There are no miracle plants. However, many of them can aid in weight loss and support a diet.
If you want to lose weight and start a slimming diet, I suggest accompanying your approach with certain herbal teas. They help increase renal water elimination and promote the removal of fats and toxins.
I also advise you to stay well hydrated (this is where herbal teas come into play), get good sleep, and engage in regular physical activity.
I’ve selected here 6 diuretic and draining herbal teas that I recommend consuming in a course of 2 to 3 weeks maximum. Feel free to consult with a dietitian to maximize your chances.
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1. Artichoke leaves
The artichoke leaves (Cynara cardunculus) are traditionally used for their action on the gallbladder and liver. They stimulate their activities, and thus facilitate the elimination of waste and fats.
Fun fact: there is a medication, ChophytolⓇ, mainly composed of artichoke leaves. It’s used to facilitate digestive and renal elimination functions, as indicated by this report from the Haute Autorité de Santé.
Artichoke leaves can be found dried and loose in organic stores and herbal shops.
2. Blackcurrant leaves
The blackcurrant leaves (Ribes nigrum), in addition to their delicious taste, have the ability to promote renal water elimination, as shown by this report from the EMA (European Medicines Agency).
They are very useful in cases of water retention and in slimming diets, to facilitate fat elimination and reduce cellulite.
To support kidney function, I invite you to drink at least 1L of water and 1L of blackcurrant leaf herbal tea per day.
3. Cherry stems
The cherry stems we use in herbal medicine come from the Sour Cherry tree (Prunus cerasus), native to Europe and Southwest Asia. They are traditionally used for their purifying properties, as shown by this study.
Cherry stems are consumed dried in infusion, with 3 cups per day for 2 weeks. I also recommend them for cystitis, as they are urinary antiseptics.
4. Birch sap
Birch sap (Betula pubescens) has diuretic, hepatic, and renal draining properties. These properties are recognized, as shown by this extract from Vidal, a pharmaceutical reference.
It helps detoxify the liver and kidneys, eliminate bodily waste, reduce excess cholesterol, and combat water retention and cellulite.
Furthermore, it is rich in antioxidants and vitamins. Ideal for revitalizing the body and promoting joint flexibility.
It is harvested in March when it rises from the roots to the buds, before the young leaves appear. The 3L course lasts 20 days, or 15 cL every morning upon waking. My herbal shop clients love it!
5. Lime tree sapwood
This is one of my favorite plants. Less known than linden bract tea for promoting sleep, the sapwood (the part beneath the bark) of lime tree (Tilia cordata) is traditionally used for its highly effective draining properties on the liver and gallbladder.
This is indicated by Jean-Michel Morel in his Practical Guide to Herbal Medicine.
It can be used alone or in combination with other draining plants, but be cautious, as it is the “bark,” it requires a decoction.
Here’s a little tip for making a limewood bark decoction: put 30 g of bark in 1L of cold water, bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes, turn off the heat, and let it steep away from the heat for 20-30 minutes. Drink the decoction slowly throughout the day, remembering to drink extra water as well.
6. Dandelion leaves
Whether in roots or leaves, dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis) stimulates kidney function, as recognized by the European Medicines Agency.
Here’s a little anecdote: within the word “pissenlit” is the word “piss,” which clearly indicates the properties of this plant!
For a complete 20-day cure, I recommend 3 to 4 cups per day of dandelion leaves. Make sure to stay well hydrated as well.
My advice before taking these slimming teas
In general, all the previously mentioned plants can be combined and consumed as herbal teas.
Feel free to hydrate additionally to support kidney function and help eliminate waste and fat.
Be careful, all these plants are prohibited for children, adolescents, pregnant or breastfeeding women. As well as for fragile individuals with severe cardiac and/or renal disorders, among others. They should also not be combined with diuretic treatment.
Sources and scientific studies
European Union herbal monograph on Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg., radix EMA/HMPC/475726/2020
European Union herbal monograph on Ribes nigrum L., folium EMA/HMPC/745353/2016
Haute Autorité de Santé. CHOPHYTOL (artichoke). Saint-Denis La Plaine: HAS; 2004.
Hooman N, Mojab F, Nickavar B, Pouryousefi-Kermani P. Diuretic effect of powdered Cerasus avium (cherry) tails on healthy volunteers. Pak J Pharm Sci. 2009 Oct;22(4):381-3. PMID: 19783515.
Morel, J. M. (2008). Practical Treatise on Herbalism: Remedies of Yesterday for Medicine of Tomorrow, p.349. Grancher.
