Does Detox Tea Help With Weight Loss?

My recommendation is to do your homework — Research the active ingredients in any product you use and its side effects. And, when in doubt, check in with your physician.

Sourced through Scoop.it from: health.usnews.com

Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet for sustained weight loss. Detox teas are no exception. In the short term, you may benefit from water weight loss and the loss of some digestive waste, but the effects do not last. Additionally, the active ingredients in some detox teas have adverse side effects like dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, and others can cause harmful drug interactions.

Here is a list of some of the most common active ingredients in Detox Teas and the ways they affect the body:

• Senna is a plant with leaves and fruit that are used medicinally, is approved in the U.S. as an over-the-counter medicine for short-term treatment of constipation.
• Yerba Mate is a caffeine-producing plant whose leaves are used as a stimulant. 
• Garcinia Cambogia is a tropical fruit purported to control appetite and reduce fat storage in the body. 
• Cassia Chamaecrista is a legume (partridge pea) used for its laxative effect. 
• Gotu Kola, a member of the parsley family, has multiple medicinal uses, including wound healing.

Is there any research available on the effect of Detox Teas?

Unfortunately, research specifically focused on Detox Teas is hard to come by. Additionally, most Detox plans involve a combination of fasting and cleansing. Independent verification of the impact of each phase is essential. "The evidence is very limited to support the fact that a tea – however you would define the detoxification process – is really going to lead to substantial or significant weight loss," says Cassie Vanderwall, a registered dietitian in the department of clinical nutrition at UW Health in Wisconsin.

Does Your Body Detox Itself?

According to Seattle-based registered dietitian nutritionist Carrie Dennett, "our livers do a perfectly good job of detoxing our bodies, on their own, with the assistance of our lungs, digestive system, and kidneys – so they don’t need the help of tea." So, detox products are unnecessary.

Although many Detox Teas have natural ingredients, that doesn’t make them innocuous. When used for weight loss, ingredients with diuretic or laxative effects can make you mistakenly believe it works. However, those effects are not lasting and lead to a cycle of tea use.  

My recommendation is to do your homework — Research the active ingredients in any product you use and its side effects. And, when in doubt, check in with your physician.