| The whole world enjoys tea. It is estimated that in | | | | 5. Chronic constipation- the polar opposite of diarrhea, |
| some parts of the world (such as Tibet), people | | | | constipating may result from the introduction of too |
| consume more tea than water and coffee combined. | | | | many alkaline elements into the digestive tract. If a |
| With only about half of the actual caffeine in coffee, | | | | dieter's tea is particularly bitter, it might contain high |
| tea is fast becoming people's "new coffee" or "new | | | | amounts of carbon- literally, one is drinking carbon. |
| water". | | | | Carbon, even during times of war, is used to halt |
| While it is beneficial to drink tea, some unscrupulous | | | | diarrhea and dysentery. |
| companies are irresponsibly capitalizing on the massive | | | | 6. Fainting- in some rare instances, the body reacts |
| demand, marketing dieting teas that contain laxatives. | | | | violently to a new substance. Dieter's teas are not |
| Often, the word "laxative" itself is removed from the | | | | really teas in the strict sense- they are something |
| boxes of these dieting teas and instead is replaced | | | | else. |
| with vague terminology like "amazing fat burner" or | | | | If you have established early on that you have |
| "natural fat metabolizing agents". | | | | adverse allergies to laxatives, then dieter's teas are |
| Deadly mixtures | | | | not for you. Better stick to exercising and proper |
| While there might be nothing wrong with the original | | | | diet. |
| herbs that are added to the dieter's teas, there is | | | | 7. Death- in very rare instances, the effect of a |
| definitely something wrong with the way the | | | | dieter's tea to a person's body is slow and eventual |
| ingredients have been mixed together and marketed. | | | | death, through a combination of the above-stated |
| Teas that contain massive amounts of aloe vera, | | | | symptoms. |
| senna and other laxatives often cause unpleasant | | | | Deadly myths |
| effects that devastate individuals rather than help | | | | According to the FDA there is a myth circulating |
| them. Among these effects are the following: | | | | among some dieters that frequent (and often |
| 1. Diarrhea- the natural response of the body to a | | | | uncontrollable) bowel movement protects the body |
| laxative is for the excretory system to become | | | | from the absorption of unwanted calories, thereby |
| twice or thrice as active. This after-effect of dieter's | | | | effectively helping in the ultimate goal of permanent |
| teas might result in dehydration. | | | | weight loss. |
| 2. Vomiting- if too much organic laxative doesn't | | | | This myth, dangerous, false and pervasive as it is, is |
| cause diarrhea, it can cause vomiting. Too much | | | | still a myth. For one, the absorption of calories does |
| vomiting can cause dehydration as well. | | | | not take place in the large intestines, but in the small |
| 3. Nausea- nausea is general symptom that may | | | | intestines. |
| accompany the two other symptoms discussed | | | | This is the reason why self-purging with laxatives is |
| above. | | | | pointless because you are only draining yourself of |
| 4. Stomach cramps- while it is rare, painful, stabbing | | | | the extra moisture present in the large intestines. |
| stomach cramps can become the staple symptom of | | | | Since many of these illegitimate products are not |
| dieters who continue to use unregulated and | | | | FDA-approved, they are mostly being marketed on |
| non-FDA approved teas. | | | | the Internet or through mail-order product catalogs. |
