Teatox - Raffles Medical Group

10
THE STRAITS TIMES
OCTOBER 9 2014
Cover Story
S
limming teas,
which have been
around for a
while, are now
appearing in hip
reincarnations.
They are so trendy that you
JOYCE TEO
will not find them on store
shelves next to traditional slimming tea products.
Instead, they are sold online and promoted on
social media.
But do not attempt to label them as just
another type of slimming tea. They are all about
detoxing and there is even a name for them:
Teatox.
Teatox firms – many of which hail from the
United Kingdom and Australia – say their teas can
help you lose weight, detoxify the body, suppress
your appetite, increase your energy levels and
boost your metabolism.
What’s more, their teas boast natural herbs
and ingredients – and they apparently taste good.
Prices of traditional slimming tea products vary
greatly – they can cost as little as under $5 for a
pack of six teabags. Teatox products, however, do
not come cheap. A 14-day starter teatox pack,
which has 14 “morning” teabags and seven
“evening” teabags, can cost around $40.
Teatox firms often carry the word “skinny” in
their names – Skinny Tea, Skinny Teatox,
SkinnyYou Tea, SkinnyMe Teatox – or may boast
cute names such as Tiny Tea or Bootea.
Singapore-based SkinnyMint Tea, for instance,
started selling its products here in February. It
reportedly said in July that more than 10,000
people have tried its teas.
Like other teatox firms, its website carries
reviews from photo-sharing site Instagram posted
by mostly young, pretty and slim women. The
women, some clad in bikinis, show off their
mid-sections in before-and-after shots. Most say
how much they are happy with the weight loss or
flatter tummy, or tell you they are going on a
teatox.
Its founder and chief executive Alexander
Ostrowski, a German national who has lived in
Singapore for five years, told Mind Your Body that
he is not selling slimming teas.
“It’s about a lifestyle. It’s not for weight loss,
it’s for detoxing. Some customers achieve weight
loss and that’s a bonus,” he said.
Mr Ostrowski said his firm is revamping its
website to include more features, such as a
magazine that will offer healthy recipes and even
career tips, and it is also set to launch in new
markets overseas.
Yet, the seemingly growing interest in these
detox or weight-loss teas appears to have eluded
the traditional slimming tea players.
Health and beauty stores here, such as
Guardian Pharmacy, Watsons and Unity Pharmacy,
carry a variety of slimming teas, which may include
21st Century’s Herbal Slimming Tea and SlimSpa.
Guardian launched a new slimming tea called
Stressbelly last month, but it said that sales for
slimming teas have been falling.
Unity Pharmacy, which carries several brands of
slimming tea, said it has not seen a rise in
demand for them.
WHAT IS TEATOX ABOUT?
The directions for consuming traditional slimming
tea products can vary. For instance, for SlimSpa’s
Slim & Detox Green Tea range, users are advised,
for a start, to drink up to six teabags a day, and to
slowly increase the tea strength. They continue to
eat three main meals.
Another brand, 21st Century’s Herbal Slimming
tea, is supposed to be taken 15 minutes before
meals or during meals.
With a teatox, it is mostly a two-step process
that involves drinking two different types of teas.
The “morning tea”, to be drunk every morning,
is supposed to boost metabolism, help burn fat
and curb appetite. It is said to make users feel
more energetic.
The “evening tea”, to be drunk every other
night, is marketed as a night or colon cleanse to
help users get rid of the toxins.
These teas are typically drunk for 14 or 28
days. Some teatox firms also put out meal plans
designed to complement their teas.
A 29-year-old executive said she heard about
teatox from a friend and went on a 14-day
programme a few months ago to lose weight,
improve her skin condition and ease bloatedness.
She bought the product online from a UK-based
teatox firm.
“But it didn’t have much of an effect on me. I
was aware that the effects vary for different
people though,” she said.
These teatox products typically claim to use
100 per cent natural ingredients, such as tea
leaves, senna leaves, ginger and liquorice root.
Traditional brands also use similar ingredients.
The Herbal Slimming Tea from 21st Century, for
instance, comprises a blend of herbs such as
senna leaves, malva leaves, liquorice root and
panax ginseng root.
Not all slimming tea products contain laxatives.
The Skinny Tea Co, a UK-based teatox firm, for
instance, claims on its website that it is not just
another laxative-based tea and that it uses
superior natural ingredients.
DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS
Natural ingredients may appear safe, but this may
not always be the case. Often, detox products
invariably contain compounds that have the
properties of one or several of active ingredients,
such as senna leaves, which is a laxative and
nettle leaves, a diuretic, said Dr Wong Wei Mon, a
senior family physician and deputy medical
director at Raffles Medical.
“Laxatives are used to ease constipation and
should not be used for weight-loss purposes as
the patient will shed water rather than body fat,”
said Dr Lee Yian Ping, a cardiologist and
consultant at Raffles Heart Centre.
“On top of that, the loss of fluids from our
bowels leads to a loss in potassium. This can lead
to muscle weakness and, in extreme cases,
dangerous cardiac rhythms,” he said.
Excessive bowel movements – more than twice
a day – would be abnormal, he added.
Diuretics, on the other hand, trigger increased
urine excretion. Dr Wong said this type of
ingredient can be found in most off-the-counter
slimming products that claim rapid weight loss.
“Water loss can result in dehydration and often
remarkable weight loss.
“But, salt (sodium and potassium) imbalances
can occur and this can lead to adverse health
effects, such as myopathy (muscle weakness) and
abnormal heart rhythms,” he said.
Laxatives and diuretics are not the only
weight-loss ingredients in slimming products. In
fact, the key ingredient in most slimming products
is either a metabolism booster, such as a thyroid
hormone, or an appetite suppressant, said
Dr Wong.
Metabolism boosters increase the rate at which
the body burns calories when at rest but they
often also increase one’s basal or resting heart
rate. “In the long run, they may put a strain on the
heart,” he added.
Teatox
Fans on how they
tried to lose weight
Detoxing by drinking tea is in but is it safe for
you? MYB asks the experts for their opinions
ST PHOTO:
JOYCE FANG
purview of the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).
They are regarded as low-risk and not subjected
to its assessment on whether they are effective as
claimed, said a spokesman.
Complementary health products include
traditional medicine and health supplements.
Teas classified as food products are regulated
by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority.
“Nonetheless, obligations are imposed on
suppliers to ensure that their products are not
harmful or unsafe, and that they conform with the
applicable quality standards.”
The HSA conducts post-marketing surveillance
on these products to check for undeclared
medicinal and harmful ingredients. It also runs a
monitoring programme to pick up early signs of
products that may be causing harm to consumers,
said its spokesman.
PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO
Side effects include heart failure and decreased
blood flow to the heart muscles, in what is known
as myocardial ischemia.
Appetite suppressants, by curbing your desire
to eat, may lead to nutritional deficiencies in the
long run, said Dr Wong.
Diet products can also contain substances that
reduce bloating, which gives the desired effect of
a slimmer waistline, he added.
Unity Pharmacy’s manager of pharmacy practice
Tan Swee Chin said consumers, particularly those
who are on long-term medication or managing
chronic illnesses, such as high blood pressure and
diabetes, should consult health-care professionals
on health products such as slimming teas before
taking them.
“Some may have side effects and interact with
health supplements and medication that they are
consuming,” she said.
Slimming teas that are considered to be
complementary health products (some are
classified as food products) come under the
NO QUICK FIX
To date, there is no concrete scientific evidence to
show that slimming teas are effective in helping
people to lose weight, said Mrs Magdalin Cheong,
who heads Changi General Hospital’s dietetic and
food services.
However, drinking lots of such products may
result in short-term “perceived” weight loss.
“Drinking lots of slimming tea or fluids causes
one to have a sense of fullness, so he may eat
less,” she said.
Dr Wong pointed out that there is “modest
evidence” showing that green tea helps with
weight loss. However, he said, there is no
evidence to prove that green tea can help a
person keep off the weight that he lost.
As for other ingredients in teatox products –
cayenne, ginger root, guarana, white willow,
Siberian ginseng and bitter orange – Dr Wong said
there is inadequate evidence or even negative
feedback on them.
The HSA has said that consumers should
exercise caution when they encounter
complementary health products that promise quick
cures or advertisements with exaggerated and
misleading claims.
It also reminds consumers to be mindful of the
dangers of buying such products from websites,
auction sites, discussion forums, blogs or any
other dubious sources.
“They pose a high risk of harm to consumers as
there are no means to verify the source and
quality of the products,” said a HSA spokesman.
At the end of the day, consumers should know
that there is no quick fix when it comes to weight
loss or looking slim, experts say.
A “myriad of studies” suggest that the most
effective method is to be physically active and to
consume fewer calories, said Dr Wong.
Ultimately, weight loss – as well as weight gain
– is a “fine balance between caloric intake and
energy expenditure”, he said.
I tried a herbal slimming tea once. I suffered the
whole night and had to sleep in the toilet. I will
never try it again.
Jha Rockmore Sulaiman
Slimming products, together with the right eating
habits and exercise, work. There are a lot of bad
slimming products out there; most have adverse
side effects.
John Lim
I tried taking meal supplements twice per day. I felt
the effects after two weeks. But when I tried it the
second time after I gained some weight, it was no
longer effective.
I will not try it again because I don’t want to
starve myself again.
Esther Chng
I have tried a slimming tea product. It helped to a
certain extent with my bowel movement.
June Lee
During my teens, I was depressed and would binge
on food. I ended up gaining almost 10kg over six
months. In a desperate attempt to lose weight, I
tried over-the-counter slimming pills and ended up
with gastric problems. After two weeks. I stopped
taking the pills. In the end, I lost weight through
maintaining a balanced diet and exercising every
evening.
Kathlin Lim
Last year, I consumed a slimming tea product. It did
not have any laxative and side effects. However,
due to the high price tag, I stopped. I read up on
slimming on the Internet and realised that regular
exercise coupled with low-calorie food intake are
not only safe, but also go a long way in maintaining
a healthy body, mind and weight. I’ve been
exercising twice a week and have been cutting down
on sweets, tidbits and suppers. It’s tough but I
believe I’m on the right track.
Edwina Teo
I tried fat burner pills when I was in my late teens. It
tasted horrible so I stopped after a week. I also
tried slimming coffee after childbirth. While the
taste was bearable, it led to too many toilet visits.
The laxative effect may prevent the body from
absorbing fats, but it may also prevent the body
from absorbing nutrients as well.
Wendy Tay
I used a slimming tablet and was supposed to do at
least some brisk walking every day. Unfortunately, I
was too busy at work, so nothing happened.
Jill Ramirez Balcos
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Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reproduced with permission.