After 2 years of drinking weight loss tea, the man turned pale during a colonoscopy?

Hangzhou No. 1 Hospital (China) admitted Mr. Wang, 66 years old, to the hospital for treatment of constipation. During a digestive endoscopy, doctors discovered that Mr. Wang's intestines were covered with brown and black patterns, resembling "snake skin".

The origin of the incident began two years ago, Mr. Wang had difficulty defecating, and was introduced by someone else to buy a weight loss tea. At first, Mr. Wang's constipation was relieved immediately after drinking it. In this way, drinking weight loss tea has become an indispensable part of his daily life.

Recently, Mr. Wang's constipation relapsed, drinking tea seemed to have no effect, and he even felt bloating and abdominal pain from time to time, so he went to the hospital for treatment.

After the head of the Department of Gastroenterology, Dr. Do Diep Xuan, performed an endoscopy of the entire digestive tract, he discovered that the wall of Mr. Vuong's large intestine had dark brown melanin deposits that resembled snake skin, and he was diagnosed with "colon melanosis".

Melanosis coli is a benign lesion caused by long-term use of stimulant laxatives (such as senna, aloe vera, rhubarb, etc.). These drugs will stimulate the intestinal mucosa and cause apoptosis of intestinal mucosal epithelial cells. The apoptotic cells are phagocytosed to form lipofuscin-like substances, which eventually lead to mucosal pigmentation and manifest as "snake skin" or "reticular" changes on colonoscopy. In simple terms, the large intestine eats too much pigment and becomes black intestine. Most patients will see the pigmentation gradually disappear after stopping laxatives for 6-12 months.

Don't drink weight loss pills randomly!

"In recent years, there have been many patients with intestinal melanosis, which is often seen in patients with frequent constipation and those pursuing beauty and weight loss effects," said Dr. Do Diep Xuan. Intestinal melanosis is mainly caused by anthraquinone laxatives. This type of laxative can stimulate intestinal motility, which has obvious effects in the short term, but long-term use will cause weak intestinal motility, black intestines, and even cancer.

Doctors remind that if constipation symptoms appear, it is best to prioritize adjustments through diet, exercise, probiotics... and not to arbitrarily rely on "folk remedies".

Colonoscopy is regularly recommended for people over 40 years old or those with chronic constipation. Go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible if you have the following symptoms: blood in the stool or mucus on the surface of the stool; constipation accompanied by bloating, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting; loss of appetite, significant weight loss and other symptoms, such as pale face, dizziness and other symptoms; change in bowel habits: irregular bowel movements, alternating constipation and diarrhea.

'Deification' of weight loss and 'detox' tea

In recent years, the trend of "weight loss tea" - also known as "detox tea" - has become very popular, especially through social media and celebrity endorsements. These products are often promoted as "100% natural herbs", helping to "detoxify", "cleanse the body" and lose weight quickly without changing diet or exercise.

However, many studies and pharmaceutical reports have confirmed that most weight loss teas do not really help reduce fat but only cause water loss, and even contain many unclear ingredients that can be harmful to health.

Common ingredients in weight loss tea and their harmful effects

Senna – a powerful laxative

Senna leaf contains sennosides – chemicals that stimulate intestinal contractions, creating a laxative. Tea containing senna causes users to have frequent bowel movements, leading to dehydration, electrolyte disturbances such as low potassium – which can lead to cramps, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, and even severe arrhythmia if prolonged.

Long-term use of laxatives can easily cause the body to become resistant to them, causing loss of natural bowel reflexes and chronic constipation.

Diuretics

Many teas contain dandelion, liquorice... which have diuretic effects. Prolonged use can cause electrolyte imbalance (Na⁺, K⁺), leading to cramps, high blood pressure, fatigue and cardiovascular risks.

Excessive caffeine

Many weight loss teas contain large amounts of caffeine, which can cause:

Rapid heartbeat, arrhythmia, anxiety, can lead to high blood pressure.

Insomnia, nervousness, anxiety – especially when taken close to bedtime.

Causes electrolyte depletion and body exhaustion when abused.

Synthetic hidden components

Sibutramine: is a serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, banned in many countries because it causes high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms, and increased cardiovascular risk. Many smuggled slimming tea products have been found to contain sibutramine that is not listed on the label.

For example, the product "HAVYCO‑Vy&Tea" advertised as herbal tea from Vietnam was found to contain sibutramine and phenolphthalein – a harmful laxative. Reports from the FDA in 2008–2010 also noted 27–34 "supplement" products containing sibutramine, even at double the legal dose, leading to poisoning.

Fluoxetine (Prozac): The FDA warns about the product "Toxin Discharged Tea" containing fluoxetine - an antidepressant in the SSRI group, which can cause harmful thoughts and seizures if not used as directed.

Specific cases and dangerous consequences

Not only products found to contain banned substances, even seemingly benign "detox" teas, made from natural herbs such as lotus leaves, orange peel, ginger, turmeric, sage... also pose many risks if used incorrectly or overdosed. A typical case is that of a 41-year-old woman in Türkiye, published in a medical report in 2016.

The woman took a mixture of seven herbs for three days straight to “lose weight fast” before an event. After the third day, she began to feel tired, nauseous, urinated less, and had signs of abnormal bleeding in her lower abdomen. When she was admitted to the hospital, doctors discovered that she had severe liver damage, her kidney function had dropped sharply, her platelets had dropped to dangerous levels, and her liver enzymes were 10 times higher than normal. She was hospitalized for nearly 40 days, including a week of acute kidney failure dialysis.

Although the patient eventually recovered, his liver and kidney function were still affected for a long time. This is clear evidence that the use of herbal tea is not "absolutely safe" as many people think, especially when the body has not been tested for allergies, medical history or when the herbs are mixed indiscriminately.

In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also repeatedly issued warnings about "weight loss teas" containing hidden drugs. One of them is the product "Toxin Discharged Tea" sold online on many platforms such as Amazon, eBay... The FDA discovered that this tea contains fluoxetine - the main active ingredient in the antidepressant Prozac. Fluoxetine can cause a series of dangerous side effects if used incorrectly, such as anxiety, insomnia, thoughts of self-harm, heart rhythm disturbances, and when combined with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as aspirin, ibuprofen) can cause organ damage.

What’s worse is that fluoxetine is not listed on the product label, leaving consumers completely unaware of the risks they are facing. The FDA was forced to issue an emergency notice and ask consumers to stop using the product immediately.

Not only is it physically dangerous, using weight loss tea incorrectly can also affect the user's mental health and spirit. On forums like Reddit, hundreds of people have shared their horrifying experiences after using detox tea.

One user recounted that after using a popular tea on Insta promoted by an influencer , she suffered from diarrhea for 3 consecutive days, severe dehydration, dizziness, fainting, and had to be hospitalized for IV fluids.

Others reported that their digestive systems were “ravaged” after two weeks of drinking the tea, leading to colitis, indigestion, and malabsorption that lasted for months. Some also experienced psychological trauma, fear of eating, and fear of gaining weight again, leading to extreme dieting and eating disorders. This shows that exposure to misinformation about weight loss can be damaging not only to the body but also to the mind.

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