7 Detox Drinks:
Harmless, Hyped or Risky?
"Detox"
is not a recipe
It is a marketing word. Your liver and kidneys already do the job. Judge each drink by what is actually in the glass.
#1. Infused water: harmless
This is flavoured hydration, and that is a fine reason to drink it.
#2. Herbal tea: mostly harmless
Ginger, mint or saunf tea is just tea. Anything sold as detox tea needs its ingredient list read before the first cup.
#3. Juice cleanses: hype
Skipping meals does not rest your gut. Juicing also strips out most of the fibre that made the fruit and vegetables worth eating.
#4. Senna detox tea: risky
Senna is a stimulant laxative, not a daily drink. Cramping and diarrhoea are common. Natural on the box does not change that.
#5. Activated charcoal: risky
It has real clinical uses. In a wellness drink it detoxifies nothing, and it can bind with medicines you actually need.
#6. Detox powders: check it
Proprietary blends can hide laxatives, stimulants or heavy mineral doses. If the label will not name the dose, put the tub back.
#7. Colon-cleanse kits: risky
Not a drink, a protocol. Aggressive cleansing can cause dehydration and electrolyte problems, and treats none of the actual cause.
3-question label test
What is in it? What is it promising? Could it be a laxative? If the pack cannot answer, put it away.
Before you buy the next one
Photograph the label and run the three questions. For more information, visit Happy Tummy.