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:
Can Food-Based Supplements Relieve Pain?
Cinnamon is a spice that has been studied for its ability to reduce pain and support joint health.
A clinical trial published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that cinnamon supplementation at a daily dose of 500 mg reduced inflammation and joint swelling in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
A 2020 clinical trial found that cinnamon supplementation reduced inflammatory markers. The study authors concluded that “Cinnamon could be regarded as a safe supplement to relieve pain.”
Illuminate Labs manufactures a Ceylon Cinnamon Extract supplement that’s potent (standardized to minimum 8% flavonoids) and third-party tested to ensure purity and label accuracy (test results published transparently on the product page). It only costs $15 for a monthly subscription.
Interested consumers can check out Illuminate Labs Ceylon Cinnamon Extract at this link.
Collagen is the core structural protein in joints. The body produces it naturally, but its production decreases with age. Medical research has shown that collagen can reduce joint pain in athletes at a 10 gram (g) daily dose, and can reduce arthritic pain (meta-study, doses ranging between 40 mg and 10 g daily dose).
We recommend Bulletproof Collagen Powder as our top collagen product because it provides an effective collagen dose per serving (20 g) and contains one single ingredient: collagen peptides sourced from grass-fed animals. There are no questionable additives. This supplement only costs $45.16 for over a month's worth of product.
Interested consumers can check out Bulletproof Collagen powder at this link to the brand's official website.
Cornbread CBD Lotion is our top pick for a topical CBD product.
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.
This lotion also contains menthol, which was shown in a 2022 clinical trial to reduce pain scores.
Interested consumers can check out Cornbread CBD Lotion at this link to the product page on the official brand's website.
We do not recommend using dietary supplements to treat any specific medical condition related to pain.
