Celebrity trend: Tea toxing
Celebrities are buzzing about the revitalizing effects of cleansing teas. But can sipping earthy brews really rev energy and melt stubborn fat? FIRST wellness columnist Jorge Cruise weighs in
Emmy-winning actress Sharon Stone regularly fills her mug with detoxifying Chinese herbal tea. Laura Dern steeps a blend to beat back bloat. Vanessa Williams relies on chai to rev her metabolism each morning. And you can’t log on to Twitter or Instagram without seeing young starlets and reality stars—from Lea Michele to Bachelorette Andi Dorfman (and all the Kardashians in between)— promoting cleansing teas with “amazing” slimming benefits. Even Mehmet Oz, M.D., is a fan, devoting whole episodes of his show to the power of sipping tea to spur weight loss.
Detox brews have become so popular that they’ve even inspired a cleanse, dubbed “teatoxing,” which calls for sipping a few cups of herbal tea each day to fight fat—women claim doing so helps them shed up to 5 pounds and 2 belly inches in 48 hours.
Though it sounds like a New Age idea, the practice of cleansing with teas has roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic medicine: In ancient cultures, herbal brews (like dandelion root and ginger root) were used to stave off bloat and stomach discomfort, curb appetite and clear out the digestive system.
Modern-day health experts report that flavonoids in the brews work to break up fatty deposits and heal
damaged cells in the liver, allowing the organ to eliminate fat-trapping toxins and burn fat up to 30 percent faster. Plus, antioxidants and minerals in the herbs have also been shown to fire up metabolism, optimize kidney function and stimulate the lymphatic system to further support weight loss.
For all the reported benefits of detox brews, though, Dr. Oz has cautioned that not all the blends on the market are safe. The reason: As the practice has become trendy, some manufacturers have laced traditional teas with additional plant compounds to deliver faster results—but many of these addins come with downsides.
For example, senna leaf is both a common detox tea ingredient and one of the active ingredients in laxatives like ex-lax. The herb forces the body to release water and waste by irritating the colon, but this effect can inadvertently flush key metabolism-supporting electrolytes and disrupt the balance of slimming microbes in the intestinal tract. If used too frequently, senna leaf can lead to chronic dehydration, weight gain, liver damage, muscle weakness and even heart disorders.
Many detox tea blends also contain plant-based stimulants like guarana, which offer a metabolism boost but can cause anxiety, nausea, insomnia and headaches. On top of that, these blends can be costly, with companies charging up to $2.50 per serving. Fortunately, sticking to traditional herbal teas delivers the perks without the side effects or the sky-high price!