‘Detox Teas’ Containing laxative Senna Pulled from New Zealand Shelves
Tea is the most consumed beverage after water & has got a nearly 5000 years of history. But in the recent past. Pure Tea was discouraged & products like Tisanes / Herbal Infusions (Wrongly called as “Herbal Teas”) and Detox teas came in to action. As The Guardian had reported, some brands of so-called detox teas have been pulled off from shelves in New Zealand after being found to contain a pharmacy-only laxative.
Companies require consent from New Zealand’s drug safety body, MedSafe, to promote or sell products containing the stimulant laxative senna, Consumer NZ said. None of the teas found to contain senna had that approval.
Sue Chetwin, head of the independent agency Consumer NZ, which investigated a number of brands sold in supermarkets and health food stores said “These types of products make various claims about weight loss or detoxing but they can be little more than laxatives in disguise,”.
The offending products included varieties by Healtheries, a mainstream supplement brand sold in supermarkets, and Cleanse Teatox, which was popularised by New Zealand’s social media influencers. They are touted by celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Cardi B and regularly enrage positive body image campaigners who say they encourage eating-disordered behaviours.
Chetwin said senna was on the approval-only list because it could lead to liver damage if taken for too long, and it was worrying that some of the companies did not know they needed consent to include it. Advertising or selling such products without approval could result in an NZ$100,000 fine.
“You don’t need to buy a pricey tea to detox,” Chetwin said. “Your body is already primed to get rid of toxins by itself.”
Instagram and Facebook – where their promotion is rife – have barred companies from advertising laxative teas to children, and forced some to remove “miraculous weight loss” claims. Vitaco, which owns the brand Healtheries in New Zealand, said it had pulled the senna-containing teas from its shelves in November last year after it was contacted by Consumer NZ.
This is just a one case caught in New Zealand. But Detox teas with unrealistic claims are available through out the world. So be vigilant on those. Regular consumption of more fresh fruits, vegetables & herbs & less or no meat will detox your body. Or else now there are Detox ion foot spas available for online purchasing at affordable prices. Regular exercises & a healthy diet will be helpful for weight loss. So is it really necessary to have Detox Teas ?
By the meantime, don’t forget to enjoy freshly brewed Pure Black, Green, Oolong and White Teas which are known to reduce the effect of Cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes etc.
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References
- Original Post: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/24/detox-teas-containing-laxative-senna-pulled-from-new-zealand-shelves