Lifestyle | Do Teatoxes Really Work?

Hello Lovelies! Teatoxes are one of the latest crazes to hit the weight loss industry, promising to cleanse and detox your digestive system leading to weight loss and a 'happier and healthier lifestyle'. Before trying a teatox myself I found the idea of them really seductive. I'm not even one to really give in to weight loss fads, but as a fan of tea, I couldn't see the harm in trying a blend that could make me feel better and help me to lose weight. I mean honestly how harmful can a few cups of tea be? So when I got the chance to try Natural Beauty Slimming's Teatox* curiosity got the better of me, and I jumped straight on to the Teatox bandwagon. 

How It Works

As with most Teatoxes, Natural Beauty Slimming is used over the course of two weeks - with a Daytime Blend (14 tea bags) you drink every day, and an Evening Blend (7 tea bags) you drink every other day. It's suggested that you exercise and diet over the two weeks to get the ultimate results, but I decided to keep with my normal routine and see if it works. 

The Ingredients

Daytime Blend: Chinese Oolong Tea (38%), Siberian Ginseng (20%), Fennel (10%), Lemongrass (10%), Nettle Leaves (8%), Ginger Root (5%), Dandelion Leaf (5%), Ginseng Root (2%), Salvia milthiorrhiza (2%)

Evening Blend: Senna Leaves (20%), Hawthorn Leaves (20%), Lotus Leaves (14%), Fenugreek seeds (12%), Burdock Root (14%), Peppermint (8%), Psyllium Seeds (8%), Valerian root (2%), Liquorice root (2%)

As you can see all of these ingredients look nice and natural - no chemicals! However this doesn't necessarily mean they're good for you at all. Most of the ingredients listed here have a laxative effect, and some even are diuretics meaning that they can dehydrate you by causing you to excessively lose water weight. But actually one of these ingredients is particularly dodgy, and that's Senna Leaves, a popular ingredient in Teatoxes which you can see here in the evening blend. Senna is used as a laxative and is often used to treat constipation. The problem is that it can have some nasty side effects like stomach cramps, discomfort and diarrhoea if used in the short term. But even more worryingly if you use it for more than two weeks your bowels can stop functioning normally and become dependent on laxatives to work. If that wasn't bad enough Senna can also start to change the balance of electrolytes in your blood which can cause heart function disorders, muscle weakness, liver damage and other harmful effects. The worst part is that as a consumer you're not told about the dangers properly. I was really only advised to use it for two weeks to allow my body to go back to its natural functions rather than the fact that it could be potentially dangerous to my health if I used it for longer than the two week period! 

The Side Effects

You've probably guessed by now that I am not a fan of teatoxes, and this is why. Honestly compared to some other horror stories I've read about them, my side effects weren't even that bad which really says a lot about teatoxes! I experienced a lot of sharp abdominal pain, kind of like mini cramps that happened at random intervals throughout the day (yay). Also to my surprise I felt really icky and nauseous most of the time, probably a result of dehydration which is kind of the opposite I expected to feel from a product that claims to make you feel healthier. To make things worse I was also incredibly irritable. In fact over the course of the teatox I broke down in tears a total of four times, and generally felt really depressed. In fact the only reason I kept going was so that I could properly review them, if not then I definitely would have stopped after a couple of days. Even my friends were suggesting I stopped, because they could noticeably see a difference in my mood!

Does It Work? 

Honestly? No. I may have lost a little weight but not enough that it was noticeable or worth it at all and in the end I felt worse and generally less attractive. Teatoxes anyway really only help you to lose weight in the short term as often they just rid you of water weight which is not a good thing. So if you're thinking about trying one yourself, I would say - don't! Other teas like Green Tea can help you lose weight and are great for you with none of the nasty side effects so try that instead! 

Thank you for reading lovelies! Have you ever tried a Teatox before, and if so did you ever have any nasty side effects or did it actually work for you?

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