Sipping a warm cup of herbal tea can instantly help you start your morning off right by helping you calmly prepare for the day ahead. Drinking tea at this time can also help support a healthy metabolism and greatly aid your weight loss journey, experts say. We reached out to health and nutrition experts to learn more about 3 healthy detox tea options. Read on for tips and suggestions from Lisa Richards, registered nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet, Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements, Kimberly Duffy, RDN, LD, CPT, registered dietitian at Strength In Nutrition, and Jay Cowin, NNCP, RNT, RNC, CHN, CSNA, registered nutritionist and Director of Formulations at ASYSTEM.
1. Ginger Tea
This drink can be great to begin your morning with as it is known to combat bloating and inflammation (which many suffer from upon waking up). "Ginger is unique to inflammation in that it contains compounds known as gingerols and shogaols," Best explains. These compounds, she says, create an antioxidant effect in the body that reduces free radical damage.
"This damage leads to an increase in oxidative stress that can both cause and exacerbate obesity," she adds. This damage, she notes, occurs at a cellular level and once those damaged cells replicate the body's natural processes that maintain homeostasis, can "become disrupted, leading to decreased metabolism, energy, and more.”
Opting for ginger tea over coffee or other flavored teas that offer no benefits is a great way to get antioxidants and boost your overall health, Best stresses. "It is an easy addition to your current health regimen and daily routine, without losing the flavor and warmth of other hot beverages you'd be enjoying otherwise," she says.
2. Green Tea
This classic tea is known to soothe many common stomach-related pains, like bloating or inflammation, and also has high antioxidant contents, Duffy says. "Green tea contains polyphenols called catechins, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, which have been shown to decrease inflammation," she says. Cowin agrees, and adds that green tea "is a healthy beverage that can help you reduce weight effectively."
This tea, he adds, can help you lose weight "because it boosts your metabolism and prevents the storage of fat." It also provides many health benefits because it is rich in antioxidants, "which can help protect your body from harmful toxins," Cowin notes.
3. Black Tea
Another classic beverage often paired with a healthy breakfast is black tea. When consumed unsweetened (and without fattening creamers or sugar), Richards says that black tea can help you detox while also helping yourself start your day.
"Black tea doesn't get much attention for its benefits, but the plant compounds found in black tea have high antioxidant properties which help fight free radical damage which is known to lead to inflammation," Richards says. You will have lower bad cholesterol as studies have shown "those that drink a significant amount of black tea daily have lower LDL cholesterol levels," she continues.
The mechanism of action that causes black tea to reduce cholesterol levels is unknown, Richards adds, but most researchers believe antioxidants are connected. "You will have better gut health and digestion [after drinking black tea] because the polyphenols in black tea feed the good bacteria in the gut," Richards notes. These compounds also inhibit the growth of Salmonella in the gut, making you less susceptible to this illness.
Ultimately, Richards concludes, detox teas "can be a great beverage to consume to speed up metabolism and fat burning." Some of the more "popular and effective detox teas," she says, are those with a high antioxidant content. These include green tea and ginger tea, "as well as cinnamon tea, turmeric tea, and dandelion tea," among others. Good to know!
