Senna Tea

Senna is an herb, and senna tea is made from the leaves of the Cassia senna plant. These plants thrive in tropical areas, though some can grow in more temperate climates.

Senna tea can be slightly sweet, but it has strong bitter undertones. Because of this, people sometimes mix senna tea with green tea or add honey to improve its flavor. It is also not incredibly aromatic.

Senna tea has been marketed as a constipation treatment and a “detox” tea. It’s also often used as a weight loss aid, although this is not recommended.

Thanks to its ability to treat constipation, it’s sometimes used short-term to treat hemorrhoids. However, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of senna for hemorrhoids or weight loss.

Senna is approved by the FDA as a nonprescription laxative. The recommended intake for adults age 12 and older is 17.2 milligrams (mg) per day. Experts caution not to exceed 34.4 mg per day. For constipation in children, 8.5 mg per day is recommended. For constipation following pregnancy, 28 mg divided in 2 doses has been used.