Teatoxes do more than mess with your bowels, they could be affecting your contraception too.

June 29, 2015

Inspired by endorsement from celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Kendall and Kylie Jenner, we’ve seen a growing trend of women turning to detox teas as a “quick fix” way to lose weight.

Known as a “teatox”, the specially formulated teas – usually purchased online – claim to detox the body with “all natural” ingredients by flushing out the digestive system, usually with a laxative effect.

It’s a product that has concerned health experts for some time, but the latest side effect is truly worrying, with a growing number of women are reporting unplanned pregnancies while consuming the tea.

Naomi Salt, a 26 year-old from the UK told the Daily Mail she started a teatox from UK company BooTea after Christmas and is now six months pregnant.

“I am over the moon now, but I was shocked and worried at first to say the least. I am regimental about taking my pill and my first reaction was, ‘How has this happened?’,” she said. (Post continues after gallery.)

Celebrities who teatox

Sarah Hyland

Lindsay Lohan teatoxing

Kylie Jenner

Kourtney Kardashian

Naya Rivera

Amber Rose

Ashley Benson

“I’m 26 year-old, I’ve got a career and I’m saving for a mortgage. Having a baby was on the cards, but not just now or even this year.”

Salt says that she only realised her pregnancy could be related to the teatox program when she was shown a warning on Bootea’s website by a friend.

The warning on the Bootea website. Image via bootea.co.uk

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"Bootea may affect the accuracy of the pill if you take your pill in the morning within four hours of the laxative effect," the online warning reads.

Because the teas flush out the system, if the pill has taken before the laxatives have taken effect, the pill will not be absorbed into the bloodstream and as a result ineffective.

While this information is listed in the FAQ section of the website, the warning does not appear on the packaging, something Salt says is "irresponsible".

"They've got a duty of care to young women like myself. Bootea assumes people check the website but not everyone will," she told the Daily Mail.

She's not alone - on several online forums, women have posted their experience with the tea, expressing their surpise at discovering they were pregnant and anger at the company for inadequate warning.

"Upon purchasing the product I read everything on the order page and the disclaimer it advises to read when ordering... What I didn't read was the Q and As," says NetMums user, Skye.

NetMum user Skye's experience with Bootea. Image via NetMums.

"A friend asked if she could use it while breastfeeding and I said I'd check the FAQs for her, which is when I saw the answer. I immediately stopped drinking the tea and decided I'd wait for my next period," she wrote.

"I am now eight weeks pregnant with out their child and after four weeks of shock it has finally sunk in. I emailed BooTea to advise them to state this MAJOR side effect on the disclaimer and booking stage and they claimed it was not their responsibility to do so!"

Several others have similar stories.

A popular Australian equivalent, Skinny Me Tea, carries a similar warning online - right at the bottom of the FAQ section. Like Bootea, it does not appear on their packaging. (Post continues after gallery.)

Positive celebrity quotes about diets.

Jennifer LawrenceJennifer Lawrence said to Us Weekly, "I like food. I don't really diet or anything. I'm miserable when I'm dieting and I like the way I look. I'm really sick of all these actresses looking like birds."

BeyonceAfter losing weight for her role in Dreamgirls, Beyonce said to GMTV, ''The funnest part was putting the weight back on and eating my doughnuts and all the other things, so now I'm back to my body."

Jennifer AnistonJennifer Aniston said to Women's Health, "I went from being a crazy workout girl to sort of saying, 'My body wants a little bit a of break.' So I kind of stay with more simple stuff and taking walks and not being neurotic about working out and eating right. I started to enjoy life a little bit more."

Jennifer LopezJennifer Lopez told Marie Claire, "I love to eat everything and you pretty much can a little piece of something fattening is not going to kill you."

FergieFergie said to Marie Claire, "I have learned more and more to enjoy my body when I have a few extra pounds on, just being more voluptuous. I say, focus on the body part that you feel most comfortable about."

KhloeKhloe Kardashian wrote on her Instagram, "We all have to start somewhere and doing something is better than nothing at all. Start small so you don't get discouraged and give up. Remember it is all about consistency."

Jennifer HudsonJennifer Hudson told Michigan Avenue, "For years, I felt like I could never have ice scream, but now I can eat ice cream occasionally!"

Kim Kardashian West"For me, skinny is just a style of jeans...not a goal."

AdeleIt's never been an issue for me - I don't want to go on a diet, I don't want to eat a Caesar salad with no dressing, why would I do that? I ain't got time for this, just be happy and don't be stupid."

Drew Barrymore"I just think you should eat less of everything. A little bit less. I don't want to live a life where you can't have what you want; it just makes you want it more."

"What we know is that if taken in the evening as recommended, by morning the cleanse is working on the lower intestine. Many medications will dissolve in the stomach within half an hour, and are absorbed in the upper intestine soon after. Therefore you should take the contraceptive pill in the morning and not at the same time as the Evening Cleanse," the website says.

Given that many teatox users are typically quite young, the absence of a prominent warning is particularly worrying.

And whether you're on the pill or not, teatox is an unsustainable and ill advised weight loss method.

"Teatoxing goes into the 'extreme measures' basket; it's not recommended for any length of time," says Accredited practising dietitian and nutritionist Nicole Senior.

Senior warns that while the teas are generally safe , many of their health and medicinal claims aren't substantiated. She suggest that any results are likely to come about because less food is being consumed while the teatox is being done.

Teatoxing is not a healthy or sustainable option if you're looking to lose weight. Image via iStock

“There’s nothing in particular in a herbal tea that’s going to miraculously undo any damage you’ve done by poor lifestyle. In terms of your liver, that’s drinking too much alcohol and not eating enough nutritious core food,” she explains.

“Eating badly and then going on a detox with lots of tea isn’t going to undo the damage, and it’s not really a sustainable approach."

A common ingredient which causes the laxative effect, called senna, can also cause headaches, nausea and dehydration.

In response to the teatox trend, in 2013 the Australian Medical Association issued a warning urging anyone considering doing a teatox to read labels carefully and to always consult a nutritionist before starting the diet program.

Popular forms of birth control

Contraceptive pillThe Pillis the most popular form of birth control. There are two types: the combined pill, containing two hormones, and theprogestogen-only, or mini, pill, which only contains one female hormone. The combined pill works by preventing the ovary from releasing an egg each month. The mini pill changes the mucus at the entrance of the uterus, which stops sperm from entering. Both are 99.7% effective; however, they don't offer protection from STDs.

Intrauterine deviceIUDs are small, T-shaped devices that are inserted into the uterus by a doctor in order to prevent pregnancy. There are two types of IUD: copper, which affects the movement and survival of sperm in the womb while changing the lining of the womb;and hormonal, which releases progestogen (a synthetic version of the naturally-occurring hormone progesterone) into the uterus. Although IUDs have a success rate of more than 99%, only around 2% of Australian women currently use one.

CondomsThe male condom is a barrier contraception that prevents both pregnancy and the transmission of STDs. They work by collecting semen so it doesn't enter theman's partner's body. Condoms are 95 to 99% effective at preventing pregnancy.

The female condomThe female condom is a pre-lubricated sheath, which loosely fits inside of the vagina. The condom has a removable ring, which helps to insert the sheath and keep the condom in place. A larger ring remains on the outside to cover the opening of the vagina. They are designed to fit all women and can only to be used once. Due to misuse of the product it is only 79 per cent effective.

DiaphragmLike the male condom, the diaphragm is a barrier method of contraception. It's a shallow silicone dome that's inserted into the vagina andcovers the cervix, which is the entrance to the uterus. It's held in place by the pelvic muscles, and works by preventing sperm from entering the uterus. After sex, diaphragms need to remain in placefor another six hours, in which time the sperm inside the vagina die. This method is 88 to 94% effective at preventing pregnancy, although this rate increases with experience.

Birth control implantThis is a 4cm-longimplant that is inserted into a woman's upper arm, just under the skin, by a doctor. It releases a hormone called etonogestrel, which prevents ovulation and thickens the mucus in the cervix, which can stop sperm from entering. Contraceptive implants - usually sold as Implanon - are removed under anaesthetic every three years, and are close to 100% effective.

Vaginal ringVaginal rings are soft plastic rings that contain the same two hormones as the combined pill - oestrogen and progestogen. The ring is inserted into the vagina, where the hormones are absorbed into the body and then prevent the ovaries from releasing eggs. Once inside the ring can't be felt, and it needs replacing every three weeks (with one week's break in between). When used correctly, this method is more than 99% effective.

Depo ProveraDepo is a long lasting hormonal injection. The synthetic form of progesterone is administered every 12 to 14 weeks to woman, preventing pregnancy within this ongoing time period. The injection, which is given in the buttock or muscle of the upper arm, prevents ovulation and thickens the mucus in the cervix, helping to block sperm. The injections are 99 per cent effective but do not protect against STDs. Male contraceptive injections are currently being trialled

The morning after pillEmergency contraception (popularly referred to as the morning after pill) is used to prevent a pregnancy following unprotected sex. Other reasons include missing a contraceptive pill or a condom breaking. It is common in Australia to use the progestogen-only method. This entails a dosage of EC pills containing progestogen or the synthetic version. A doctor can prescribe the pill or they can be bought over the counter at a pharmacy without a prescription. Emergency contraceptionis 85 per cent effective in reducing the risk of pregnancy.

SterilisationSterilisation is a permanent form of contraception. For women there are two types of sterilisation: tubal ligation, in which clips are placed on the fallopian tubes, or tubal occlusion in which a device is inserted into the tubes. These methods work by preventing the sperm from reaching the egg. Tubal litigation is 99.5 per cent effective. The Vasectomy (for men) works by cutting and blocking the tubes called the vas deferens, preventing sperm from leaving the testicles. The chances of impregnation with a vasectomy are 1 in 1000.

Did you know detox teas affected contraception? Have you done one before?

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