Tapee Tea is an herbal tea used for pain relief. The brand claims that their tea "kills the pain in minutes," and contains "herbal based ingredients formulated to ease pain relief."
But does Tapee Tea cause side effects? Why does the FDA recommend that consumers avoid this tea? And how do real users rate and describe its effects?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Tapee Tea based on clinical studies to give our take on whether or not it's likely to cause side effects.
We'll explain why the FDA recommends that consumers avoid this brand, and feature unsponsored Tapee Tea customer reviews.
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Tapee Tea are shown above.
Sandalwood is generally used topically according to a 2019 medical review, and we can't find any studies showing its safety when taken orally.
Elephant grass (botanical name Cenchrus purpureus) is another relatively uncommon botanical ingredient in this tea.
We can't find any studies proving its safety in humans when taken orally, nor does the brand cite any on their product page at the time of publishing this article, which concerns us in relation to potential side effects.
Lovage is a plant that can increase the risk of bleeding according to a medical review published in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy.
Of this ingredients, lovage and sandalwood are the greatest concern to us.
Overall, we consider Tapee Tea somewhat likely to cause side effects given the research citations above, however it's difficult to predict a percentage risk, because this tea doesn't appear to have been clinically tested, and some of its ingredients seem to have limited safety data.
FDA Warns Consumers About Tapee Tea
In August of 2023, the FDA published a document warning consumers to avoid Tapee Tea.
The FDA found two hidden drug ingredients in Tapee Tea: dexamethasone and piroxicam.
We consider the risk of side effects to be drastically higher when using any product formulated by a company willing to hide drug ingredients, since this is such an ethical violation.
These two hidden drug ingredients themselves have side effects.
Dexamethasone at high doses can increase blood pressure according to a 2023 medical review.
Piroxicam can cause death in severe cases, according to a medical review published in the Acta Medica Scandinavia journal.
These hidden drug ingredients, combined with the active ingredients in the tea cited in the previous section of this article, lead us to believe there is a significant risk of side effects from taking Tapee Tea.
Real People Try Tapee Tea
A TikTok creator named Angie Lute claims that Tapee Tea reduced her pain:
@ang_lute18 Im just trying not to be sore and stiff. Its really not that bad #dramatic #thai #tapeetea #day2 #momsover40 ♬ original sound - Angie Lute
A YouTube creator named "Coconut Island Co" has a video reviewing Tapee Tea that includes a live product preparation:
Our Clean Anti-Inflammatory Picks
There are natural compounds which have been shown in clinical studies to support optimal joint health and relieve pain.
Cinnamon was shown to reduce inflammatory markers in a 2020 clinical trial. The study authors concluded that “Cinnamon could be regarded as a safe supplement to relieve pain.”
Illuminate Labs Ceylon Cinnamon Extract is our standardized cinnamon supplement, which is third-party tested for purity and potency and costs only $15 at a subscription price.
Collagen is the core structural protein in joints, and has been clinically shown to reduce arthritic pain.
Bulletproof Collagen Powder is our top collagen supplement pick because it only contains one ingredient: collagen peptides sourced from grass-fed animals.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is clinically shown to be effectively absorbed through the skin, and CBD caused "significant improvements in pain" when applied topically in a 2020 clinical trial.
Cornbread CBD Lotion is our top CBD lotion pick, because it also contains menthol, which was shown in a 2022 clinical trial to reduce pain scores.
All of the products recommended in this section are entirely free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy or unsafe.
