Why Detox Teas Can Cause Diarrhea (Plus, How To Actually Detox)

Detox teas touting weight loss and debloating benefits rose in popularity around 2017, but reports of undesirable GI symptoms (read: cramping, constipation, diarrhea) quickly followed. 

These terrible side effects are thanks to an ingredient called senna leaf, and despite the poop- and gut-related horror stories reported by many customers, there's still quite a few detox teas featuring senna leaf on the market today—including All Day Slimming Tea Evening Detox Tea, Flat Tummy Tea, and SkinnyMint's 28-Day Ultimate Teatox (do you see a trend with these product names?). 

What is senna leaf?

Senna leaf is an herbal ingredient derived from the plant Senna alexandrina. Senna contains compounds called sennosides that irritate intestinal lining, providing a laxative effect that can help relieve constipation. 

In other words, detox teas aren't actually solving your detox and digestive issues to help you lose weight; they're clearing your colon.

Why you shouldn't consume senna daily

As a natural laxative, senna has been found to help improve frequency of bowel movements1 and overall quality of life in constipation patients. However, its long-term use isn't as beneficial to natural detoxification pathways as these detox tea companies would like you to believe. 

Case in point: Although the FDA has approved senna as an over-the-counter drug to treat constipation, use for a period longer than one or two weeks isn't recommended. The NIH also warns that even just three to five months of consistent use can injure the liver2 (i.e., the body's primary detoxification organ).

Unfortunately, detox teas have also hidden their dosages in "proprietary blends." Translation? Detox tea companies aren't transparent about how much senna leaf each serving of their product contains (or any of their other ingredients, for that matter). 

Senna side effects

Over time, drinking detox teas with senna leaf can cause:

As if that scary list of side effects wasn't enough to turn you away from detox teas for good, senna can also interfere with the estrogen in some contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy, making them less effective (yikes!).

What to take instead

Additionally, there's a list of healthy and detoxifying habits that you can incorporate into your daily routine, including:

The takeaway

Senna leaf is a helpful herbal tool—if you're struggling with constipation. If your true goal is to optimize your body's natural detox pathways, ditch the detox tea and try taking an antioxidant-rich supplement instead. 

To fully support your elimination organs and their innate detox methods in a natural, safe, and effective way, you can also step up your lifestyle habits with great sleep, movement, nutrition, and hydration.