Deadly Diet Teas?

Diet tea has been consumed for many years by dieters. It is common to see private labeled diet tea products in grocery stores. Many believe diet tea is good for diets because it is less than 5 calories per serving, has caffeine that helps the body burn more calories, and has polyphenols which aid in the digestion of fat.

Chinese diet tea, fasting tea, slimming tea, super dieters tea, weight loss tea, although they come with somewhat different names, all promote a common message just drink this tea and you will lose weight. However, many experts noted that what you are actually drinking from these products is a plant based laxative that can cause certain disorders like diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, fainting, chronic constipation and perhaps even death when consumed in excessive amounts.

The types of tea that the FDA is most concerned about are the ones that contain rhubarb root, aloe, senna, castor oil, bucktorn, and cascara. These plants are known laxatives. They should only be consume occasionally for the relief of constipation or to promote bowel movements. They should not be consumed every day in large amounts or to combat hunger.

When the labeled Chinese diet teas are excessively used based on the misconception that frequent bowel movements prevent the absorption of calories that problems tend to occur. Numerous studies have shown that the laxative-induced diarrhea does not significantly reduce absorption of calories for the reason that laxatives do not work in the small intestine, where the calories are absorbed. It rather works on the colon, which is the lower end of the bowel.

Another thing that you should be aware of if you are a new tea drinker is how long you steep the tea for. You should not steep the tea for longer than the product label recommends. Doing so causes you to consume more than the recommended amount of laxatives. It basically is the same thing that happens when you drink more tea than the daily recommended amount.

It has been noted that for those first-time users who drank Chinese diet teas more than the recommended amount, stomach cramps, vomiting, nausea and diarrhea are the common disorders to occur and will last for several days. When these laxatives are used continually, laxative dependency will tend to develop with bouts of chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain as well as constipation. In the most severe cases, these laxatives can cause fainting, dehydration and serious electrolyte disorders. As noted, these after-effects of excessive use of Chinese diet teas are most likely to develop in people who are nutritionally compromised due to rigorous weight-loss dieting.

Because of these concerns, the FDA is now considering requiring the manufacturers of labeled Chinese diet teas to place warning labels on all of their product stimulant laxatives. It is also important that those who are using Chinese diet teas for any purpose must read and follow the recommended directions carefully. The words indicated on the label under warning must then be given attention.

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