All You Need To Know About Detox Tea: Benefits, Side Effects, And More

For thousands of years, people have used various methods to rid themselves of toxins in their bodies. Some use standard historical practices such as bloodletting, fasting, detoxifying teas, and many others. But nowadays, detox tea has become more popular among people. 

Even celebrities consume the best detox tea to maintain or reduce their weight. So it's not a surprise that you can find various varieties with different ingredients and flavors on the market. 

But what does detox do? What benefits can we get from this drink? Are there any side effects we should know about?

In this guide, we'll explore all the questions above and relevant things you need to know. 

Let’s begin. 

What Is Detox Tea? 

As you probably know, tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. Different types of tea are created from various tea leaves that are fermented and processed, such as oolong tea, green tea, white tea, and black tea. 

Detox teas contain numerous ingredients such as: 

• Bitter melon fruit extract, 
• Ginger root powder, 
• Cumin seed powder, 
• Hibiscus flower powder, and many more. 

Other detox teas may contain diuretics such as: 

• Stinging nettle powder
• Eucalyptus leaf extract 
• Parsley powder

Furthermore, this beverage may contain laxatives like: 

• Fennel seed extract, 
• Cascara bark powder, 
• Rhubarb root powder

Detox teas help to get rid of any harmful compounds and toxins in your body. To make detox tea, you steep tea bags in hot water. Some detox tea brands color the beverage with natural food dyes made from plants. 

Types Of Detox Tea 

Green Tea

Green tea is packed with health benefits. It contains antioxidants that can help flush out free radicals from the body. In addition, the epigallocatechin in green tea can help in weight loss. Green tea also boosts metabolism, and that can help the body burn fat effectively. 

Oolong Tea

Oolong tea can decrease lipids in the liver. The theaflavins and EGCG in oolong tea help to detoxify the body and reduce weight loss. The tea catechins prevent the metabolic formation of fats. 

Earl Grey Tea

Earl Grey Tea is a black tea that has been infused with bergamot orange peel. It’s also one of the best detox tea for a great day! This beverage contains L-theanine and caffeine that increases energy levels. 

Also, Earl Grey Tea contains vitamin C, which can boost your immune system. 

What Does Detox Tea Do?

So what does detox tea do? Detox work by eliminating particular food groups or solid food to eliminate toxins from the body. That releases the stress on the digestive system and takes the time to heal and better take in nutrients in the future. 

Benefits Of Detox Tea

Some of the best detox tea contains a harmless combination of herbs and tea leaves, just like your regular tea. Furthermore, some of these beverages include medicinal herbs used for thousands of years to provide numerous health benefits and support human health. 

If you choose recognizable brands that use organic ingredients, you’ll get the below benefits: 

1. Alleviate Digestive Issues

Ginger is an excellent ingredient that can relieve digestive issues, alleviate nausea due to pregnancy or motion sickness. It can also prevent inflammation in people with osteoarthritis. 

Furthermore, marshmallow root can soothe constipation due to its high mucilage content. Mucilage is a thick, gluey substance that can help in softening the stool and making bowel movements easier. 

In addition, peppermint can alleviate indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Also, it’s useful for women with menstrual cramps by reducing associated abdominal pain. Peppermint may stop painful spasms in smooth muscles in organs such as the uterus, intestines, stomach, and bladder. 

2. Protects Cells

Green tea extract, as said earlier, fights against oxidative damage and free radicals. This beverage may protect the activation of enzymes that prevent cell damage and neutralize harmful chemicals. 

The prevention of cell damage by green tea is effective, especially when the body has been subjected to stress or environmental toxins. 

Also, licorice can prevent bacteria and virus activities while stimulating the production of white blood cells. The white blood cell is responsible for protecting the body against infections. 

Licorice is a natural antioxidant which means it’s effective against cell damage. However, keep in mind that licorice can be toxic when taken in high amounts. 

3. Liver Detoxification 

Milk thistle contains anti-inflammatory solid flavonoids and antioxidants that can boost the liver's natural way of processing nutrients and eliminating toxins. In addition, the antioxidants found in milk thistle can prohibit free radical damage to body cells, preventing diseases like cancer. 

Side Effects Of Detox Tea

As stated earlier, some detox teas contain harmless tea combinations, which are the same as regular teas. However, other beverages contain additional ingredients that can have side effects. Some of such ingredients are: 

• Laxatives
• Medications
• Potent herbs such as senna 
• Illegal chemicals such as ephedra 
• High levels of caffeine 

The ingredients found in detox teas are created to give you energy. But that can also cause you to use the toilet regularly. And emptying the bladder and colon often may cause you to lose weight. 

Now, even though these chemicals are designed to quicken you up and become more active, which can help you lose weight, they can also cause severe problems like: 

• Strokes
• Heart attacks
• Death 
• Seizures 

Here are more side effects of detox teas. 

1. It Can Cause Abdominal Discomfort, Bloating, And Nausea 

The drink usually causes abdominal pain and discomfort, bloating, gas, cramps, and nausea. The high levels of laxative ingredients and caffeine often cause these symptoms because they put much stress on the digestive system. 

2. Diarrhea 

One of the herbal laxative supplements used to treat constipation is senna. Typically, it's safe to use if it's done in moderation. But when you take senna continuously or in large quantities, you can have adverse effects. 

You can find senna and other laxatives in detox teas, and they can cause severe diarrhea. Diarrhea can be dangerous if prolonged because you'll become highly dehydrated. 

Furthermore, laxatives can obstruct normal digestion if taken for a long time. And that can cause you to depend on laxatives to have regular bowel movements. 

3. Detox Tea Can Affect Sleep 

If you take too much caffeine, it can affect your sleep and cause critical sleep problems. Generally, it’s safe to consume four or five cups of coffee for healthy people. 

However, detox teas may contain more caffeine than regular ones in the recommended amount each day. And this can lead to problems with falling and staying asleep. Taking too much caffeine can cause: 

• Irritation 
• Anxiety 
• Restlessness
• Headache 
• Ringing in the ears 
• Fast breathing rate and heart rate 
• agitation

Final Thoughts

Detox tea can help remove any waste from your body in a short time. However, it's advisable to couple that with exercises. One of the primary reasons why people take this beverage is because they want to lose weight. But that's not necessarily true. Even though it can help in reducing weight, that alone won’t do the trick. You still have to eat healthy, exercise and maintain your health every day. Also, drinking the beverage every day can increase the caffeine level in your system. So the best way is to drink water, which is another good way to detoxify your system. If any of the side effects start showing, stop taking the drink and see your medical doctor.