Is CBD Detox Tea for Me?

Just the thought of sipping a cup of warm, soothing tea instantly inspires a sense of calm and relaxation, reawakening memories of my mother making me a cup of the brew with just a hint of lemon and a healthy dose of honey to treat whatever ailed me – sore throat, headache, pulled muscle, and once, even the broken heart I suffered when a less-than-nice boy abjectly dumped me. Tea is also known to assist in weight loss.

Unlike drinking coffee, which I seemingly consume by the gallon each day on auto-pilot, hot tea remains my conscious go-to when I need to slow down, solve a problem, relieve stress or simply steal some quiet time to rejuvenate my over-worked brain after meeting yet another project deadline. Turns out I am not alone. 

According to the Tea Association of the USA, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water and can be found in almost 80% of all U.S. households.  In fact, on any given day, over 159 million Americans are drinking tea. 

Tea leaves contain the naturally occurring constituent of L-theanine, an amino acid that has been found to stimulate alpha waves in the brain – the same mental state achieved during meditation, promoting a sense of calm and relaxation even during stressful situations.  L-theanine has also been shown to increase levels of dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters known for their potent mental health effects and benefits.

The L-theanine present in tea is also an antioxidant, which researchers believe can prime the immune system to help it fight infection, bacteria, viruses and fungi, while also promoting weight loss. Moreover, tea is rich in vitamins and minerals, such as B1, B2, B6, C, folic acid, magnesium, potassium and zinc, each of which benefits the immune system. One medical study published in 2016 even reported that drinking considerable quantities of antioxidant-rich tea would help those in stressful environments “to live healthier and more joyful.”

That must explain why tea consumption has skyrocketed during the anxiety-inducing COVID-19  pandemic. At the World Tea Summit, World Tea Conference & Expo’s virtual event held in October 2020, the president of the Tea Association of the USA, Peter F. Goggi, said, “Tea consumption increased dramatically during COVID because of tea’s health and wellness message, but it is also because it provided a feeling of comfort for many consumers.”

Over the past year, dealing with the stress of a global health crisis has certainly punctuated my need to decompress from all the stressors in my life – and my cups of tea have served me well in this regard.  However, the pandemic also forced me to evaluate my overall health and wellness regimens, and I found myself asking what else could I do to get and stay healthier?

CBD Detox Tea to the Rescue

You can imagine my delight when I came across an article which shared all the benefits of using tea for detoxing the body – benefits which include a cleanse of your liver and kidneys, improving your sleep, removal of toxins, energizing you throughout the day, calming you down and making you feel good.

Digging deeper for information relating to all-natural detoxification methods, my incessant googling revealed yet another pleasing fact:  a high quality CBD product added to your cup of tea may deliver a powerful one-two punch of wholesome benefits, including restoration from toxins, the enhancement of organ function, the maintenance and sustainability of the body’s systems and regulation of oxidative stress. Conventional detox regimens are dietary programs meant to lower excess toxins so the body’s immune system functions properly. But numerous studies have indicated that CBD is a possible antioxidant that may work to eliminate them all. Industrial hemp and its extract has astounding benefits.

My Personal CBD Detox Tea Experiment

Hemp, and the overall benefits of cannabinoid in the extract of a cannabis plant have always fascinated me. Hemp tea, or CBD tea was just a thought initially. However, determined to see if I could ‘feel’ a difference by combining CBD oil with my favorite green tea, I put my kettle on to boil. Even a herb infused tea can be used. I am not certain if I simply psyched myself into feeling good or not, but after only one cup of the hemp oil infused CBD tea, peace and serenity descended on me.  In fact, I felt notably calmer, in control and at peace despite three looming deadlines facing me that day.  Was I imagining it? While I am not a doctor or a scientist, I decided then and there that I was going to conduct my own personal experiment with the cannabinoid included in tea. While consuming the hemp based product, I aimed to understand the process. I assessed and tracked how I felt physically and mentally for a period of one week on this self-contrived, self-prescribed hemp oil infused - detox tea program. 

I chose to eliminate all coffee from my daily routine and to limit myself to three hemp detox tea concoctions per day (see recipe provided in this article) – one first thing in the morning, one in the early afternoon and one shortly before retiring to bed.  My diet and exercise regimens remained unchanged and I worked hard to get to bed by 10PM and then awaken by 6AM.

Each day, I regularly and unscientifically tracked in a journal how I felt before and after my cups of detox CBD infused tea – noting mood shifts, levels of energy, levels of stress, awake-ness, fatigue, nightly sleep quality and length (as reflected on my Fitbit device), motility and other physiological metrics that I deemed relevant and important to my personal overall health and wellness.

The results I experienced were striking and cumulative

While I generally felt more relaxed and less anxious than usual beginning on day one of my study, from day four through seven, I was enjoying much deeper, high quality sleep for longer periods of time each night; I felt much brighter eyed, focused and clear-headed during the day; and my energy levels were off the chart.

As a busy business writer, I am often plagued by writer’s block and the frustration that comes along with it. However, by day four of my test and thereafter, my creative energy was flowing, my productivity increased (meaning I was getting more quality work done in less time each day) and my never-ending to-do list became magically manageable. The hemp oil extract infused tea concoction is a dietary supplement which assists in better blood flow, a healthy digestive tract, lowering inflammation, regulating dietary fiber, removal of toxins, and an overall cleanse altogether.

In the politest terms I can manage, I was also visiting the “ladies room” regularly (without the help of laxatives) and my skin tone noticeably improved – which is really saying something when you consider I’m fast approaching 60 years old.  These astounding results occurred in just seven days. Another added benefit of this CBD infused tea is that it aids in weight loss. Other than soluble fiber, green tea is known for its detoxification properties.

All things considered, my physical and mental response to my CBD detox tea program was remarkable and literally life-changing for me.  Needless to say, I’ve stuck with it.

It is important to note that this CBD detox tea program is working for me – a relatively healthy and active woman with high self-awareness of my body and a person of seemingly sound mind. The benefits received solely from an industrial hemp plant product are tremendous too.

If you are interested in starting a CBD detox tea program, you may want to first consult with your doctor to ensure it is right for you.  Also, any kind of tea like buddha tea, instant tea, herbal tea, chamomile, or any weight loss tea can be used otherwise. And, if you proceed, it is also very important that you purchase only high quality cannabis products. An all-natural hemp-derived CBD oil must be used, that has been certified as such by an independent third-party CBD testing facility.  Responsible CBD companies usually provide easy access to their Certificate of Analysis for their products on their websites or upon request. If they do not, move on and find one that does.

Mama Knows Best CBD Detox Tea Recipe

If you are interested in using my recipe for the cannabis based CBD detox tea program I followed -- inspired by the cup of tea my mom used to make, here it is:

Ingredients:

• 1 tea bag (I use Bigelow Premium 100% Organic Green Tea purchased on Amazon)
• 1 full dropper (approximately 33mg) of Bespoke Extracts’ UMF15+ Manuka Honey Infused 1000mg CBD Tincture, purchased online from BespokeExtracts.com
• One lemon slice
• One cup of boiling hot water

Combine all ingredients in a cup and allow to steep and cool for approximately five minutes.  Remove the tea bag, sit back, relax and enjoy your CBD tea! 

Only the best ingredient from the CBD flower of the cannabis plant or marijuana must be used. I should note that I purposely chose Bespoke Extract’s manuka honey infused CBD oil due in large measure to the notion that manuka honey adds yet another dimension of potential complementary health benefits to the CBD tea mix – not to mention, it tastes great!  However, feel free to get creative with the recipe. Bespoke, which is certified by the U.S. Hemp Authority,  offers several different flavor profiles for their CBD products, each of which, in my opinion, would nicely complement green tea.