A word of caution about laxative teas!
Laxative teas are not the newest cool in the market. If anything, these have been used for some centuries now. They make an important part of the traditional tips and tricks and are a very popular home remedy in South Asian countries especially. Their popularity in the US and other countries has been on a rise as well. However, despite all the hype around these teas, let us not forget one thing. The thing that matters the most! These are NOT FDA-approved. So, while they might be very good in promoting weight loss or resolving some of the digestive issues, they are still not what a doctor might recommend you. However, this fact doesn’t reduce the high success percentage that is associated with these teas, especially the oolong tea!
Why drink oolong tea in the first place?
In this discussion, we will be talking mostly about oolong tea, and try to find out its efficacy as a laxative. But making you poop is not the only reason why you should be drinking this tea. You see, oolong tea is thought to be an excellent choice for losing excess body weight and burning fat. And that is the primary reason for its popularity! But there are other health benefits associated with oolong tea as well. For example, a cup of this tea is believed to boost immunity and metabolism, avert cardiac unrest and tooth decay and relieve some of the stress that might be eating you. It will take a book to encompass all the benefits that are associated with oolong tea!
Is oolong tea good for constipation?
But in this discussion, we are going to be more focused on oolong tea’s role in improving the status of your excretory health, with special reference to constipation. When modern medicine fails, and constipation assumes a rather chronic form, then folks resort to traditional remedies like laxative teas. Are they any good? We will speak for oolong tea only in this discussion. It is believed that the tea I question is a great solution for combatting constipation. It can improve metabolic rate, act as a detoxifying agent and remove sputum as well. Certainly, the experience of those who relied on oolong tea for fighting constipation makes us nod our head in the affirmative to your query.
How much of this stuff should you be drinking?
Don’t put all of your hopes in one basket though! We know we have just given you a green light for trying oolong tea to relieve your constipation issue. But that doesn’t mean you can drink an insane amount of this tea. No, that would be just detrimental to your body! You see, drinking too much of this tea can lead to urination problems, as well as kidney stones in rare cases. We will talk about these side effects of oolong tea in detail in a minute, but for now, we want to be focused on the quantitative aspect of things only. So, how much of this stuff is ok? Well, it depends upon the nature of constipation you are suffering from i.e. acute or chronic. But if you were looking for a safe range, then we guess anywhere between 3-4 cups per day should be safe enough for you. But any more than that and you are just flirting with danger.
Beware: Too much oolong tea is bad for you!
In the previous section of the discussion, we mentioned the side effects of drinking too much oolong tea i.e. kidney stones and urinary complications. However, there is plenty more that can go wrong, and you need to be aware of it if you have decided to rely on oolong tea for treating your constipation. Minor side effects of drinking too much oolong tea include headaches, an extraordinary increase in anxiety, insomnia, vomiting, irritability, and confusion. Things can get even worse if you are not too careful about the quantity of tea you are drinking. From constant ringing in your ears to suffering from occasional seizures, you might have to experience it all! But if you are careful about the dosage, you are less likely to feel any of the side effects which we have just mentioned!
Avoid drinking it when!
Another important point in this whole debate about oolong tea’s efficacy as a laxative is that this is not a drink for all weathers and seasons. It doesn’t matter if you have not pooped for centuries, you have to respect the rules. What are those rules, you ask? Well, firstly, you can’t have a sip of oolong tea on an empty stomach. It will just lead to one of the side effects which we have discussed in the previous section. Similarly, drinking this tea too late at night is also not recommended, since it can interfere with your sleep patterns, and lead to a state of insomnia. Also, oolong tea is a big no-no for pregnant women. This is primarily because of the excessive level of caffeine that is found in the leaves of this tea. If you were not aware of it already, please note that caffeine is not considered to be healthy for unborn babies.
Some other teas which can make you poop!
Oolong tea is not the only laxative tea in the world. There are plenty of other options for you to choose from as well! If oolong tea doesn’t work for you, you can opt for any of the other options that we are about to share with you. For example, there is Senna tea which acts as a stimulant and makes the stool move along nicely, thereby relieving you of constipation. For some people, dandelion tea does wonders since it has mild laxative properties associated with it as well. Cascara tea is another option that you might want to consider. Ginger, black, green, chamomile, licorice, and peppermint teas are also included in this list of laxative teas, but the list is far from exhaustive! In the end, we would recommend you to not experiment too much with laxative teas and consult a doctor in case things go south.
