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Does Detox Tea Help Your Liver?

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Stephen Holt, MD, PhD, FACP

Mar 8th, 2019

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In today’s health crazed society, everybody is looking for the right product to help them get healthy the fastest, look the best, or stay the fittest.

One method they try is drinking one of the many liver detox teas on the market.

This article will help you answer:

• Which tea is right for you?
• Which ones have the ingredients that will help you feel the best and achieve your goals?
• And, most importantly, will the detox tea help your liver?

Detox Teas Support Your Liver

It is important to have a clean functioning liver, as it is responsible for filtering toxins out of your body as well as producing bile to help digest fats. Tea ingredients like dandelion, ginger, chicory, and licorice can help eliminate toxins from the liver and reduce inflammation. This can aid in digesting unwanted toxins that are introduced to the body through food, beverages, and the living environment.

Liver Detox Teas Help Heal a Leaky Gut

There are a lot of benefits to liver detox teas. One overarching benefit is that they can help someone who is ailing from a leaky (or toxic) gut.

When somebody is suffering from a leaky gut, undigested foods and toxins are able to escape from weakened barrier intestines and into the body through the bloodstream.

Patients with leaky gut suffer from various ailments, including:

• food intolerance, primarily from gluten and dairy
• irritable bowel syndrome
• thyroid issues
• poor skin conditions
• mental illness

By drinking detox tea, they may see some of the following benefits that can aid with certain ailments.

Detox Teas Aid in Digestion

Teas that have licorice, ginger, dandelion, and hibiscus in their recipes have anti-inflammatory properties that will aid in repairing leaky intestines, lower toxicity in the gut and the rest of the body, making it easier for the body to process food.

While detoxing and trying to clean out your system, it is advised to not ingest other foods that may introduce new toxins into your body. Therefore, it is best to avoid foods like sugar, alcohol, and processed foods while eating more clean healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats. Also be sure to drink plenty of water.

Detox Teas Alleviate Symptoms of Arthritis

When suffering from a leaky gut, a patient becomes more at risk of developing autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. When using detox tea, patients are able to heal their gut and effectively manage inflammation and joint pain before it spreads throughout the body.

Drink Detox Teas for Healthier Skin

Adult acne can be a product of a toxic gut or liver. When the body is unable to filter toxins through the digestive system, it resorts to releasing them through the skin, causing acne. As you begin to detoxify your liver, your skin quality should begin to improve, giving you a nice healthy glow.

Detox Teas May Prevent Autism

Recent studies show that toxic, leaky gut may be a potential cause of autism or can worsen symptoms. By detoxifying the body, you may reduce the mental and emotional symptoms of autism.

Do Detox Teas Protect Against Autoimmune Diseases?

Some detox ingredients contain curcumin, which is used to heal and alleviate pain.

Studies show that curcumin can help fight autoimmune diseases like:

• psoriasis
• thyroiditis
• and multiple scleroris

Possible Side Effects

While there are plenty of potential benefits from drinking detox teas, there are still some possible side effects due to reactions to specific ingredients.

1. If you are suffering from an inflamed or infected gallbladder or have blocked bile ducts, you should avoid teas that have dandelion as an active ingredient as it can sometimes cause an upset stomach or diarrhea.
2. Some patients have reported mild cases of upset stomach, headaches, joint pain, impotence, and skin rashes as a result of milk thistle.
3. Burdock will sometimes cause drowsiness or a reduced heart rate.
4. While recipes are primarily made up of actual tea, they do tend to have other ingredients to help in reducing appetite, elevating your metabolism, or boosting weight loss that may have an adverse effect on your body.
5. One known ingredient is senna, a plant that works as a natural laxative. Senna can cause abdominal pain and discomfort, cramps, bloating, gas, nausea, and diarrhea. Ingesting excessive amounts can lead to potassium depletion and loss of electrolytes.
6. Teas that contain guarana have effects similar to drinking too much caffeine which includes feeling restless, upset stomach, vomiting, anxiety, and increased pulse or breathing rate.

If you have any pre-existing medical conditions, it’s best to consult with a physician before starting to drink detox tea.

When you first start detoxing, you may experience some flu-like symptoms as well. You should be sure to rest and drink plenty of water to let yourself heal. Along with that, although it can help clear your skin, at the beginning of your detox, you may see an increase in acne as toxins are being excreted from your liver. However, this should clear up as you progress with the detox.

How to Make Your Own Liver Detox Tea

If you would like to make your own tea at home, here’s a simple recipe:

INGREDIENTS

• 3 parts ppeppermint leaf
• 2 parts nettle leaf
• 2 parts dandelion leaf
• 1 part milk thistle seeds, crushed or powdered
• 1 part blessed thistle (optional)
• 1 part burdock root
• 1/2 part cardamom (or ginger or cinnamon chips)

Note: A “part” can be whatever you want it to be. You just want to make sure the herbs are properly ratioed. For this recipe, it is suggested to use 1/8 cup scoops for each part in this recipe, as it will fill approximately 1 full quart.

DIRECTIONS

1. Add ¼ cup of the tea blend to a mason jar.
2. Pour in hot water, filling to about an inch from the top of the jar.
3. Loosely cover with a lid.
4. Let steep for several hours; the longer it steeps, the more robust the taste.
5. Strain the herbs from the tea.
6. Enjoy!

If you have any health concerns, you should consult with a doctor prior to starting a detox.

About the Author

Stephen Holt, MD, PhD, FACP

Stephen Holt, M.D. is a Distinguished Professor of Medicine NYCPM (Emerite) and a medical practitioner in New York State. He has published many peer-review papers in medicine and he is a best-selling author with more than twenty books in national and international distribution. He has received many awards for teaching and research. Dr. Holt is a frequent lecturer at scientific meetings and healthcare facilities throughout the world. He is a best selling author and the founder of the Holt Institute of Medicine.