What Does Detox Tea Do? Everything You Need To Know
Written by: Liz Brown - Sep. 22, 2020
You’ve heard it from celebrities, on the news, and all across social media—for years the fitness and nutrition world has been buzzing about the detox tea benefits, particularly its ability to aid in weight loss. Beyond weight loss, pros, Joes, and Joans alike rave about how detox boosts energy levels, expels toxins, soothes bloating, and boosts immune function. But even when it comes to the best detox teas, it’s worth asking, Is detoxing safe? Perhaps more importantly, what does detox tea do? And, does detox tea work?
In short, yes. But…
Not all detox teas are created equal.
Sham teas are more prevalent than quality ones, and understandably have made many would-be detoxers shake their heads, wondering, What does detox tea do, anyway? Totally understandable. So I’ll repeat myself: Detox teas are not created equally.
Understanding what separates the best detox teas from their low-quality counterparts requires research into, and understanding of, the major differences. This blog does just that. I’m going to walk you through imperative questions and concerns you might—no, that you should—have about detoxing, why some teas work and some just taste good (if that), and seven must-know concepts to get the most out of your detoxing, including:
- What is detox tea?
- What does toxin buildup do?
- What does detox tea do? Plus, how detox tea benefits you
- How does detox tea work?
- Does detox tea work? i.e. What’s the science say?
- Is detoxing safe and who should and shouldn’t detox?
You’ll want a thorough answering of these questions before you start detoxing. Then, I’ll give you my personal recommendations for the best detox teas to flush toxins and boost energy, including all the notable ingredients of each, why they’re so effective, and how to use them to get your best results.
Sound like a lot? Relax, I’ve made everything super-easy to understand and kind of addicting to learn. 🙌 All your detox tea questions should be answered, your concerns assuaged, and your appetite for detox tea on fire!
What Is Detox Tea?
A common misconception with detox tea is that it’s a weight-loss panacea. And while there are many companies claiming it as a cure-all, detox tea is not, and is not intended to be a miracle solution or “magic pill”. The best detox teas won’t try to trick you. We’ll explore this in more detail later. First, let’s hit the important questions like, what is detox tea, what is detoxing, and how and why it’s used more in our society today than ever before.
History of detox tea
Our society has recently opened up to more holistic approaches to healing common ailments, yet some people choose to see this as a trend rather than a shift in our cultural perspective. We are programmed to believe that any “trend” that reveals itself in the health and wellness industry is a code word for “scam”, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
In fact, many consumers seeking natural remedies for detoxification are told by western doctors that their efforts are pointless because our bodies should be able to detox naturally [1]. And while this does hold some merit, it ignores the fact that detox tea is a way to accelerate the detoxification process.
Looking at the history of medical intervention (in either eastern or western practices), we have always searched for ways to accelerate the functions our bodies can accomplish naturally. For example, our bodies are designed to heal itself after getting a sunburn, yet we turn to aloe vera (a naturally occurring substance) to ease the pain and accelerate the healing process. The same concept applies to consuming ginger to ease a stomach ache and aromatherapy to relieve headaches, stress, and anxiety.
So when you think about it, there are three significant reasons to consider detox tea as a reliable method for detoxification:
- Detoxing has been practiced since the beginning of medicine and healing—from Ayurveda, an ancient healing practice from India (and one of the oldest forms of medicine in the world), to Traditional Chinese Medicine and Native American healing [2].
- Detoxing is still relevant today—despite the fact that our toxin exposure and methods of detoxing have evolved over the last few centuries (due to industrialization and technology) the underlying need for detoxing hasn’t changed at all. If anything, detoxing is even more important now than ever before.
- Detoxing will be around for years to come—this alone should remind us that toxins are a recognized problem, and have been from the beginning of medicine Detoxing (and detox teas for that matter) should be seen as more than just a trendy fad diet.
So, to answer your question… What is detox tea? It’s simply a natural and holistic solution to accelerate the detoxification process after toxins build up in our bodies.
Causes And Effects Of Toxin Buildup
Before we answer your other question of what does detox tea do, we need to illuminate what we mean by toxins and toxin accumulation.
Thinking about toxin buildup may conjure images of murky gunk compiling and sticking to your precious organs, right? 🤢Just hearing the phrase “toxin buildup” can make anyone feel a little icky. And if there was a way to prevent toxin buildup from happening in the first place, wouldn’t you jump on the opportunity? But in order to prevent it, we have to understand it, what causes it, and how it affects us.
What is toxin accumulation (toxin buildup)?
Toxin accumulation occurs when your body absorbs harmful substances or chemicals at a rate faster than your body can get rid of them—causing an accumulation of the toxins and negative or potential harmful effects on the body. These types of toxins can include:
- Cigarette residue
- Chemicals
- Heavy metals
- Environmental elements
- Fecal matter
- Parasites
- Fungi
- Potentially aggravating foods like dairy, eggs, soy, refined sugar, caffeine, and, yes, alcohol (bummer)
Causes of toxin buildup
Your body can accumulate toxin buildup in two ways. The first, as mentioned above, is when there are more toxins entering the body faster than you can get rid of them—causing an accumulation of the toxin. The second is when your body is unable to break down or excrete the toxin naturally. It’s typically the latter circumstance that toxin buildup can become harmful, and sometimes deadly.
Now, this isn’t to say that your body is a toxic biohazard in human form. It simply means that your organs are unable to function optimally due to the high level of toxin accumulation, and for that, you can experience unwanted and potentially harmful side effects.
Effects of toxin buildup
If you are suffering from toxin buildup, chances are that your body is giving you some clear cut signs you need to detox. And still, this can be tricky. For starters, common symptoms can easily be mistaken for PMS, like:
- Mood swings
- Skin breakouts
- Anxiety or depression
- Chronic fatigue
- Mental fog
Other symptoms of toxin buildup can include:
- Headaches
- Joint pain
- Muscle aches
- Food sensitivities
- High blood pressure
- Insomnia
- Abdominal pain and bloating
- Itchy skin
- Constipation
- Bad breath or a white/yellowish coating on your tongue.
If you have experienced four or more of these symptoms over the past three months, it’s possible that you have a congested liver due to toxin accumulation and you should consider a detox.
What Does Detox Tea Do?
But what does detox tea do exactly? You’ll experience a variety of benefits while detoxing with detox tea—some you may notice shortly after beginning your detox tea regime, others will take slightly longer to see and feel the effects. However, the type, quality, and quantity of the ingredients used in the detox can can make a big difference in your results.That’s why some detox teas on the market are superior to and more effective than others.
Many people are skeptical about detoxing, unsure exactly how to answer, what do detox teas do, because they don’t understand the benefits. Well, these are the most common detox tea benefits you can expect over the short and long term.
Short-term detox tea benefits
You can expect to see these detox tea benefits within the first few weeks of your detox.
- Removes toxins
- Boosts energy levels
- Reduces bloating
- Increases metabolism
- Suppresses appetite/reduces cravings
- Improves complexion
- Boosts immunity
Long-term detox tea benefits
The long term benefits of detox tea tend to attract a lot of attention from detox users, and for good reason: they’re the exciting ones!These are the detox tea benefits you can expect to see over a longer period of time (typically anywhere from 30-90 days of consistent use).
- Regulates digestive system
- Accelerates weight loss—Yes, it’s true that you can actually lose weight with detox tea. In fact, it’s one of the best teas for losing weight!
Regardless of the benefits you are hoping to achieve with detox tea, there is one fundamental and crucial element to seeing optimal results—and that is to ensure that the toxins are not just leaving your body, but you are simultaneously preventing new ones from entering. Continue reading to learn exactly how detox tea works and what you need to do in order to see the results you’re looking for.
How Does Detox Tea Work?
Great, we’ve answered what do detox teas do. Now you’re wondering how does detox tea work? As mentioned above, in order for the detox tea to flush out the toxin buildup you have to do your part to help prevent any new toxins from entering your body. This is why most detox teas suggest you pair your detox regime with a healthy diet, exercise routine, and lots of water. Let me explain…
What type of toxins leave your body?
You should be making improvements in your diet from your very first day detoxing. I know it’s probably easier said than done, but you’d be surprised by the amount of toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis, especially from the foods we eat and the products we use! The most common types of toxins we encounter (sometimes on a daily basis) include:
- Bisphenol-A (BPA): a chemical found in the plastic containers from our beverages and foods that can lead to male and female infertility, early puberty, breast and prostate cancer, and a surprising amount of metabolic disorders. [3]
- Mercury: a neurotoxin most commonly found in certain seafood. Too much of it can damage your brain and nervous system.
- Toxins from your beauty products: your skin is the largest organ in your body and the most susceptible for absorbing harmful toxins. Many beauty products use ingredients that can have adverse effects on your health, like parabens, sulfates, artificial fragrances, synthetic materials, formaldehyde, phthalates, and more.
- Pesticides: commonly used in agricultural food production to control pests such as insects, rodents, weeds, bacteria, mold, and fungus, pesticides enter our body through everyday foods.
- Asbestos: a collection of silicate minerals that are commonly found around the home (floor tiles, insulation, pipes, fireplaces, sheeting, etc.) and is extremely harmful to your lungs and can cause chronic respiratory disease.
- Artificial food coloring: These synthetic dyes make food look more colorful or otherwise more visually appealing, but can be toxic when consumed in quantity.
- Other types of harmful toxins include teflon from your non-stick cooking pans, lead used to seal water pipes that contaminate your drinking water, heavy metals in combination with phenylenediamine and ammonia found in hair dyes, smog and pollution, cigarette residue, and more.
As you can see, the risk of toxin accumulation just from your day-to-day life is hard to avoid, which is why a healthy diet is crucial to preventing new toxins from entering the body. Additionally, providing your body with proper nutrition and hydration helps your organs to function optimally, allowing the detox tea to do its job.
How do toxins leave your body?
You see, detoxification means to cleanse the body and blood of impurities. But is detoxing safe?
The process of detoxification happens a few ways—through the liver (where toxins are processed for elimination), kidneys, lungs, lymphatic system, and skin. However, when these processes are compromised and the impurities are unable to be filtered properly, your body is negatively affected—which is why a healthy diet, proper hydration, and regular exercise is crucial.
Toxins leave your body the same way they enter:
- Sweat—That’s right, your body releases toxins through your skin as sweat! When you exercise, you increase your body’s thermal energy and temperature which activates your sweat glands to cool your body off. Burning pounds burns toxins at the same time!
- Urine—Drinking water helps flush out the toxin buildup in your kidneys and leaves the body through your urine. That’s why staying hydrated is crucial for detoxification. In fact, you should be drinking half of your bodyweight in ounces of water per day, and more if you’re regularly active or live in a warmer climate! For example, if you weigh 150lbs you should be drinking 75 ounces of water every day (at minimum).
- Gut and Bowels—Our bodies empty a lot of toxins through the digestive system and bowels. However, when the toxins are in your digestive system for too long (like when you’re constipated, for example) the toxins can get reabsorbed into your system making it even harder for you to eliminate the toxins. Maintaining proper gut health is critical to a healthy digestive system and ensuring toxins leave your body. Having a diet rich in fiber, plus taking a gut health supplement can help regulate your digestive system.
- Your Breath— Believe it or not, your breath is another way your body rids toxins. Your body is in a constant state of metabolism and your lungs help to process the toxins that accumulate within your airways. Frequent exercise helps to increase cardiovascular function, which allows your body to rid toxins in the form of carbon dioxide. To keep your lungs as healthy as possible, you should refrain from smoking, limit your exposure to secondhand smoke, eat foods rich in antioxidants, and improve your indoor air quality with air purifiers and plants.
What’s important to remember is that all of these systems are activated when you exercise and eat healthy! Even the best detox teas can only help you so much if you’re not eating and exercising appropriately.
The How does detox tea fit your lifestyle?
We know that in order to get the most out of your detox tea you have to make certain adjustments to your diet and activity level. Of course, it’s unrealistic to completely change your entire lifestyle overnight—but there are some simple things you can do to push the needle in the right direction to ensure that you are preventing new toxins from accumulating.
For example, you can start by making a few healthy food swaps to your diet, buy organic foods made without pesticides and fresh foods that are free of preservatives, and keep yourself educated on what food label claims actually mean. These small changes in your day-to-day can add up and make a huge difference in the long run!
Similarly, by incorporating just 20-30 minutes of exercise each day can improve your cardiovascular and muscular system, your bone and joint health, and even your mood! Regular exercise can also reduce your stress levels and promotes an overall better quality of life.
Does Detox Tea Work? What Science Says
By now, you should be able to answer friends and family when they ask, What does detox tea do? Now, what happens when they say, “Sure. But does detox tea work?”
The good news is, yes, it totally does! Detox teas have raised eyebrows among the science community for a long time, but as studies were conducted there’s been an emergence of scientific proof to back it up!
What’s in detox tea?
The ingredients used in detox tea vary from brand to brand and it’s important to do your research beforehand and understand their ingredients, benefits, and side effects. The majority of detox teas contain a variety of different teas and superfoods, however, Super Youth Detox, for example, is the only detox tea that contains the nine best teas for losing weight and has the most superfood ingredients in one tea than any other detox tea on the market! Super Youth Detox tea contains 13 superfoods including matcha green tea, sencha green tea, nettle leaf, oolong tea, dandelion leaf, goji berry, yerba mate, lemongrass, milk thistle, guarana, ginseng, stevia leaf, and peach powder.
However, there are a few ingredients that can be found in other detox teas that can raise some red flags—like senna, for example. Senna is a type of laxative commonly found in detox tea and is typically the ingredient responsible for many “lose weight fast” claims.
As we’ll cover shortly, it’s important to note that the best detox teas (like Super Youth) contain these types of harmful ingredients and contain safe and effective ingredients that can help accelerate weight loss.
The Can detox tea help you lose weight?
While some detox teas on the market claim to help you lose weight, any detox tea is only as good as the quality of its ingredients. Good-quality detox teas can help you reach your weight loss goals safely, effectively, and sustainably, while poor-quality detox teas that contain laxatives fail in comparison. Laxatives work by pulling water from your body into the intestines, allowing your stool to absorb more water for an easier passage. With laxatives, the only weight you’ll lose is from the water and waste from your stool.
In fact, a study published on the Society of Toxicologic Pathology concluded that detox teas containing these types of laxatives can actually do more harm than good. They weaken the body’s ability to fight infections and inflammation, upsetting blood sugar, potassium, and sodium levels, and resulting in vitamin and mineral deprivation which can cause dehydration, migraines, and headaches. A similar study on the use of laxatives and weight loss showed that any weight loss results from laxatives are merely temporary; you’re unlikely to keep it off.
But all hope is not lost for detox tea! As I mentioned before, the best detox teas don’t contain these types of harmful ingredients but have the right combination of detoxifying superfoods to get the job done.
Super Youth Detox is the perfect example of a premium detox tea for bloating, an excellent tea for burning fat, and one of the best teas for weight loss in general! There is even an entire clinical study about it!
In early 2018, the International Research Services, Inc. (IRSI), conducted an eight-week, randomized, controlled clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of Super Youth Detox for weight control and body morphology. They concluded that after four and eight weeks under the conditions of the study, significantly more consumers using the test product (Super Youth Detox) had a reduction in intracellular water, extracellular water, and total body water and experienced the perception of a reduction in abdominal and facial bloating, an increase in overall energy and an improved overall morphological/appearance of their body than those using the control product (Decaffeinated Chamomile Tea).
Similarly, various studies conducted on the individual ingredients found in Super Youth Detox are proven to release the toxins that cause weight gain, boost metabolism, and naturally clean out your digestive system to accelerate fat loss—like yerba mate, oolong tea, and milk thistle, just to name a few.
Is Detoxing Safe?
Another concern with detox tea is whether it’s safe to use. Detox tea is generally safe for regular use, but, like most health and wellness products on the market today, there are some circumstances where taking detox tea should be approached with caution.
If you are taking prescription medication, have a pre-existing medical condition (like diabetes for example), or are pregnant or nursing you should consult a health care provider before using any detox products and avoid detox teas that contain laxatives altogether. What does detox tea do to people with these conditions? Well, when it comes to chronic illnesses, some sufferers may experience nausea, vomiting, exhaustion, diarrhea, lightheadedness, and/or swings in blood glucose levels, or more severe symptoms if long-term detoxing with a chronic condition. This is why it’s important to talk to your doctor first, and still only to use high-quality, laxative-free detox teas.
How long should you detox for?
Detoxing, and the results you get from detoxing, can vary from person to person. We recommend only using a detox tea without laxatives, like Super Youth Detox, because you will be able to use this product safely and continuously without seeing any negative long-term side effects. Detox teas containing laxatives are not safe for long-term use which is why Super Youth Detox is a great option if you’re looking to lose weight with detox tea.
Similarly, Detox tea helps to accelerate the detoxification process by flushing your system and eliminating the toxins through your urine, sweat, bowels, and breath so getting adequate hydration is crucial to the detoxification process.
Here is a simple guide for how long you should detox based on your goals. Keep in mind the short-term and long-term benefits of detox tea before choosing which time frame works best for you.
- Good Results—drink Super YouthDetox daily with adequate hydration for a minimum of 28 days.
- Better Results—drink Super Youth Detox daily with adequate hydration in conjunction with a healthy and balanced diet for a minimum of 60 days.
- Best Results—drink Super Youth Detox daily with adequate hydration in conjunction with a healthy and balanced diet and a consistent exercise regime for at least 90 days.
What to avoid while detoxing
These are some things you should avoid in your diet to ensure you get the most out of your detox experience:
- Alcohol
- Refined sugars and sweeteners
- Dairy products and eggs
- Wheat and gluten foods
- Fast food
- Fried foods
These foods contain mild toxins that can accumulate in your body; consuming them while trying to get rid of them may zero out your efforts, or at least reduce the efficacy of detoxification. By avoiding them, you are ensuring that the detox tea can do its job without trying to fight off new toxins from entering the body.
What to eat while detoxing
During your detox, start incorporating the following things into your diet.
- Vegetables
- Fruit
- Whole grains and complex carbohydrates
- Beans and legumes
- Healthy fats
- Dairy alternatives
It’s important to start including these types of foods into your diet because they contain important micronutrients that help nourish your body and organs for optimal performance. Essentially, the more nutrients you can provide your body during a detox, like antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, the more flushing out of toxins you’ll be able to do.
Sticking to this improved diet might be one of the best moves you can do for your health, in part because doing so will help naturally fend off toxin buildup for the long run.
What Are The Best Detox Teas?
Regardless of what you’re trying to get out of using detox tea, whether you’re looking for the best teas for losing weight, the best tea for bloating, or even the best tea for burning fat, there is one detox that is far more superior than everything else on the market—and that’s Super Youth Detox.
Super Youth Detox contains 13 powerful superfoods in every serving—nine of which are considered the best teas for weight loss in general! And of course, Super Youth never uses harmful ingredients (like laxatives or harmful preservatives) that can have negative side effects and undesirable outcomes. The high-quality ingredients are formulated by seasoned experts and chosen with the unique metabolic needs of women in mind.
Aside from its place as the best detox tea on the market, Super Youth has over 1,400 reviews with a 4-star average—which says a lot considering many other detox tea companies have less-than-impressive reviews.
And don’t forget that Super Youth has spectacular customer service. They truly live to see their customers succeed! And in the event that you’re for some reason unsatisfied with your Detox experience, they offer an industry-leading 90-day money back guarantee on all our products!
How to use detox tea
Incorporating detox tea into your daily routine has never been easier. Just steep one bag of Super Youth Detox in 8 oz. of hot water for 5-7 minutes. Want a cold brew Detox? Leave it in the fridge overnight (or a minimum of 8 hours). You can even brew an entire batch at once and have it ready to go any time!
We recommend using a fresh tea bag in each new cup for best results. Reusing tea bags can dilute the ingredients in the detox blend and will diminish the benefits. Similarly, we recommend using one detox tea bag for every 8 oz. of water. For example, if you want to fill a 16 oz water bottle with Detox, you should use two pyramid bags. Using more than 8 oz of water per bag can also dilute the ingredients and you won’t get the same benefits out of each use.
The Bottom Line
The primary role that detox tea plays in weight loss and body fat reduction is ultimately support. Incorporating detox tea into your daily routine removes harmful toxin buildup that prevents your organs from functionally at their best—which oftentimes results in unwanted weight gain, belly bloat, stress, and a weaker immune system. The best detox teas, those made without laxatives, like Super Youth Detox, flush out your digestive system and boost your metabolism, which accelerates fat loss and helps you reach your weight loss goals faster.
Your body is in a constant state of metabolic action—it’s constantly working to inspect, clean, and clear out every cell to keep you in tip-top shape. But expecting our bodies to keep up with the insane amount of toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis (in our food, skin care products, environment, and through our modern technological gadgets) is completely unrealistic. When you factor in our alarming sedentary lifestyles, poor diets, and the steady drip of toxin buildup, even a healthy body can only do so much.
That’s why Super Youth Detox is here—to flush your body of toxins and boost your metabolism to accelerate fat loss and help you to finally reach your weight loss goals safely and effectively. And when friends and family ask you (since you’ll be a detox expert), What does detox tea do? You can answer them impressively. Share this blog—and maybe a tea bag of Detox—with someone you know who’d benefit from detoxing. And don’t forget to follow us on all your favorite social media channels, and join our supportive Super Youth Community on Facebook for Detox deals and ideas!
