I have a gallon in the fridge, and will drink a few ounces once or twice a week for the same reason that I take a few capsules of slippery-elm each week. These products are soothing, and aloe vera also has a mild anti-inflammatory effect. I do not seem to experience any strong laxative effect, and understand that the fibers in the outer rind (bitter principal) are mostly responsible for the strong laxative effect - so I would not expect it from juice made only from the inner pulp.
But, I would also not expect any bulking effect from a pure inner pulp juice. Most commercial aloe vera drinks have a whole list of ingredients, including chemical bulking agents. By itself it is not a bulking agent. For example the ingredients of an aloe vera drink:
Other Ingredients: Aloe Vera Juice, Cranberry Juice Concentrate, Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid), Flavouring, Citric Acid, Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate), Magnesium Hydroxide, Bulking Agent (Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose).
Like most supplements there is a whole range form pure extracts to commercial products, and even pure compounds can use all or part of the plant, and the process of production is totally unregulated, so consumer beware.
There are a lot of compounds in this plant, so be aware if drinking more than a few ounces a day:
(http://www.ageless.co.za/herb-aloe.htm)
Aloe vera juice This is a drink for internal use that consist of at least 50% of the pulped aloe gel.
Aloe vera latex or bitter principle This is a bitter yellow liquid derived from the pericyclic tubules of the rind of the aloe and which primary constituent is aloin.
Properties
It is a bitter herb with anti-inflammatory, astringent, emollient, anti fungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties, and is useful in the eradication of parasites and stimulating the uterus.
It contains a host of compounds that are biologically active and includes anthraquinones, saccharides and prostaglandins as well as other constituents.
Anthraquinones The anthraquinones contained in aloe, which has the purging and laxative action on the digestive system includes aloin (barbaloin), isobarloin, anthranol, aloetic acid, anthracene, ester of cinnamic acid, aloe-emodin, emodin, chrysophanoic acid, ethereal oil as well as resistannol.
Saccharides It contains various saccharides including glycoprotein, mucopolysaccharide and polysaccharides such as galactose, xylose, arabinose, acetylated mannose as well as the remarkable acemannan.
Prostaglandins and fatty acids The conversion of fatty acids to prostaglandins are rare but the major unsaturated fatty acid, gamma-linolenic acid can be converted to 1-series prostaglandins and have a very effective influence on reducing inflammation, allergy as well as helping platelet aggregation (blood clotting at wound sites) as well as wound healing.
Other constituents It furthermore contains enzymes (oxidase, amylase, catalase, lipase and alkaline phosphatase) amino acids (lysine, threonine, valine, methionine, leucine, isoleucine and phenylalanine) vitamins (vitamin b1, B2, B6, C, E, folic acid, choline and beta carotene) minerals (calcium, sodium, manganese, magnesium, zinc, copper and chromium as well as other miscellaneous compounds such as cholesterol, triglycerides, steroids, uric acid, lignins, beta-sitosterol, gibberellin and salicylic acid
I would also be cautious about
giving full face value to
magical-seeming claims. For example, here we have a plant extract where the main effect is topical (i.e., does not work by entering the bloodstream), so a few hours are needed before the juice is in the colon, much less the distal colon. Yet here you are offered a claim that a shot will stop intense pain and cramping at the distal end of the GI-tract in just a very short time. To me, because the timing is implausible, that sounds like more of a psychological effect.