As people become more aware of their exposure to toxins, the demand for natural detoxifiers increases. One of the go-to solutions, a detox tea, does have certain benefits. But not all detox teas are created equal. Drinking some of these teas could have negative consequences, especially if you suffer from health conditions like adrenal fatigue and its myriad associated health issues. Learn the benefits and risks of certain detox teas and one of the best ones.
There are many teas on the shelves branded as a detox tea. These teas, while containing tea, may also contain other substances. These substances could prove toxic. Some of them could also contain medications or substances that trigger allergies. Many of them are also advertised as promoting weight loss.
So why do we find these detox teas on the shelf?
Unfortunately, the Food and Drug Administration, i.e., FDA, does not regulate what goes into these teas. As a result, the companies involved in their manufacture and marketing can pretty much add whatever they choose and market these teas as healthy. This means you could purchase a detox tea thinking it is natural, only to discover it contains all kinds of additives.
Some detox teas do have a beneficial effect on your health. This is because they are a harmless blend of various herbs. Green tea, for example, falls into this category. And yes, some detox teas may even help with weight loss. But not necessarily the good kind!
We will look at the issues surrounding these teas but also look at one detox tea that may have various beneficial properties and which supports adrenal health.
One thing you need to remember about most brands selling detox teas is that they suggest you follow a diet and exercise frequently. They may also suggest that you use their product for a week or more to detox. What they are saying is to follow a diet and exercise to lose weight, oh, and by the way... drink our tea to help you along. You could have lost that weight just by following a healthy diet and doing the exercise! No detox tea was necessary. A healthy diet and exercise not only help with weight loss but benefit your general health as well. You should prioritize a healthy lifestyle.
The high levels of caffeine found in many detox teas could result in a temporary loss of weight. But this weight loss is not due to a loss of fat. Rather, it is the result of water loss due to caffeine’s diuretic action. This high caffeine intake can also cause side effects. These include anxiety, insomnia, and headaches.
Some detox teas can make your tummy look flatter because they have a laxative effect. In other words, they promote the movement of food through your digestive tract. Your digestive tract quickly empties, thereby making you appear temporarily slimmer. But you have not necessarily lost any fat. Furthermore, this laxative effect can result in dehydration, bloating, gas, stomach cramps, and nausea.
One of the herbs often used in a detox tea, senna, can cause diarrhea. This is especially the case when you drink this type of detox tea over an extended period.
Some of these teas may contain banned substances. An example of this is ephedra. Ephedra can cause serious side effects when ingested. These include irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, stroke, seizures, and heart attacks. Death is another risk. Taking ephedra with a stimulant like caffeine could increase your risk.3
A detox tea may contain herbs that interact with certain medications or interfere with their efficacy. These herbs may, for example, rush medications through your system due to their laxative effect. This could thus interfere with your body’s ability to absorb these medications.
On the other hand, certain ingredients may enhance the effect of your medications. This could also have serious consequences.
Your body’s ability to effectively deal with stress largely resides with the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response system and the Detoxification circuit. The NEM stress response, with the guidance of your Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, orchestrates your body’s different responses to stress. The Detoxification circuit is tasked with getting rid of any foreign pathogens in your body. This process tends to go into an escalated state of function during stressful periods and due to the harmful metabolite fallout associated with them.
Under certain circumstances, you can end up with a dysfunctional Detoxification circuit. This could result when one of the components in the circuit becomes compromised or due to adrenal fatigue. The adrenal glands play a large role in your body’s ability to deal with stress. Many organs and body systems rely on proper adrenal function to function as they should. This includes your Detoxification circuit.
Symptoms of a Detoxification circuit in a state of dysfunction include:
The toxins that our bodies need to get rid of are metabolites. These are byproducts of the gastric process and pass through the body. In excess, they can cause problems.
Our bodies have a built-in mechanism that addresses this toxic excess – your liver. Your liver can take these toxic metabolites and neutralize them.
However, the problem arises when we introduce toxins into the body. These include, amongst other things, pollution, pesticides, and certain herbs or medications in excess. Your detoxification system was never designed to deal with these and may not remove them quickly enough. As a result, they could start building up in your system. This could result in various health issues that include a dysfunctional detoxification system with its many repercussions.
At the end of the day, your detoxification system may end up not being able to handle the excessive metabolites it needs to deal with. This could add to your stress load which, in turn, could negatively affect your adrenal health. This could lead to adrenal fatigue and numerous health issues. Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS) is the non-Addison's form of adrenal dysfunction, where the body's stress response cannot keep up with life's chronic stressors.
A healthy detox tea should thus promote better Detoxification circuit function, on the one hand, while causing as little interference with other body processes as possible on the other.
So, is there a detox tea that doesn't cause any harm in the long term?
One of the healthiest detox tea options, green tea, contains catechins. These chemicals show exceptionally strong anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.1 Catechins may also help promote fat loss when you exercise. Furthermore, green tea may also suppress your carbohydrate intake and influence your gut bacteria composition. In so doing, this may help people lose weight.2 Green tea is an exceptional detox tea that checks all the boxes. Just be sure not to drink only green tea, as too much can also cause problems.
Green tea is a detox tea with many health benefits. Taking it with certain beneficial herbs may add even more benefits, but you do need to take care. Also, the best time of day for your cup of green detox tea is about thirty minutes before breakfast.
The health benefits of green tea4 include the following:
From a whole-body perspective, you cannot rely on one single thing to either lose weight or detoxify. Your body has its own detoxification system that is perfectly capable of removing toxins and other unwanted substances. We should thus look at other factors that also play a role. These include what we consume or the body functions and systems that need attention, especially when stress is involved.
Dr. Lam's Nutritional Adrenal Recovery Program may help with this. This thirty-day program includes articles, videos, supplements, and more to help you on the path to adrenal recovery. And because the approach looks at healing the entire body and not just a single symptom, it may support your body’s Detoxification circuit as well. The program is the brainchild of a leading holistic practitioner who suffered from adrenal fatigue and its various corresponding health issues. He now shares his experiences through this program to help others on their journey to better health.
Many products are labeled as detox tea. Yet many of these teas contain harmful ingredients. A pure green tea is a good alternative for a healthy and safe gentle detox tea. And remember that drinking too much green tea could have its own set of consequences.
You could also consider joining Dr. Lam's Nutritional Adrenal Recovery Program which will give you all the information you need on your journey to better health and a fulfilling life.
Musial, Claudia, et al. "Beneficial Properties of Green Tea Catechins." International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 21, no. 5, 4 Mar. 2020, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21051744.
Rothenberg, Dylan O'Neill, et al. "A Review on the Weight-Loss Effects of Oxidized Tea Polyphenols." Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), vol. 23, no. 5, 14 May 2018, https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23051176.
"Ephedra: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews." WebMD, www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-847/ephedra.
Chacko, Sabu M., et al. "Beneficial Effects of Green Tea: A Literature Review." Chinese Medicine, vol. 5, 6 Apr. 2010, https://doi.org/10.1186/1749-8546-5-13.
It depends on the detox tea you consume. Green tea, for example, has many health benefits that could help address numerous issues associated with adrenal fatigue. A detox tea like green tea may thus, due to its various beneficial actions, help provide adrenal support.
