Type 2 diabetes: Drinking this type of tea could lower blood sugar

Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition where the insulin your pancreas makes can’t work properly, or your pancreas can’t make enough insulin. The role insulin plays in regulating the body’s store of blood sugar means that blood sugar levels keep rising if you have type 2 diabetes. Over time, unchecked blood sugar levels can heighten the risk of developing life-threatening complications such as heart disease or stroke.

“We demonstrated that black tea reduced incremental blood glucose after sucrose consumption at 60, 90 and 120 minutes compared with placebo,” wrote the authors of the study.

“The data confirm that polyphenols lower glycemic response and may be responsible for the lower rates of diabetes observed with tea and coffee consumption,” said Peter Clifton, M.D., PhD., professor of nutrition at the University of South Australia in Adelaide, who recently conducted a review of the role of dietary polyphenols (in tea, cinnamon, coffee, chocolate, pomegranate, red wine and olive oil, among others) in regulating glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity, which was published in Nutrients.

Echoing the findings, a study in mice compared the effects of black and green tea extract on blood sugar levels.

Results found that they both lowered blood sugar and improved how the body metabolised sugar.

Carbs with a low GI value are more slowly digested, absorbed and metabolised and cause a lower and slower rise in blood glucose and therefore insulin levels.

What are the symptoms of type 2 diabetes?

to the NHS, many people have type 2 diabetes without realising because symptoms do not necessarily make you feel unwell.

Symptoms include:

  • Urinating more than usual, particularly at night
  • Feeling thirsty all the time
  • Feeling very tired
  • Losing weight without trying to
  • Itching around your penis or vagina, or repeatedly getting thrush
  • Cuts or wounds taking longer to heal
  • Blurred vision

You should speak to your GP if you have any of the symptoms of type 2 diabetes or you’re worried you may have a higher risk of getting it, advises the health body.

It added: “The earlier diabetes is diagnosed and treatment started, the better. Early treatment reduces your risk of other health problems.”

source: express.co.uk