A delicious herbal tea that will rid your body of all its toxins and get you to lose weight fast? Sounds too good to be true, right? – That’s probably because it is.
There are countless detox teas that have circulated their way around social media platforms such as Instagram, with words such as ‘skinny’, and ‘flat tummy’ taking over their labels.
Of course, consumers who want to lose weight will see these words and instantly want to know more.
What’s worse is, their favorite celebrities and influencers have become ambassadors for these products, ranting and raving about how they lost weight just by drinking these teas.
While these teas may give you a flatter stomach for a period of time, there are some health concerns associated with them.
This article will be discussing the proposed benefits and side effects of detox teas, as well as answering the question – do they make you poop?
What Is A Detox Tea?
Detox teas are usually herbal teas that claim to rid your body of toxins and promote quick weight loss.
They often contain herbs that are known as natural laxatives in order for the body to ‘flush’ away any toxins from the body and colon.
Caffeine is also included in these teas in relatively high doses, a known diuretic.
An important note to add, is the Food and Drug Association (FDA) do not regulate the ingredients used in detox teas, so some of these products can contain harmful ingredients.
Do Detox Teas Help You Lose Weight?
More extensive research needs to be done on whether detox tea is an effective aid for weight loss.
These teas are often sold with instructions to complete a vigorous exercise regime, and healthy eating alongside them.
If those individuals are drinking these teas and also following these instructions, if they notice weight loss results, it is most likely a result of the exercise and healthy eating rather than drinking the tea.
As mentioned earlier, these teas include natural laxatives, which will make food go through your digestive system a lot quicker.
This can result in a slimmer looking abdomen, for a period of time.
They also contain high levels of caffeine, and other diuretics. These are substances that increase the amount of water that exits your body, through urine and bowel movements.
Therefore, all this water leaving your body will lead to you losing water weight, which can have negative effects.
Negative Effects Of Losing Water Weight
While losing water weight can make you lose weight fast for a period of time, it comes with some negative side effects.
Your body needs water in order to stay hydrated and healthy, losing too much of this too quickly without replenishing it can lead to serious dehydration, constipation, and low energy.
Because of this, if you drink this tea every day, you are risking becoming seriously dehydrated.
Does Detox Tea Make You Poop?
The short answer is yes. Aside from including caffeine and other diuretics in their formulas (which already make you go to the bathroom), some detox teas include laxatives.
The combination of all these ingredients won’t just mean you’ll have many trips to the bathroom, it may mean you’ll begin to have diarrhea.
One of the ingredients you may find in detox teas is senna. This is a herbal laxative used to treat constipation.
While it is relatively safe when used in moderation, if consumed every day as a detox tea it can cause some serious health issues, the most prominent being diarrhea.
While the occasional bout of diarrhea shouldn’t cause you much harm (mainly just discomfort), if diarrhea is prolonged, you can become seriously dehydrated.
You may reach a point where the body is losing more fluid than it is able to take in.
Your body needs fluid in order to function properly, so a long bout of diarrhea can really damage your health.
Lack Of Electrolytes
If you are making too many trips to the bathroom and are becoming dehydrated, your body could also be losing electrolytes.
Electrolytes hydrate you and also help your muscles function properly.
If you are losing electrolytes quickly, this could contribute to your dehydration and also lead to muscle spams and an irregular heart rhythm.
Too Much Caffeine
As mentioned already, detox teas are likely to contain caffeine.
While 400 milligrams of caffeine is relatively safe for healthy people (amounts to around 4 cups of coffee), detox teas may contain a higher amount, reinstating the fact that this will contribute to more trips to the bathroom due to the diuretic properties of caffeine.
Aside from dehydrating you, increased caffeine intake can lead to a variety of health issues.
Too much caffeine can make you nervous and jittery, it can increase anxiety, make you feel agitated, and can increase your heart rate.
High caffeine doses can also disrupt your sleep, especially if you are drinking it until late in the afternoon. This can give you problems falling asleep, and staying asleep.
How Can You Detox Naturally?
While this article may have you thinking that you can’t detox your body naturally, that is far from the truth!
You can still use certain detox teas to cleanse your body, on the side of healthy eating and a good fitness program (if your goal is to lose weight).
You just need to do your research and read ingredients carefully.
You should always be wary of detox teas that contain senna, as mentioned earlier. Although it is a natural herb, it is a fast-acting laxative, that will really make you go to the bathroom a lot.
The same goes for caffeine and other ingredients you do not recognize.
Some wonderful natural ways to detox are teas such as lemon tea, ginger, green tea, and dandelion.
Adding foods such as chia, flax, grapefruit, apples and asparagus will provide you with wonderful nutrients that are healthy for your body and will have you feeling energized and healthy!
Final Thoughts
We hope this article has provided you with some useful insight into the world of detox teas.
It is crucial to always read ingredients carefully, and do some research if there are components that you do not recognize!
