Hamburg: One study found that tea consumption reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 28 percent.
Researchers from Australia’s University of Adelaide and China’s Southeast University studied the daily tea drinking habits of 1,923 people from China.
Two types of people were included in the study, one who was not addicted to tea and the other who drank the same type of tea.
According to experts, tea has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that improve insulin sensitivity. These effects were particularly pronounced in dark tea (ancient tea that undergoes chemical changes internally to produce it).
Study participants were asked about their tea drinking habits (i.e., never, occasionally to often, and daily) and the type of tea (green, black, dark, or other).
The collected data were then analyzed to determine the subjects’ urine sugar levels, insulin resistance and glycemic status (ie, history of type 2 diabetes, current use of antidiabetic drugs or 75g oral glucose tolerance test). Calculated based on test results.
According to the study, daily consumption of tea was associated with increased urinary glucose excretion and decreased insulin resistance, suggesting a lower risk of prediabetes (the stage before the disease) and type 2 diabetes.
People with diabetes are usually found to have impaired renal glucose reabsorption. In this condition, the kidneys store glucose, do not excrete it through urine, and cause high blood sugar levels.
A study presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Hamburg, Germany, found that people who enjoyed a cup of tea were less likely to have pre-diabetes than those who never drank tea. Risks of type 2 diabetes are reduced by 15%, while risks of type 2 diabetes are reduced by 28%.
