Senna tea is an herbal remedy that has laxative properties. It is often touted as an effective weight loss and full-body detoxification concoction. However, one should keep in mind that no scientific research, study, or paper backs up such claims. It can treat constipation (Reference - Teas for Constipation Relief, Healthline, retrieved on 1 January 2024) when taken in limited amounts. Let’s take a closer look into this drink in the following sections –
Table of Content
2. What is the history of Senna Tea?
3. What are the benefits of Senna Tea?
4. What does Senna Tea taste like?
5. What are the side effects of Senna Tea?
6. What are the different recipes to prepare Senna Tea?
6.1 Senna green tea
7. Senna, Peppermint & Liquorice Herbal Tea
8. What is the recipe to prepare classic Senna Tea?
9. How much Senna Tea should you drink?
10. Can you drink Senna tea every day?
1. What is Senna Tea?
Senna tea is a most popular herbal drink. A cup of senna tea is generally made from the dried leaves, fruits, and even the flowers of the all-too-popular senna plant. It is an herb belonging to the legume category of plants and is a potent natural laxative. (Reference - What Is Senna Tea, and Is It Safe?, Healthline, retrieved on 1 January 2024)
Senna Tea: Uses, how to make & precautions, The Times of India, Google Images, licensed under CC BY 2.0
2. What is the history of Senna Tea?
The senna herb belongs to the legume category of shrubs that were either cultivated first in Egypt, Somalia, or the Arabian peninsula. Tinnevelly senna is the most popular variation of the herb as it is used to make tea. This variant of the senna plant is grown primarily in Pakistan and the Southern part of the Indian subcontinent. (Reference - The Senna Drug and Its Chemistry, Karger, retrieved on 1 January 2024)
Senna Tea and Its Shocking Benefits, Atiya Herbs, Google Images, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Arabian physicians first unlocked the true medicinal secrets of dried senna leaves, way back in the 9th century A.D. It was also a popular herbal concoction in the European nations, back in the day and is often prescribed to people suffering from chronic constipation. (Reference - Senna Hebecarpa, The Medical Herb Gardens at ONU, retrieved on 1 January 2024)
3. What are the benefits of Senna Tea?
Senna tea is often touted as a potential concoction to detoxify the whole body as well as promote weight loss. However, there is no concrete evidence to back these claims. Scientific studies have backed the claims that the tea has the potential to provide temporary relief to individuals suffering from chronic constipation as well as mild gastrointestinal problems. With that stated, one should not make a habit of drinking senna tea whenever they are suffering from constipation as it can lead to a severe case of dependency and related side effects! (Reference - The Health Benefits of Senna Tea, VeryWell Health, retrieved on 1 January 2024)
4. What does Senna Tea taste like?
Senna tea has a slightly bitter flavor with a mild sweet taste. It is not at all aromatic, like other herbal teas. (Reference - What Is Senna Tea, and Is It Safe? Healthline, retrieved on 1 January 2024)
5. What are the side effects of Senna Tea?
Senna tea has some serious side effects in store for those who consume it regularly or in large doses. (Reference - Is senna tea safe to drink? Medical News Today, retrieved on 1 January 2024) Some of them are –
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal cramps
- Excessive fluid loss
- Abdominal pain
- Electrolyte disturbances
- Nausea and even
- Loss of consciousness
In case a person consumes senna tea for more than a week, even in limited amounts, the herbal tea can alter the normal functions of the bowel tissue!
6. What are the different recipes to prepare Senna Tea?
‘Senna’ is a medicine derived from the fruits and leaves that come from a set of plants from the legume family. The herbal extract and teas made from senna plants have long been marketed as laxatives, weight-loss remedies, stimulants and detoxifying agents. Senna plants originated in Egypt, but now they are grown worldwide, including in India.
6.1 Senna green tea
Ingredients
- Two teaspoons green tea leaves.
- Two teaspoons dried senna leaves.
- Around two cups of water and
Method
- Heat the water in a saucepan until it starts boiling.
- Turn off the heat.
- Add green tea leaves and dried senna leaves.
- Keep the mixture covered so that the ingredients infuse with water properly.
- Strain the mixture in a teacup and add honey.
- Enjoy
6.2 Chamomile senna tea
Ingredients
- Two cups of water.
- 3 teaspoon full of dried chamomile and senna leaves.
- Honey
Method
- Heat the water in a saucepan until it starts boiling.
- Turn off the heat and add chamomile as well as the senna leaves.
- Let the mixture sit for about five minutes, cover it up for efficient infusion.
- Strain the mixture in a teacup and add honey. Enjoy
7. Senna, Peppermint & Liquorice Herbal Tea
Senna, Peppermint and Liquorice Herbal Tea is one of the best combinations. Ingredients and steps are as follows.
Ingredients
- Dried peppermint and senna leaves
- Dried pieces of licorice roots
- 100 ml of water
- Honey
Senna Tea: Benefits, Side Effects, Uses, Herbal Tea, Google Images, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Method
- Mix equal parts of peppermint leaves with senna leaves.
- Finely chop a medium-sized piece of licorice plant root into small pieces
- Add all the above ingredients except honey in a pot of boiling water (100 ml to be exact!)
- Turn down the heat and let the mixture simmer for about ten minutes.
- Strain the mixture in a teacup
- Add honey to mask the bitter taste of the herbal tea.
Happy Cup Organic Tea, Indiamart, Google Images, licensed under CC BY 2.0
8. What is the recipe to prepare classic Senna Tea?
Classic senna tea is prepared by using the following method and ingredients –
Ingredients
- One or two grams of dried senna leaves.
- Around 100 ml of water.
- Honey.
Method
- Boil the water in a pot.
- Add the leaves in the boiling water.
- Turn down the heat and let the mixture simmer for about ten minutes.
- Strain the mixture in a cup.
- Add a teaspoon of honey to mask the bitter taste of the tea. (Reference - Senna Tea, University of Washington, retrieved on 1 January 2024)
Senna Tea For Constipation, Healer Medicine, Google Image Licensed under CC BY 2.0
9. How much Senna Tea should you drink?
- According to the FDA, it is best to stick to tea made from 8.5 milligrams of senna leaves – in case of children.
- In the case of individuals above the age of 12 tea made from 17.2 mg of senna leaves per day, is ideal.
- In the case of adults, they can consume tea made from up to 34.4 mg of dried senna leaves, per day.
10. Can you drink Senna tea every day?
Senna tea is not suitable for regular or long-term use as it tends to make individuals dependent on the herb for normal bowel movement. It can also alter normal bowel tissue functions and its overall chemistry! (Reference What Is Senna Tea, and Is It Safe? Healthline, retrieved on 1 January 2024)
11. Does Senna Tea reduce belly fat?
It is a bad idea if you are using senna for weight loss. Senna tea weight loss regimes are not backed by any scientific paper or research. Hence, believing in the fact that drinking senna tea every day will make one lose their weight is not only a foolish decision but also a dangerous one! Drinking it regularly could make one prone to health issues like the ones mentioned in the sections above. So, senna tea does not help in reducing belly fat! Reference (What Is Senna Tea, and Is It Safe? Healthline, retrieved on 1 January 2024)
12. Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can pregnant women drink senna tea?
A. There is no evidence to back the safety of senna tea pregnancy. However, no side effects were ever recorded in women who stuck to the recommended dosage of senna tea during their pregnancy period. For the best results, it is best to consult with a doctor or a dietician before a pregnant woman starts downing cups of senna tea! Reference (Is senna tea safe to drink? Medical News Today, retrieved on 1 January 2024)
Q. Does senna tea contain caffeine?
A. No, Senna tea does not contain caffeine.
Q. Which part of the senna herb can I use to make senna tea?
You can use dried leaves, dried fruits, or even dried flowers of the senna plant to make tea. Reference (Looking to lose weight? Count on these five healthy teas, The Indian Express retrieved on 1 January 2024)
Q. Is senna tea addictive?
A. It is not addictive per se but one can make a habit out of it if senna tea is being consumed by a person continuously for more than a week! In such cases, an individual could become dependent on the laxative properties of the tea and experience side effects like electrolyte disturbances. Reference (What Is Senna Tea, and Is It Safe? Healthline, retrieved on 1 January 2024)
Q. Can children have Senna tea?
A. Sure they can. But one must be careful when it comes to dosage. Children should be given senna tea made from not more 8.5 milligrams of dried leaves, flowers, or pods of the plant. Reference (Is senna tea safe to drink? Medical News Today, retrieved on 1 January 2024) Children over 12 years can drink senna tea made from not more than 17.2 mg (per day) of dried senna leaves, fruit, or flowers. (Reference - Senna Tea: Healthy Natural Laxative or Gut Irritant?, Dr. Axe, retrieved on 1 January 2024)
Senna tea has lots of benefits to offer but at the same time, if you make a habit out of it, chances are high that you are increasing your chances of suffering from some of its nasty side effects! Striking a balance is key and we at teacurry.com are all about promoting this! We also request our readers to consult with their doctor or dietician before they start consuming senna tea regularly. Remember, the information we share in posts like this one, are all retrieved from reputed sources but at the same time, we are mere internet people, not experts! On that note, be sure to leave your experiences, opinions, and suggestions related to this post in the comments section below. We love to hear from you!
References & Sources
- Senna. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- Jeanes, Jeff A.; Stajsic, Val. Senna. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- Wiecek, Barbara. Senna. Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- Senna. Flora of China. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- Linnaeus, C. 1753. Cassia. page 376. In: Species Plantarum volume 1. Cassia (including Senna)
- Bruna Karen Pinheiro-Costa, José Neiva Mesquita-Neto, Juliana Ordones Rego, Clemens Schlindwein; et al. (2018). Trade off between quantity and size of pollen grains in the heterandrous flowers of Senna pendula (Fabaceae).
- Senna alexandrina Mill. National Parks Flora & Fauna Web.
- Kinnunen, O; Winblad, I; Koistinen, P; Salokannel, J (October 1993), Safety and efficacy of a bulk laxative containing senna versus lactulose in the treatment of chronic constipation in geriatric patients.
1 comment
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