nutrition, 63(sup1), 82-89.
• The following methanol extracts showed activity against Helicobacter pylori which causes gastrointestinal disorders:  Myristica fragrans (nutmeg seed), Zingiber officinale (ginger root), Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary leaf), Achillea millefolium (yarrow), Foeniculum vulgare (fennel seed), Passiflora incarnata (passionflower), Origanum majorana (oregano), and others.  From:  Mahady, G. B., Pendland, S. L., Stoia, A., Hamill, F. A., Fabricant, D., Dietz, B. M., & Chadwick, L. R. (2005). In vitro susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori to botanical extracts used traditionally for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. Phytotherapy research, 19(11), 988-991.
• The antioxidant activity of gallic acid and the inhibitory activity of cinnamic acid against Helicobacter pylori found in ginger rhizomes contributed to its gastroprotective ability.  From:  Nanjundaiah, S. M., Annaiah, H. N. M., & Dharmesh, S. M. (2011). Gastroprotective effect of ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale) extract: role of gallic acid and cinnamic acid in H. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2011.
• Ginger had a gastroprotective and anti-ulcerogenic effect in rats.  From:  Al-Yahya, M. A., Rafatullah, S., Mossa, J. S., Ageel, A. M., Parmar, N. S., & Tariq, M. (1989). Gastroprotective activity of ginger zingiber officinale rosc., in albino rats. The American journal of Chinese medicine, 17(01n02), 51-56.
• Ginger had a protective effect in rats induced with gastric ulcers, likely related to gingerol and shogaol constituents.  From:  Wang, Z., Hasegawa, J., Wang, X., Matsuda, A., Tokuda, T., Miura, N., & Watanabe, T. (2011). Protective effects of ginger against aspirin-induced gastric ulcers in rats. Yonago acta medica, 54(1), 11.
• Coconut milk is high in natural fatty acids as well as minerals (and electrolytes) including: manganese, copper, phosphorus, and magnesium.
• Cucumber is high in Vitamin K (for good blood health and better calcium absorption) and also contains valuable minerals.

By: Kathy Sadowski, MS in Aromatherapy, Registered Aromatherapist, LMT

4/11/18

This categorized compilation of research articles does not necessarily imply that there are adequate results to demonstrate safe and/or effective human use. These statements are not meant to diagnose, treat, or cure any diseases. The information at this page has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Consult a Doctor before using herbs and essential oils if you have medical conditions, are taking medications, or have questions.