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PLANT EXTRACT

Aloe vera

What it is

Two very different things under one name: the soothing clear inner gel, and the bitter yellow latex just under the rind.

Why your biology objects

The inner gel is benign, but the latex carries aloin — a stimulant laxative that the US National Toxicology Program found caused intestinal tumors in rats (non-decolorized whole-leaf extract). Labels rarely say which fraction they used, so a generic "aloe" in food is an open question, not a health drink.

Would your ancestors eat this?

Point your camera at any label and get the verdict in seconds. Coming to the App Store.

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