The desire to detoxify our bodies is not a new one. For millennia, people have found ways to rid themselves of perceived toxins.
Practitioners of traditional medicine have always used herbal remedies to aid digestion and soothe stomach pain.
Folk healers have also long known the best ways to choose green tea, as well as the other primary tea varieties, to aid with everything from nausea to constipation.
Drinking a piping hot mug of detox tea brewed from a blend of immune-boosting herbs and tea leaves is a healthy, calming activity.
Detox teas help cleanse our gut and our digestive tract because of their laxative effect.
That said, the term “detox tea” can mean many different things to different people. When you should drink your detox tea will depend on what your particular detox tea variety contains!
When is the best time to drink detox tea?
Drink herbal detox tea in the morning and to help you relax in the evening. Drink lemon and/or ginger detox tea and caffeinated detox blends in the morning or early afternoon. Drink lemon tea with a meal or soon afterwards, and caffeinated tea at least 20 minutes after a meal.
The best time to drink herbal detox tea
Herbal detox teas are best enjoyed in the morning to help you ease into the day, or in the evening to relax you before bed.
When should you not brew herbal detox tea? While there are no hard and fast rules, herbal teas are not a great midday drink.
Detox teas are often diuretics, which means they cause you to need to visit the bathroom more often than usual. They also usually have a relaxing effect and can induce drowsiness.
Most herbal detox blends are intended to help you slow down and are therefore the opposite of a stimulant.
Your detox tea will be more effective at detoxing your digestive tract and soothing your stomach if you are able to wind down and relax while drinking it, and don’t have to rush off to the next thing as soon as you finish it.
Not only will you not be able to reap the full rewards your detox tea can offer if you drink it around noon, but it may also hinder your productivity by making you tired halfway through the day.
As a result, the best time to drink detox infusions is in the morning, when your body is still calm from a good night’s sleep, and you can take some time to yourself to really enjoy your tea.
Another good time to drink herbal tea is in the evening when you are winding down for the day. A detox blend containing dandelion, mint, nettle, fennel, lavender, or chamomile makes for a great night-time drink.
Drinking herbal tea after your evening meal is a great way to help your digestion.
Drinking an herbal detox tea in the evening will also prepare your digestive system for the period of fasting that is our nightly sleep.
The best time to drink lemon detox tea
The internet is full of YouTube videos and Instagram posts of people squeezing lemons into mugs of freshly boiled water.
There are several versions of the famous lemon detox tea.
Some people prefer a simple mixture of lemon juice and hot water. Others like to add in a spoonful of honey, which is one of the best sweeteners of tea, or a few slices of freshly cut ginger.
Still others add in a splash of raw apple cider vinegar, which is thought to aid with digestion, and which gives the tea a tangy sweetness.
Whatever your preferred lemon tea variation, in order to get the most out of your lemon detox tea, you should drink it at the time of time day when it will be of most benefit.
Many people swear by drinking a lemon detox tea first thing in the morning.
This is a great idea, however, try to avoid drinking lemon juice on an empty stomach. Doing so can increase the acidity levels in your stomach and cause acid reflux, headaches, or irritated bowels.
It is better to drink lemon and ginger tea with food, or around 20 minutes afterwards.
Even if you just have a light breakfast, this will absorb the acidity from your lemon tea and you will not experience the uncomfortable symptoms described above.
You can also enjoy lemon tea with your lunch or alongside an early afternoon snack.
The best time to drink decaffeinated detox tea
Before getting into when the best time of day to drink caffeinated detox blends is, it is important to consider the quality of your caffeinated blend.
Social media is chalk full of influencers and celebrities selling tea blends that are said to help you shed unwanted weight.
While tea is a healthy drink that can have myriad benefits and including well-crafted teas as part of a healthy lifestyle is a great idea, be careful about what teas you choose.
There are many high-quality caffeinated detox teas that rely on naturally caffeinated green or black tea, but there are also numerous detox schemes that may end up harming your health.
Detox blends may contain laxatives, high levels of added caffeine or even other unregulated substances that can cause severe health problems.
A good rule of thumb is that if a tea blend contains an ingredient that isn’t a tea leaf, an herb, a root, or a fruit you might want to put it back on the shelf.
Once you have found a caffeinated detox blend that looks good, it is time to begin incorporating it into your daily routine.
The ideal time to drink a caffeinated detox tea is the same as the best time to drink black tea, or any other caffeinated drink for that matter.
Most caffeinated detox blends contain green tea leaves. The best time to drink green tea is in the morning, and it therefore follows that a detox blend containing green tea should also be consumed earlier in the day.
Green tea is an alkaline tea, and the acidity levels in green tea are therefore not especially high. That said, consuming green tea on an empty stomach can still cause stomach irritation, acid reflux, and headaches.
It is best to drink caffeinated detox blends after you have had your first meal of the day.
Because green tea contains tannins that can bind to the essential minerals and vitamins in your food and prevent your body from absorbing them, it is a good idea to allow at least twenty minutes between your meal and your detox tea.
Caffeinated detox teas also make for a great post-lunch drink because they give you an energy boost and prepare you to face your afternoon schedule while also helping you digest your midday meal.
Because they contain caffeine, however, try to avoid drinking these kinds of detox teas in the evening. Caffeine is a stimulant and the medical advice is to stop drinking caffeinated drinks at least six hours before you go to bed.