In recent years, ‘detox teas’ have become a popular trend, promising to rid the body of toxins and promote weight loss. But here’s the truth: the human body already has a built-in detox system, thanks to our liver, kidneys, and digestive tract. The idea of a special tea that detoxifies your body is a marketing myth made by companies selling products with diuretics and laxatives.
However, we are a positive bunch here so let’s look at how certain teas can help your overall wellbeing, including benefits that are grounded in science and may just help support your body’s natural detoxing function.
1. Peppermint tea: Soothing digestive aid
Peppermint tea is well known for its ability to support digestion. It is basically the tea of choice to help your food go down or fight the dreaded heartburn.
The refreshing, cooling flavour comes from menthol, a substance that helps relax the muscles of the digestive tract and ease bloating.
For more on the subject, read our blog post: The Chanui guide to herbal tea and digestion.
2. Rooibos: Caffeine-free antioxidant powerhouse
Rooibos, or "red bush tea," is packed with antioxidants, especially aspalathin, compounds that help neutralise free radicals in the body, reducing inflammation and supporting cellular health (particularly good for your skin).
Melatonin, the sleep hormone, not only helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle but it also has antioxidant properties that help neutralise free radicals and support the body’s detox pathways.
As well as being absolutely delicious, rooibos is naturally caffeine-free, making it an excellent option for an evening relaxant that helps you get to sleep and start producing even more antioxidants. Double win.
Sleep is an underrated champion of getting rid of the nasty stuff in our bodies and we’ll come back to it in the chamomile section
We’ve got loads more info on rooibos tea in our blog posts:
Revealing the riches of rooibos: Everything you need to know
And
3. Chamomile: Bedtime best friend
Chamomile contains two compounds responsible for its relaxing effect and sleep promotion.
The first is chamazulene which is thought to work by interacting with receptors and neurotransmitters involved in stress and anxiety.
Bisabolol is often used in skin cosmetics to treat acne due to its known anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. Bisabolol also stimulates gastrointestinal tract receptors, thus causing smooth muscle relaxation.
Without deep, restorative sleep, our brains (through something called the glymphatic system) struggle to clear out waste products linked with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Our livers are our primary detoxing organ and they go into overdrive when we sleep so anything that contributes positively to sleep has genuine, scientifically proven benefits for the process of detoxification.
Anything to improve our sleep is likely to have the most significant positive effect on our detox and chamomile is the go-to for good reason.
Further reading: Calming down with chamomile
4. Green tea with ginger: What a combo
Two absolute powerhouses of ingredients.
Green tea is famous for its antioxidant benefits which can boost our metabolism and promote fat oxidation, aiding the body's natural processing and removal of fat-soluble toxins like persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and even heavy metals like lead or methylmercury.
Adding ginger to the mix supports digestion even further.
It’s the Lennon-McCartney of the detox-based tea world.
Want more on how good green tea is for us? Go have a read of Green tea and weight loss
Embrace tea for its real benefits
Instead of chasing the myth of detox, you’re better off drinking a variety of teas which each play a role in a healthy lifestyle.
When people say they’re having a ‘detox’ they’re often talking simply about eating less processed fast foods and drinking less alcohol - the usual suspects for us feeling a bit toxified in the first place!
The best advice we could give is to look for products and behaviours which support our body's natural ability to cleanse our bodies of the sins we might inflict when dealing with the modern world.
Replacing booze with a lovely, healthy tea in the evening has the double effect of not being one of the things your liver has to deal with, helping your kidney function through improved hydration and even promoting a deeper, less anxious night of quality sleep.
Tea is bloody brilliant isn’t it!?