Don't get me wrong, I love tea as much as the next person. Actually, I probably love tea more than most people but, not enough to potentially compromise my health. Let's face it - most of the younger American generation will do just about anything that celebrities do. When most of the Kardashian clan is pictured looking skinny and drinking some sort of teatox brand, thousands of teenage girls will go out and buy the product. "Scott Disick and Kylie Jenner drink FitTea? Yeah, I'll try it!" I've never tried it myself, but listening to friends experiences and researching the brands and their effects has me distancing my want to try a teatox.
Theoretically, a teatox sounds like a great idea. Who wouldn't want to lose a little bit of weight, detox their body, and have increased energy? According to the teatox companies, such as Bootea, Skinnyme Tea, and Skinnymint, their products are supposed to protect your heart, skin, brain, and bones and help you maintain stress and weight. That's just it though - they claim to have these effects. No significant evidence has been made to show that these are really the outcomes. In fact, since these teatox's are considered dietary supplements rather than foods, the companies behind them don't need to prove any of the claims listed on the labels.
Senna, a key ingredient in laxative-type teatox's, is a herbal leaf that is an FDA approved nonprescription laxative. Be weary, however, even though it is FDA approved. Senna leaf is used mostly within the medical realm, to clear the bowel before a colonoscopy, treat irritable bowel syndrome, and rid of hemorrhoids. It works by using chemicals, called sennosides, that irritate the living of the bowel, causing a laxative effect. The NIH says senna can, obviously, contribute to stomach discomfort, cramps, and diarrhea.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) there's insufficient evidence that senna (a natural laxative found in some detox teas) promotes weight loss. The NIH adds that following a teatox plan for more than two weeks can cause 'abnormal bowel function or changes in electrolyte levels that can lead to heart problems, muscle weakness, liver damage, and other harmful effects'.
Horror stories about friends experiences have completely steered me away from this "fad". Never leaving the bathroom, feeling sick all the time, constantly exhausted, and/or losing appetite have given me enough evidence to stay away. "Teatox's", "cleanses", and "detox" are all just moneymaking words and have completely lured people into thinking that they need detoxing products to make their bodies healthy again. Truth is, without spending the ridiculous amount of money and risking health complications, you can just work out, eat healthier, and drink lots of water. Now that is proven to work, with evidence to back it up.
