Have you ever heard of the diet tea? Well if you haven’t, the diet tea is a tea that’s supposed to help you lose weight. Many people believe this tea would work because the tea carries almost no calories and the caffeine in the tea is potent enough to increase body function to help burn off calories. However, according to experts, the tea is made from plants that can cause certain disorders like diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, fainting, chronic constipation and even death.
According to this site, “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) once stressed that the laxative teas and dietary supplements of most concern are those containing one or more of the substances, such as aloe, senna, rhubarb root, buckthorn, castor oil, and cascara.” These laxative substances are known to have the ability to relieve constipation and promote bowel movements. However, studies have shown that laxative- induced diarrhea does not reduce the absorption of calories. The reason for this is because laxatives don’t work in the small intestine, where calories are absorbed; instead it works in the large intestine.
From the previous statement, it made me wonder that if laxatives don’t work in it’s rightful place (the large intestine) then can it harm our body? The answer to that is yes. Overdosing on laxatives can permanently damage the gastrointestinal tract and weaken and soften the bone, a condition known as osteomalacia. Osteomalacia is usually caused by many factors like Vitamin D deficiency, certain surgeries, kidney or liver disorders, etc. In this case, it is caused by the lack of vitamin D. As I mentioned before, laxative- induced diarrhea does not reduce the absorption of calories because calories are absorbed in the small intestine. However, vitamins, on the other hand, are absorbed in the large intestine, where the laxatives take place. Therefore, overdosing on laxatives means you are actually taking away the vitamins D’s that your body needs for bone support. Due to this, overdosing on laxatives can cause you may serious issues like osteomalacia.
Besides the serious disorders there are some less serious issues that can occur from drinking diet teas. These problems include stomach cramps, vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. However, these symptoms only last for several days.
Due to all the problems with drinking diet tea, the FDA is now making all manufactures of Chinese diet tea to put a warning label on the product box. So the next time you plan on drinking diet tea for weight loss, please think about the consequences before drinking it.
Sources:
http://www.learn-about-tea.com/chinese-diet-tea.html
http://resetnation.weebly.com/dangers-of-using-laxatives-for-weight-loss.html
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteomalacia/basics/causes/con-20029393
Although I am not a very avid tea drinker, this post makes me wonder what other types of food and drink that seem somewhat common may actually be dangerous to the body. I looked into the topic and found this article http://www.kitchendaily.com/read/10-common-foods-can-be-poisonous
I found this topic extremely interesting and I loved reading it! I am a tea drinker myself so I think that is why I was attracted to it. There have even been studies in the United States about certain teas that might be being used for weight loss. However, I think there is no direct causality between drinking this Chinese tea and weight loss. I think there are more health side-effects (more negative than positive) that you listed that can occur. I also agree with Katelyn and loved hearing Xiaotong’s personal comments and experiences from drinking Chinese tea. I guess you just have to be in moderation with it, which is the case with most teas! Nice blog!! 🙂 The link below talks about Chinese tea helping you lose weight, but it also talks about the side effects as well. So be cautious!
http://chinesetea.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-lose-weight-by-drinking-Chinese-tea
This is extremely interesting! And I love Xiaotong’s comment. That’s so cool that we could get the perspective of a Chinese student that has tried the actual tea! I’ve never had it before, but knowing my habits I would end up forgetting to drink it every day and gain more weight in the end.
Emmm… the topic you talked about is really interested me, because I am a Chinese student 🙂 Actually in China, almost every residence of us know that those diet tea is useless to actually control your weight. Because the way it use to make you lose weight is just dehydrate human body. More water you lose from your blood, more light you are of course! But once you stop drinking it, those water from your diet or daily using will come back to your weight, sometimes even more than your original weight! because your body’s asking for water is increased. In here, I recommend you to try some real Chinese tea like black tea, that can do really help to your weight! Also, if you drink it in the morning, I promise that you will have a fabulous day, because tea can help you to be sober in short time.