Dieters Tea for weight loss has become a popular item for purchase lately, particularly among the over 50 crowd. It is a weight loss supplement tea that is proven to curb cravings of sweets, alleviate carb and sugar cravings, even boost your metabolism and assist in the burning of fat.
What Is Dieter’s Tea
Weight-loss or “detox” teas are herbal blends that promise quick fat-shedding results, along with other health benefits. However, there is little evidence that they offer any more benefits than standard green or black tea.
Typically, dieter’s tea brands promise a boost in metabolism. The idea is that a faster metabolism will help you burn through more calories in less time, and therefore help you drop the number on the scale. But it’s a myth that tea or caffeine alone can help you shed any fat, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Some teas, however, may cause you to temporarily shed water weight. That’s because many weight-loss teas (like China Slim Tea) are formulated with an ingredient called senna, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is an over-the-counter herbal laxative found in products such as Ex-Lax and Senokot. So, while it may seem like you’re losing fat, laxatives like senna only give the illusion of weight loss.
While senna is approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for the treatment of occasional constipation and is generally considered safe in small doses, it may also cause stomach or bowel problems, including abdominal pain, vomiting or nausea, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Warning
Overuse or misuse of senna can also lead to liver injury, especially if you use senna in the long term (more than a week), according to the NIH.
Are There Any Benefits?
Few, if any, of the ingredients in dieter’s teas are weight-loss aids. However, some of the common ingredients may have some health benefits. Chrysanthemum, for one, can provide some anti-inflammatory benefits, according to a 2015 study published in Bioorganic & Medical Chemistry Letters.
Licorice root, another common detox tea ingredient, is often used as a supplement for digestive problems, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Some even use this supplement to treat menopausal symptoms or bacterial and viral infections — however, there is limited research that has proven licorice is an effective treatment method for these conditions.
You may also find dandelion in your dieter’s tea. While dandelion greens supply nutrients like fiber, magnesium and potassium, according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s nutrient database, dandelion root does not offer the same benefits. However, the root may promote liver health, according to an August 2017 study published in Molecules.
With all that said, you would glean the same potential health benefits from non-detox herbal teas with the same ingredients, while avoiding the risk that comes with overconsumption of senna.
Is Dieter’s Tea Effective?
It usually takes eight to 12 hours after drinking for Dieter’s Tea to start working in your body. It has the same effects as any laxative, so you must be ready to use the bathroom frequently. Although there is positive feedback from users of the product, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t recognize these slimming or diet teas as effective.
Laxatives like senna, which the FDA recognizes, can help temporarily shed water and fecal weight, making you feel like you’re losing pounds, but it’s only an illusion. Meanwhile, diet teas don’t have a similar effect on people. It can also be effective for some, while others continue to drink it to avoid slowing their metabolism.
Additionally, some of the common ingredients you can find in any Dieter’s Tea have other health benefits.
- Chrysanthemum has anti-inflammatory benefits.
- Licorice root is often used as a supplement for digestive problems and menopausal symptoms.
- Dandelion is a highly nutritious plant rich in vitamins, fiber, and minerals.
Health Concerns When Drinking Dieter’s Tea
Laxatives
Senna is a natural laxative commonly used for constipation treatment and should be consumed in small doses. Consuming too much can cause nausea, diarrhea, cramping, aggravate constipation, and weaken the colon. It can also cause dependency and reduced potassium levels, which will be dangerous if you have heart problems.
Diuretics
It is also called water pills that help the kidneys eliminate extra salt (sodium) and water from your body through urinating. While it’s a safe drug, it can also lead to dehydration, muscle cramps, fluid loss, and diarrhea. Diuretics can even lead to fluctuations that cause cardiac arrhythmia and death.
Other Concerns That May Affect Your Health
- False claims of health benefits
- Unknown side effects
- Products that are unsafe, uncontrolled, and unlicensed by FDA
Well-Known Diet Or Weight Loss Teas
Caffeine helps boost metabolism and increase fat burning, but no matter how much caffeine is in a cup of tea, it will only help you lose a small amount of weight. It also doesn’t matter if you’re drinking special Dieter’s Tea, as most of the “slimming effects” is from the tea itself and not from their special additives.
If you want to lose weight in a healthy way, you can partner the following teas with proper diet and exercise. However, you should consult your doctor before trying anything.
What Does Dieter’s Tea Do?
Every brand of Dieter’s Tea promotes its product as a beverage that helps lose weight and cleanse the body. It boosts digestion, aids metabolism, and removes wastes from the body.
Can I Drink Tea Every Day?
Although there is evidence that this type of tea controls appetite and promotes healthy blood pressure, taking weight-loss supplements every day can be dangerous. Medical experts have released warnings and health concerns about drinking diet or slimming teas because of their ingredients.
What Are The Side Effects Of Dieter’s Tea?
While people believe Dieter’s Tea helps them lose weight and has other health benefits, some can experience side effects. The senna, buckthorn, and aloe found in these teas are not supposed to be consumed daily as they have a laxative effect. They can cause stomach cramps, chronic constipation, diarrhea, and nausea.
How Long Does It Take For Dieter’s Tea To Work?
Dieter’s Tea doesn’t work instantly. It normally takes about eight to 12 hours to work after drinking.
It works by speeding up the fat-burning process, which stimulates weight loss. You will need to use the bathroom more often when the tea starts to kick in.
Best Teas You Should Drink for Weight Loss
Bilberry Tea
Consuming bilberries, a northern European cousin to the blueberry, may help reduce bloat-inducing inflammation, according to a study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. To come to these findings, researchers divided participants into two groups; one group was given a diet that included an equivalent of 1.5 cups of blueberries, while the other group followed a control diet that didn’t include the fruit. At the end of the experiment, the bilberry-eating group had significantly less inflammation than their counterparts who didn’t munch on the berry. Since the fruit is native to Northern Europe, it isn’t widely available in the US. To reap the benefits, enjoy a few cups of bilberry tea.
Red Tea
Rooibos tea is made from the leaves of the “red bush” plant, grown exclusively in the small Cederberg region of South Africa, near Cape Town. What makes rooibos tea particularly good for your belly is a unique and powerful flavonoid called Aspalathin. According to South African researchers, polyphenols and flavonoids found in the plant inhibit adipogenesis–the formation of new fat cells–by as much as 22 percent. The chemicals also help aid fat metabolism. Plus, Rooibos is naturally sweet, so you won’t need to add sugar. It’s also not technically a tea—it’s an herbal infusion. Want to give your metabolism a kick?
Mate
Mate tea is known for its powerful thermogenic effects—meaning it turns up your body’s calorie burning mechanism—and can also promote weight loss by improving insulin sensitivity. In a recent study, participants were divided into two groups. One group took a placebo 60 minutes prior to exercising, while the other group ingested 1000 mg capsule of yerba maté. Researchers found that those who consumed the herb increased the beneficial effects their workout had on their metabolism without the workout. Plus, this brew is like green tea on steroids, with up to 90 percent more powerful cancer-fighting antioxidants, a cache of B vitamins, and plenty of chromium, which helps stabilize blood-sugar levels.
Mint Tea
Mint tea wards off the munchies. Fill a big teacup with soothing peppermint tea and sniff yourself skinny! While certain scents can trigger hunger (a trick Cinnabon figured out long ago), others can actually suppress your appetite. One study published in the Journal of Neurological and Orthopaedic Medicine found that people who sniffed peppermint every two hours lost an average of 5 pounds a month. Although tea is relatively low in caffeine—about 25% of what a cup of coffee delivers—decaffeinated varieties are great to have on hand for a soothing bedtime treat that will keep you out of the cabinets! And speaking of sleep, want to lose weight while you snooze? These ways to lose weight in your sleep can help.
Chamomile & Lavender Tea
Chamomile-and-lavender tea wards off fatigue and depression by reducing the stress that comes with insomnia. And reduced stress prevents increased levels of inflammation, which have been directly tied to weight and blood sugar disorders like obesity and diabetes. One Taiwanese study found that chamomile tea significantly improved the physical symptoms related to a lack of sleep, and even helped reduced levels of depression in the chronically sleep-deprived. Another study found that it improved daytime wakefulness in people who suffered from a lack of sleep. Here’s the funny thing about chamomile: Although it’s the most popular tea for bedtime, there’s actually no evidence that it improves the length or quality of sleep.
Goji Tea
Goji tea cranks up calorie burn by 10%. Lycium barbarum, the plant from which gojis are harvested, is a traditional Asian medicinal therapy for diabetes, but it also boasts a slimming effect. In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, participants were either given a single dose of L. barbarum or a placebo after a meal. The researchers found that one hour after the dose, the goji group was burning calories at a rate 10 percent higher than the placebo group. The effects lasted up to four hours! Most goji teas are mixed with green tea, further boosting your calorie burn.
Ginger Tea
Not only is ginger one of the healthiest spices on the planet, but it also fights inflammation. According to numerous studies, ginger, traditionally used to ease stomach pain, blocks several genes and enzymes in the body that promote bloat-causing inflammation. This means you can enjoy that second serving of nutrient-dense veggies without worry. If you prefer the taste of chai tea, typically made from a blend of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and ginger, that may also do the trick—but may be less potent.
Barberry
This tea is a weight-loss ninja. The stem, fruit and root bark of the barberry shrub contains berberine–a powerful, naturally occurring, fat-frying chemical. A study conducted by Chinese researchers revealed that taking berberine supplements three times a day over the course of three months can decrease your body mass index (BMI): participants dropped their BMI levels from 31.5 to 27.4. Previous studies have also found that consuming the plant can boost energy expenditure and help decrease the number of receptors on the surface of fat cells, making them less apt to absorb incoming sources of flubber. For more weight loss foods, check out these best foods for rapid weight loss.