Detox Facts

No. Your liver chemically modifies substances so they can be excreted, and your kidneys filter your blood continuously — roughly 142 litres a day. No tea adds a step to that process. What a detox tea can do is empty your bowel or make you pass more urine, which feels like something and is not the same thing. Read more

Because you are losing water and bowel contents, and usually eating far less. Fat loss takes a sustained energy deficit over weeks. The scale moves quickly and comes back just as quickly, which is why the cycle repeats. Read more

As an occasional laxative under guidance, it is a recognised medicine. Taken daily for weeks it can cause dependence, where the bowel becomes reliant on it, along with cramping and potassium loss. Potassium loss matters for heart rhythm. It is not something to drink as a habit. Read more

In medicine, detox means supervised treatment for poisoning or for alcohol or drug withdrawal. In wellness, it usually refers to diets, drinks or products said to remove toxins, though the toxins are rarely named. Your liver, kidneys, gut, lungs, skin and immune system already handle this work, and there are no randomised trials showing commercial detox diets add to it. Read more

Detox teas do not have good evidence for removing toxins. Many contain laxatives, which can cause diarrhoea and dehydration, and the quick weight loss is mostly water that returns. Regulators have acted against some cleanse products with harmful ingredients, and very high green tea intake has been linked to heart-rhythm problems and liver injury. Ordinary teas in normal amounts are fine. Read more

Not in any meaningful way. Sweat is mostly water and salt, and its main job is to cool you down. Harvard Health describes the skin as a one-way defence system and says toxins are not removed through sweat. The liver and kidneys do that job. Exercise is still excellent for health, but drink enough fluids afterwards, especially in hot weather. Read more