Are Detox Teas Safe?

Is a detox tea as safe for our insides as it’s made out to be? Read our quick guide to establish whether your favourite detox tea is safe or not.

Detox tea has been enjoyed by many people around the globe for years, but now big gun celebs are making it even more famous. For once this statement focuses on a not-so-famously-married-to-a-major-popstar Kardashian who we more commonly know as Kendall Jenner.

According to E! News, Kendall downs 12 cups of detox tea a day to ready herself for a catwalk show. That’s some serious tea drinking! She says she combines it with eating plenty of fruit and regular exercise to maintain her model looks.

However, drinking that much detox tea every day, one has to think it is safe to consume?

There is a scrupulous number of detox tea programs, many of which make claims to get your skinny quick and reduce bloating. The bad news is some of these “safe” detox tea programs are loaded with ingredients that have not-so-desired side effects. While the ingredient list of detox teas varies from brand to brand, a proportion of those on the market use a laxative known as senna in their tea blends.

According to an article from The Daily Mail, written by Dr Lauretta Ihonor, senna rids your body of the useful stuff as well as what is meant to be discarded. She writes,

Senna works by stimulating your colon to contract more than normal, forcing out essential water and electrolytes along with faecal matter. While this loss of bulk can make you feel and look slimmer short term, it has no impact on fat loss, because calories from food are absorbed in your small intestine long before it gets to the colon.

Dr Ihonor goes on to say that the only medically-approved application for senna is the short-term treatment of constipation. Short-term intended to be taken for a maximum of one week, unless under instructions by a medical professional. She says that the US National Library of Medicine also warns that prolonged use of senna can cause the bowels to stop functioning properly and bring about dependence on laxatives, alter the balance of chemicals in the blood, and could cause problems with the heart, muscles, liver, and other side effects.

Senna has the potential to cause vomiting, diarrhoea, electrolyte imbalance and dehydration.

Because of these above factors, Dr Ihonor has launched a petition to remove laxatives from tea blends.

So, what is one to do when they are bang up for trying a detox tea? Are there any detox teas out there that are safe to drink?

The answer is yes.

There are plenty beneficial varieties of tea on the market that are safe to drink. Moreover, through the vast number of teas available comes the wide array of traditional health-promoting properties. There are teas that have been linked to helping reduce cholesterol, increase your energy, and even clean up your smile.

However, it needs to be noted when it comes to a complex detox of the body; tea is not the be all and end all for getting the job done. According to Shape Magazine, Author of ‘Whole Body Reboot: The Peruvian Superfoods Diet to Detoxify, Energize, and Supercharge Fat Loss’, Manuel Villacorta R.D., says,

“No one food, herb or remedy can cure ailments or disease, nor does it have the ability to ‘detox’ the body”.

New Jersey-based holistic nutritionist, Laura Lagano R.D., says that high-quality teas can boost the body’s natural daily process of detoxification, just as much as other foods and drink can harm your system.  

Moreover, Villacorta agrees that the antioxidants, which are extremely rich in matcha green tea, are beneficial for our bodies.

“Antioxidants work to reduce the oxidative stress and free radicals in our body, too much of which can cause chronic inflammation and even mutate our DNA strains”, he says.

He says that teas which are promoted for their detoxifying purposes can also offer extra benefits. His list of ingredients to watch out for?

“Herbs like lemongrass, ginger, dandelion, and mill thistle all contain properties said to support a healthy liver. Ginger is also proven to alleviate oxidative stress within the liver, which helps it perform its cleaning task more efficiently”.

Bondi Beach Tea Co. Colon Cleanse contains one of Villacorta’s recommended ingredients – dandelion. Amp this up yourself by adding a fresh slice if ginger into your cup while steeping your tea leaves.

So how do you capitalise on the benefits of drinking detox tea?

Other than being sure to drink detox tea that is safe (without added senna), we recommend consuming a cup of natural herbal tea when you wake up and one before going to bed. Depending on which tea variety you choose, this could help you relax or amp you up for the day ahead.

Laura Lagano says that it’s usually okay to have a few decent cups of tea each day.

“Unless you are sensitive to caffeine, you can probably handle five to seven cups (of tea) a day without having any negative side effects”, she says.

She says it’s important to moderate what else you eat while detoxing, not just focusing on a safe detox tea.

“Tea can only be medicinal and detoxifying if your diet isn’t taxing your system”, she says.

As a fool safe combination with detox tea, focus your energy on clean eating – no fried, or processed foods, increase your intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, lean meats, and anti-inflammatory fats such as avocado and almonds. When you have a good balance of diet and exercise, you will capitalise on flushing out toxins and detoxify your body.

For more information about the potential benefits of drinking detox tea the safe way, check out some of our recent blogs:

1. Herbal teas – as good as they are made out to be?
2. Lemon and green tea – the perfect partners
3. Great reasons for drinking your daily cup of green tea

Just like Kendall Jenner, you can make safe detox teas part of your arsenal too.

Tip: read why loose-leaf tea should be favoured over tea bags -here.

Bondi Beach Tea Co. has a range of natural herbal teas renowned traditionally for a variety of benefits. Shop our full range of Bondi Beach Tea Co. blends online here.

To increase the effectiveness of our detox teas, safely download our FREE Bondi Beach Tea Co. Eating Plan –get your copy here!