The truth about “teatox” diets
You know what they say about things that are too good to be true. The experts give their candid take.
Let’s set the record straight on any form of a detox diet: It isn’t going to help you lose weight in a sound and sustainable way.
You might shed a few kilos right after trying one, but that’s mostly from the waste and water you’ve expelled – not the body fat you’re dying to get rid of.
Over time, detox diets – particularly those that restrict calorie intake – can also slow down your metabolism (the rate at which your body converts food into energy), making it harder for you to lose weight and keep it off.
As for programmes that call for abstinence from food groups like meat and dairy products, there’s the risk of protein deficiency, and subsequently, loss of important muscle mass.
So, is the teatox, or tea detox, any different?
What teatoxes claim to do
You’ve seen it advertised on the web and social media: Drink two cups of a specially formulated tea – once in the morning and again at night – over a period of up to 28 days to lose weight, detoxify and so on.
An amalgamation of “tea” and “detox”, teatox is a fast-growing trend with online reviewers raving about results that can be seen in as little as seven days.
The teatox seems like an easy plan to follow. No fasting – just eat as you normally would.
No refrigeration needed – to prepare the drink, just boil water and steep the tea bags. Plus, the herb and spice teas are purportedly all natural.
It all sounds perfect, except for one big catch: As these teas are classified as health supplements instead of medicine, they can be imported and sold without a licence from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) of Singapore.
What this means, according to the HSA, is that “the onus of responsibility for the safety and quality of health supplements rests with the dealers and sellers”. – Asia One
Category: Features, Health alert
