Who doesn’t love a quick fix and seeing a supposed ground-breaking new diet tea pop up on your favourite star’s Instagram feed? And while it may magic position you need to quickly slim down, it turns out the fine print on the packaging really needs to be read!
To help save you the leg work, here are the most important three things you need to keep in mind before you invest in a weight loss brew.
1. You might not be losing fat, rather water weight
The scales may be saying one thing, but your body is telling you a different story. Many diet teas use caffeine, which in turn can encourage water weight loss.
They also have a laxative effect, which essentially flushes water and toxins from your body. While you may feel like you’re floating, that’s just water that has left your body!
You should ALWAYS look at what you’re drinking.
2. No medical proof backing claims
There is very little scientific and medical research that backs or endorses what many diet teas claim.
There may be research on the ingredients within the tea mix, there are still many holes. You should always check in with your medical professional before embarking on any fad diet.
3. Ingredients with in the tea can be harmful
This is by far the most alarming factor with the seemingly harmless beverage.
Many detox concoctions while have ingredients you’re familiar with but some may be completely unknown. Senna is a regular within the diet tea market, it is a plant with a natural laxative effect.
Potential side effects may include abdominal pain and discomfort, cramps, bloating, gas, nausea, and diarrhea.
Other detox favourites include the use of guarana, a plant that’s often added to energy drinks.
Side effects are commonly related to its caffeine content, which may include nervousness, restlessness, stomach irritation, nausea, vomiting, headache and anxiety.
One Reddit user recently shared their experience, and it sounds traumatising!
Many get lured into celeb-endorsed brews… but they may not be as healthy as you think!
Lumpiestprincess penned in a post, “The ingredients listed a lot of things I expected. Oolong tea leaves, ginger, eleuthero root, and something called taenia saginata, which I’d never heard of before.”
In what can only be described as horrific, it turns out taenia saginata is a beef tapeworm and the tea landed the user in hospital!
What the experts say
We spoke to IsoWhey Dietitian Belinda Reynolds about her thoughts on diet teas.
“It can depend on the ingredients,” she tells us.
“If the tea is purely herbal based, and organic, I believe these teas certainly have the potential to be beneficial for health.”
Check out YouTuber Jessica Carroll’s alarming experience on the Kardashian’s favourite tea, Fit Tea, in the video below! Post continues…
“Some herbs may act as a natural diuretic to assist in clearing excess fluid from your body, whilst others may focus on digestive health, antioxidant benefits, and support for regular bowel movements (but be careful not to become reliant on a laxative-type diet tea (e.g. those with senna leaf)!”
But that doesn’t mean you should bid tea adieu!
Belinda adds, “Teas such as green tea and white tea are rich in antioxidants and other compounds which do show potential in providing health benefits (when consumed in sufficient amounts).”
Of course, tea without any additives have many health benefits!
When opting for a quick fix, like a tea diet, Belinda explained, “It is not so much that they are harmful or of no use at all, the key issue lies in the unrealistic expectations around the results most individuals can expect from them.”
“A tea (or any supplement for that matter) cannot completely undo an unhealthy diet or lack of exercise.”
Watch one man reveal his very candid thoughts on Oolong… Post continues after!
Her advice?
“Herbal teas can be great, especially if you are using them to replace other less healthy beverages, or if it is encouraging you to drink more water which can assist in reducing appetite, and improve how your skin looks.”
“Overall, my advice would be to check the label to ensure there are no additives.”
Like everything in life, it’s all about a healthy balance. Diet and exercise are paramount in your well being!
“Once you can see that it contains only good ingredients, drink away, but also look at following a healthy eating program.”
“Aim to be on one that encourages quality protein with lots of vegetables and fruit, plus other wholesome ingredients such as nuts, seeds and wholegrains).”
So, always do your homework before embarking on a diet, and be sure to check in with your doctor.
And make sure you’re not drinking something with tapeworm!
