Hi,

I'm wondering what the negative effects of citric acid are in the Aloe Vera juice. In other words does it having citric acid in it cancel out the goodness? Is it better to have aloe vera with the citric acid or better to have none at all until we can get the Georges stuff.

Thanks in advance,
..Tom

PS: Great job on the website and the LTYG book, it's nice to have other resources out there!

Hi Tom,

Citric acid can irritate the mucosal lining of the gut. I'd say it's best to wait until you receive the George's product before proceeding with aloe.

Best,
Chris

Thank you for the excellent answer, Chris!

It may partly depend on your current state of health. For someone who already has a healed or close to healed gut, maybe acidic foods/drinks will be well-tolerated. But they will definitely further irritate a gut lining that's already inflamed and/or ulcerated.

So the safest thing to do is to use the George's, which has already been proven safe for many people with IBD.

Nicole

I got some of the George's and today and yesterday I've had a setback and the inflammation seems to be a little worse, so am still stuck at home scared to go out, not fun. If you take too much of George's aloe juice will it be irritating to the colon? I also am taking 3 of the Natren probiotics started 3 days ago , one pill each in the morning and one each at night. Does this stuff ever cause irritation? Its no fun having a setback and trying to figure out what I ate that goofed me up; also ate lentils for the first time, and had some Rice Dream ice cream so don't know whats going on.

Hi, possum.

Well, it's impossible for me to give you a definitive answer on what set you back. But here are a few ideas.

First, not every substance is good for everyone. As an example, most healthy people can eat all the strawberries they want with no problem. But some people will react badly to them. This is true of any food, drink, herb, medicine, etc. So it is possible that you don't do well with aloe, even the George's brand, even though it's helpful for most.

That said, how much had you been drinking?

As far as the probiotics, it is entirely possible to experience a die-off reaction when you start taking them. This is why some people have to start taking them very slowly; their guts may be so toxic with harmful micro-organisms that the die-off reactions can be intense. Gas, bloating, diarrhea, headache are all common die-off symptoms. From what I've read, die-off reactions like this resolve within 3-7 days in most cases, so you might use that as a rough guideline in determining if die-off is indeed what you're experiencing; definitely follow your gut on this.

If you suspect the lentils or Rice Dream, cut them entirely out of your diet for at least a couple of weeks, ideally until your symptoms calm down. Then, try them again and be alert for any kind of reaction to them.

Figuring this stuff out does indeed involve a lot of detective work and can be pretty frustrating at times, but there's a real sense of comfort and freedom when you start to have a good handle on what works for you.

Does any of this mesh with your intuition at all?

Keep up the good work; it does get better in time.

Nicole

yes, I'm thinking maybe a die off thing plus the lentils, was going on, I feel much better today. Probably drank too much of George's too, I read the label and it recommends 2 oz. twice a day, I was doing more than that. If I try lentils again I'll soak them overnite instead of just going for it.

I was taking the reuteri probiotics for a week before I got the Natren and it seemed to help, I guess the Natren stuff is more potent, wish it wasn't so expensive. LIve and learn. Thanks for the support.....