How Do Tea Laxatives Work?

Herbal teas are billed as a safe and natural way to speed elimination when you are having problems with constipation. Tea laxatives contain active herbal ingredients that have stimulative laxative action such as senna. Consult a doctor before using a tea laxative because even natural ingredients can cause side effects, interact with medications and be inadvisable for you if you have certain health conditions like heart or gastrointestinal ailments.

Effect

Stimulant laxatives work by increasing movement in your bowel. Senna, for example, contains substances called anthranoids that strongly stimulate contractions in your colon, which hastens bowel elimination. Cascara sagrada appears to irritate your bowel tissue and draw fluid into your intestines, which results in a bowel movement.

Use and Ingredients

Teas with stimulant laxatives ingredients usually produce a bowel movement within 24 hours. Most often you are advised to drink your tea at bedtime and expect a movement in the morning, according to PubMed Health. Your results may be slower if you drink the tea with food as opposed to on an empty stomach. Many laxative teas on the market list senna as the active ingredient. Cascara sagrada also is a common ingredient in laxative teas. Both of these ingredients are approved by Germany's Commission E, that country's regulatory body for herbs, for treating constipation. Other herbs that have stimulant laxative action include yellow dock, aloe, blue flag, black root, butternut, buckthorn, Chinese rhubarb, colocynth, frangula, cucumber, jalp, gamboges, mayapple, manna, wahoo and wallflower.

Considerations

Teas containing stimulant laxatives can cause unwanted effects. These include abdominal cramps and discomfort, nausea, vomiting, flatulence, yellow-brown urine discoloration and diarrhea. Consult a doctor if such symptoms do not go away or are severe. Immediately stop using your laxative tea and seek medical attention if you have severe cramping or pain, bloody stools, rectal bleeding, dizziness, tiredness or weakness. Also consult a doctor prior to using laxative teas containing ingredients like senna if you use medicines including digoxin, diuretics or blood thinners because stimulant laxatives are unsafe to use with numerous medications. Some laxative tea ingredients such as senna can have side effects like irregular heartbeat and kidney damage and can worsen health conditions including electrolyte imbalances, dehydration, heart problems and gastrointestinal ailments. Avoid laxative teas if you are pregnant unless your doctor OKs them.

Expert Insight

Do not use products containing stimulant laxatives for more than one week unless your doctor advises otherwise, according to the experts at PubMed Health. Using such laxatives for a long time frame can cause dependence. Overuse also can cause permanent damage to your colon and intestine. Consult your doctor before trying a laxative tea. Also consult your doctor if you use a laxative tea and your constipation symptoms do not improve.