As of late, social media sites and apps are filled with influencers promising individuals that they have a magical cure that can make them skinnier, healthier, smarter or a combination of all three. Some even promise individuals that they have tea that can detox their bodies of substances. So, does detox tea work? If so, what does detox tea do? The answer isn’t as straightforward as one might think.
What we know for a fact is that any type of product that promises you an easy way out of a tough problem often doesn’t work as it should. Items marketed as a tea to detox the body likely won’t be beneficial and may even be harmful.
Many products that influencers swear by aren’t Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved. There is no quick way to restore a body back to health without taking other measures to improve health. That doesn’t stop people from being convinced by influencers and celebrities that it can happen though. That’s why it’s important to understand what a tea detox can and can’t do.
What Are Detox Teas?
There are two different types of teas for detox that people generally browse for. One is for detoxifying the body to typically promote weight loss and better health. The other detox tea promises individuals that it can flush their systems of substances. The similarity between the two is false promises.
Detox Teas for Weight Loss
What normally comes to mind when people think about teas for detox is immediate weight loss. Those interested in this kind of instant miracle product might feel like there is no disadvantage to drinking it and finding out whether it really works or not. Unfortunately, the reality is different than this.
Detox Teas to Pass Drug Test
There are other teas that some might have in mind to help detox the body. Sometimes people who abuse substances may try to find a tea product that can help them pass a drug test. There are also teas that claim to “detox” the body of all traces and toxins left behind from drugs. Yet, this is another false claim that many drug tests can weed out.
What Does Detox Tea Do In Reality?
Teas For Weight Loss
Detox tea for weight loss may actually contain regular tea in it, such as green tea or black tea. Yet, it also has other additives that act as a diuretic. A diuretic is something that makes an individual need to pee more.
Luckily, detox also makes individuals need to pee more often. In doing so, people who feel like they are losing weight after drinking the tea are actually just peeing out water weight.
People are largely made out of water. Water weight is the extra water that people lose through sweating, peeing, and etc. It can largely fluctuate from day to day. This is especially the case if a person is taking diuretics or simply refraining from drinking at all. Products like teas for detox trick people into thinking that they’ve lost weight almost instantly by getting rid of water weight—not actual fat.
Teas For Passing a Drug Test
Teas that promise to flush the system of traces of drugs are also diuretics. They’re essentially the same as teas to help decrease weight, just marketed differently. Constantly peeing can somewhat flush the kidneys of traces of drugs though.
Despite slightly flushing the kidneys, detox teas to pass a drug test will typically elevate the levels of creatine in the body. Many drug tests can detect higher levels of creatine or if pee is too diluted. Usually, people trying to fake a drug test for work will get instantly caught in this scenario.
Individuals that are trying to pass a drug test in this way should examine their life choices. The best way to pass a test such as this is to stop doing drugs. Therefore, individuals that use drugs must ask themselves, are drugs more important than a job? If so, it might be time to seek help from an addiction treatment facility, like Harmony Ridge Recovery Center.
What Are the Dangers of Detox Tea?
Without a doubt, it’s dangerous to consume beverages that promise quick results for tough problems. Any results aren’t due to a “secret that doctors hate,” regardless of what many spammy websites may advertise. Actually, it’s because of potentially dangerous side effects that come from additives.
For instance, teas that promise instant results may have normal tea in them, but they also likely have ingredients that aren’t approved by the FDA. The FDA doesn’t manufacture products, but it does screen them for efficacy and safety. Detox teas are more often than not ineffective and unsafe.
More pointedly, they very well might have ingredients that are dangerous. Some of these ingredients are potentially:
- Higenamine
- Phenylethylamine
- Ephedrine
- Ephedra
- Caffeine
The first four ingredients, in particular, can damage the heart. In fact, the FDA actually banned ephedra because of the harm it could cause. Some teas for detox may say that they are natural. Yet, even if some of the ingredients are natural, that doesn’t mean that they are safe or do what they advertise.
Many detox teas have caffeine because it acts as a mild diuretic and energizes individuals. Caffeine on its own isn’t particularly dangerous in moderation, but the ingredients of detox tea plus caffeine can cause side effects that could deeply hurt a person’s physical health.
Side Effects of Detox Teas
Some people try to detox with tea before researching it. If so, they might find out very quickly what are the side effects of detox tea. Side effects from teas for detox range from being uncomfortable to being outright dangerous:
- Upset stomach
- Bloating
- Nausea
- Insomnia
- Dehydration
- Seizures
- Anxiety
- Heart attack
- Stroke
Teas marketed for detox often have ingredients that are unhealthy. Additionally, they may contain excessive amounts of caffeine. The caffeine in these types of beverages can induce stomach issues, sleep problems, and anxiety.
The other elements, aside from caffeine, can be a detriment to one’s overall health. One journal within PubMed found that mixing some additives with caffeine can actually be toxic. As a result, detox teas can trigger dangerous side effects like heart attacks and even death.
How To Detox With Tea The Right Way
While there is no magic detox tea that can cure tough problems, there are teas that promote a healthy lifestyle. For centuries, Eastern medicine has applied the science behind teas to promote health. According to Current Pharmaceutical Design, 2/3 of the world’s teas are composed of Camellia sinensis, which is a tea plant.
Unknown to many, Camellia sinensis makes up black tea, green tea, and oolong tea. Black tea is fermented, oolong tea is semi-fermented, and green tea is unfermented. Studies show that the Camellia sinensis as tea can potentially prevent cancer and are full of antioxidants.
Antioxidants are molecules found in tea, among other beverages and food that fight against free radicals. Free radicals are rogue cells that promote illness and disease. In other words, tea can help prevent illnesses and disease overall. Drinking tea won’t “detox” the body per se, but it can promote a healthy lifestyle.
Plus, drinking water is good for people in general. Consuming water is necessary to stay hydrated, feel energized, have normal bowel function, and can even help people feel fuller. Drinking lots of water or tea may promote weight loss in helping people feel fuller for longer.
Other Ways To Restore Health
There is no quick fix to rid the body of fat or drugs. The good news is that there are ways to do both in a healthy, sustainable way. Trying these methods out can help people achieve the weight loss that they desire.
Exercise Frequently
It may be difficult to exercise at first as there are two different parts of the brain: one that physically feels pain and one that mentally ruminates on pain. At first, it’s easy to fixate on how exercise is physically taxing.
After a period of time though, exercising frequently will become easier to deal with mentally and physically. Exercising frequently can especially become easier to deal with mentally due to the fact that it helps the brain produce feel-good chemicals.
More than that, exercising is a great way to stop using drugs. It doesn’t have to be unbearable or even happen at a gym. People can choose to exercise through dancing up a storm, skateboarding, or hula hooping. Exercising should and can be fun with the right activity.
Eating Food With Antioxidants
Tea isn’t the only thing with antioxidants. Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants as well to help fight against free radicals. Berries, in particular, are usually full of antioxidants. Luckily, there are many berries to choose from and even more recipes to make with them. Kale also contains a wide range of health benefits with antioxidants being one of them.
People who hate fruits and vegetables: fret not. Dark chocolate is another source of antioxidants. Choosing dark chocolate that is almost 100% cacao can appease a sweet tooth and a desire to lead a healthier lifestyle.
Skip the Detox Tea and Seek Help From Harmony Ridge
Do you or a loved one actually want to detox? There is no simple way to flush the body of drugs and alcohol, but it’s possible with the right help. Harmony Ridge offers medical detox to help individuals rid their bodies of all the harmful traces and toxins left behind by substance abuse. Find out more about the benefits of our detox program today.
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