Aloe vera for your skin and hair, sure. But for your acid reflux? Well, why not?

When Bettina Osmeña, wife of Sen. Serge Osmeña, battled breast cancer in 2003, she decided to take control of her health and pumped her system with 30 supplements a day.

While she has since been down to just 15 supplements, Osmeña was still taking one drug for her acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD). For years, she said, acid reflux has tormented her and often disrupted her daily routine.

“I wanted to go the natural way but there was that one drug I couldn’t live without,” Osmeña said.

It was not until she attended a trade fair in China that she discovered AloeCure, an organic aloe vera juice that is said to balance the stomach acidity and soothe the digestive system.

Today, Osmeña is drug-free. She said since she tested the AloeCure she has never bought medicine for her acid reflux again.

“Aloe vera is really a food that makes you well. Some food act like medicine; aloe vera is one of those. It is food that acts like medicine,” said naturopathic medical doctor Elizabeth A. Micaller.

Micaller said a dose of pure aloe vera juice contains 200 nutrients of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, 20 out of 22 amino acids—making it a powerful shot to boost the body’s immune system.

The beauty of aloe vera, continued Micaller, is that it contains a significant amount of polysaccharides. This active component polysaccharides, in simple terms, she explained, are like “trains” that transport nutrition into the body.

“The polysaccharides make sure nutrition is absorbed by the body. When you’re sick your body lacks the necessary nutrition to make it function well. You can eat nutritious meals but you also need a good ‘train system’ to deposit the necessary nutrition where it is needed most. That’s what polysaccharides do,” Micaller said.

AloeCure comes in two forms: AloeCure Pure Organic Aloe Vera Juice and Aloe Pure Aloe Chunks. The juice tastes nasty, like all-natural and pure aloe vera juice, so it is best mixed with juice, said Osmeña.

Called the “wonder plant,” Micaller said the Egyptians used aloe vera 2,000 years ago as the answer to many ailments. Be wary, she warned, of people who claim their product is a cure.

“Cure is all-encompassing. As a doctor, I am extremely careful in using that term. There is not one product that cures. Period. Rather, they will help make you stronger so your body is able to fight off the disease better,” Micaller said.

The rich amino acid content of aloe vera juice, including seven out of eight essential amino acids, is responsible for repairing tissues and building cells. It forms antibodies critical in fighting off diseases. AloeCure products are cold-pressed, said Osmeña, so there’s only a minimum amount of preservatives included in the ingredient. (It is 95-percent pure aloe vera juice.)

According to Sis. Luz Maria Buitrago, a Colombian nun from the Holy Family Home Foundation based in the Philippines, there are studies now on how pure aloe vera juice strengthens the immune system to fight cancer.

The juice is best taken twice a day, in the morning and evening before retiring. Add it on smoothies and juices, particularly berries and fruity flavors to tame its strong taste. It also comes in grape flavor.

The chunks, milder in tastes, goes well with fruit desserts. It is rich in fiber so it is good for cleansing the colon as well, said Micaller. It normalizes bowel movement and eases constipation. It can even help people with irritable bowel syndrome, Osmeña said.

In the Philippines, AloeCure is distributed by Organic Basket. Organic Basket is the only certified organic company in the country. Visit www.aloecurephilippines.com and www.aloepurephilippines.com for more details.