I have never bitten into raw aloe vera although I hear it is very bitter. A good site for aloe info: http://www.aloe-vera.org/ The above site mentions that many aloe preparations (cremes, gels) are mixed with other ingredients to a point of being ineffective. I drink aloe juice on a regular basis. The juice is tasty I guess because it is diluted -- not pure juice. Margery Wilson, IBCLC