These (Surprising) Teas Will Give You the Ultimate Detox Benefits

Everyone knows that tea is good for you. But in reality, there is so much more to the wonderful world of tea then most people know. We had some of our tea experts in the office give us their thoughts on some of their favorite types and blends - especially those that give the most potent detoxification benefits to your body. If you're getting ready to kick off a cleanse, a new diet, or simply want to get a little bit more beverage variety in your life, take a look at our list of healthy detox teas that you should be trying right now.

What to Look for in a Detox Tea

In general, if you want a good, strong detox, you're going to want to go for a tea that targets one of three areas in your body: the liver, the kidneys, and/or your digestive system. Because an effective detox is one that both expels hazardous toxins from your system while absorbing vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to help replenish damaged cells in your body. Here are some of our favorite teas which suit this purpose exquisitely:

• Spicy Tea - In reality, just about any spice will do, but cayenne pepper is especially popular when it comes to spicing things up with your detox. This is because spices like cayenne contain a little something called capsaicin. This botanical extract helps dilate your blood vessels, improving circulation and delivering more nutrients to where your body needs them the most.
• Ginger Tea - Ginger tea is not just one of the safest teas to drink during a detox, but it's also one of the tastiest. Unlike other detox teas which may overload your system if you overdo them (more on that in a minute), ginger tea packs a powerful detox punch with few, if any, negative consequences. So whether you're drinking it in the morning, afternoon, evening, or all of the above, you'll receive antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and digestive health benefits with every warm, steamy sip.
• Milk Thistle Tea - Milk thistle is pretty much the king of herbs when it comes to successfully and potently detoxing your liver. After all, you can't get the toxins out of your body if your liver isn't strong enough to clean house. The active botanical behind milk thistle's effectiveness, silymarin, has actual scientific evidence backing up the connection between milk thistle tea and a healthy liver.
• Red Clover - Other than your traditional green, oolong, or white tees, red clover tea has some of the highest antioxidant content that you will find in an herbal tea. This helps keep all of those cell-destroying free radicals at bay, so that you can feel fresh, healthy, and revitalized all day. In addition to its powerful ability to detoxify the liver and the blood, it also helps clear chest congestion and is high in vitamins C and B.

Detox Teas That Help Shed the Pounds, Too

In the world of tea, not all beverages or brews are created equal. There are some teas that not only quality to be displayed on the list above, but also help you shed unwanted pounds in the process. Some types of tea are very powerful when it comes to detoxing your body - so powerful, in fact, that if you don't use caution when deciding how much to brew and drink, you could end up looking as skinny as a rail before you even know what's happening!

• Cleansing Teas - Cleansing teas, especially if your less-than-perfect diet currently has you feeling a little "backed up", are great at the beginning of a detox. Flavors like fenugreek and senna can help clean out built up toxic waste from your colon, immediately improving your number on the scale. They make you feel lighter, too. Some chiropractors even theorize that carrying around too much waste in the lower gut can cause back problems over time, so you'll be contributing you your long-term health and wellness by drinking these teas, in addition to their immediate benefits.
• Diuretics - Diuretic teas are great for flushing excess water retention out of your system. When your body retains too much water, whether it's because of too much salt in your diet, too many refined carbs, or certain electrolyte imbalances, it can make you feel bloated, puffy, and gross. A good dandelion, burdock, or chicory tea is great for eliminating bloat. But if you start to experience headaches or crankiness, switch things up with a hydrating beverage to keep your electrolytes balanced.
• Caffeinated Teas - Caffeinated teas can be a blessing and a curse, depending on how high your tolerance is for this metabolism-boosting herbal compound. Caffeine can give you a serious metabolism boost, especially in the morning on an empty stomach, helping you burn more calories all day long. Obviously, you'll get the biggest bang for your buck by drinking black, green, and even some white teas (fun fact: white tea leaves are green tea leaves plucked early for flavor). But try not to overdo it, and reserve your strongest teas for the AM hours, to prevent sleep problems at night.
• Garlic Tea - Garlic tea can be great for your weight loss goals - but you'll have to time it just right. Garlic, especially raw garlic that has been recently mashed or chewed, releases all sorts of healthy botanicals and antioxidants into your system. It's especially good for increasing thermogenesis, which is when your body runs a little warmer and burns more energy (read: calories) as a result. But drinking it too often could make your breath - or worse, your sweat - ward off everyone in a 5 mile radius; sexy vampires included.

Detox teas can be great if you need to slim down real fast, restart your metabolism, or just simply get all the toxic gunk out of your body so that you can feel healthy and revitalized. It can also help you lose a ton of weight, and quickly, too - if you know which teas work best for flushing waste, reducing bloat, and getting your metabolism revved up. Now that you have that information in your brain, feel free to get started on your own tea-based detox today!