Tea is a common daily drink for a lot of people across the globe. A new study has revealed that drinking tea with dark flavor could reduce the risk of developing diabetes.
Consuming a cup of dark tea daily could help reduce the type 2 diabetes risk and its progression in older adults by improving glucose control as per new research presented at this year’s Annual Meeting of the European Association for Research of Diabetes (EASD) in Hamburg.
Researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia as well as Southeast University in China found that, compared to never-tea drinkers, regular consumers of dark tea had a 53% lower risk of prediabetes and a 47% lower risk of developing the type 2 form of diabetes.
It was also when taking into consideration the most well-known risk factors for diabetes, including gender, age, ethnicity, gender, and body mass index (BMI).
The cross-sectional study involved 1,923 adults. Four hundred thirty-six participants had prediabetes, 352 had diabetes, and 1,135 had regular blood sugar levels. The study included tea drinkers who are not normal users and those who are inclined to drink only one type of tea.
Researchers studied the connection between the amount and kind of tea consumed, as well as the excrement of glucose in the urine, insulin resistance, and the glycaemic state.
In a statement on the findings, co-lead author and associate Professor Tongzhi Wu said: “Our findings suggest that there are beneficial effects of regular tea consumption on blood sugar management through the increased excretion of glucose in urine, and improved insulin resistance, and consequently improved controlling blood sugar. The most noticeable benefits were for those who drink dark tea regularly.”
So, drinking tea with a dark flavor every day is a good way of decreasing your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes?
Dark tea and risk of diabetes What’s the connection?
Dietician Natalie Burrows is amazed by the results. “I’m not hugely surprised by the findings as we know how antioxidant rich tea leaves are and how antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds can support vascular health and inflammation,” she adds.
“However the extent that consuming dark tea without sweetener can increase the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes is astonishing. This is a great way to demonstrate how effective nature is when we eat natural foods.”
Burrows states that tea leaves are found to be full of beneficial substances which benefit the body in a variety of ways.
“Catechins, a polyphenol (AKA an antioxidant) which are found in tea have been shown to be responsible for the regulation of insulin, blood sugar, and energy metabolism by managing the signaling pathways,” she explains.
The research suggests that drinking tea with dark leaves could help reduce the risk of developing diabetes for two reasons. First, it increases insulin resistance, which makes you more effective in controlling glucose levels.
Additionally, it leads to an increase in glucose excretion through your urine, which means you have less blood sugar to manage.
Similar to Burrows, the nutritionist Harry Snell believes that this is due to the polyphenol content in dark tea.
He explains that hyperglycemic properties of polyphenolic substances can hinder the digestion of carbohydrates, glucose absorption, and the stimulation of insulin secretion, all of which contribute to better blood sugar control.
What is the definition of the dark tea?
It’s crucial to keep in mind that the study focuses on the effects of dark tea in particular. It’s a form of tea that is fully oxidized and should not be mistaken for black tea.
“Dark tea has undergone microbial fermentation,” Snell says. “It’s referred to as ‘dark’ because the leaves are oxidized and change color, a bit like the rusting process with iron.”
A popular dark tea is Pu-erh, which comes from China and can be found in health shops and online.
The difference between dark tea and the other popular tea varieties is that Burrows says black tea is extremely oxidized, while the green variety is not corrupted.
While the yellow tea is fermented, while dark tea is fermented after fermentation.
“The addition of fermentation may play an important role in the impact dark tea has on blood sugar regulation,” she says.
Then, do experts recommend dark tea as a blood sugar control instrument?
“The outcomes are favorable and drinking tea with dark leaves is definitely a low-resistance approach to benefit from potential health benefits. Additionally, there is the benefit of hydration, which could alter the glucose response,” Snell says. Snell.
But, he believes there are a few things to take into consideration, including:
- The price of specialist tea
- Taste (and the use of sugar to alter the taste)
- Accessibility (dark tea isn’t available in a lot of supermarkets)
Similarly, Burrows would recommend dark tea as a blood sugar control instrument but suggests using it without sweeteners.
“Adding sugar or sweetener to tea will dissolve its recognized benefits for blood sugar,” she warns.
“I would also recommend enjoying different teas; dark, black, green, and white for all the various benefits they have on lowering blood sugar and improving inflammation and antioxidant status,” she says.
Additional steps you can take to help lower your risk of developing diabetes
One thing is for certain: the food and beverages consumed can be a significant factor in our health conditions. A study has shown that drinking dark tea lowers the risk of diabetes, but it’s essential to look at your entire diet.
“No single thing is a cure by itself,” Snell says. “Rather, as part of a healthy diet, many different foods can be used effectively to improve health markers.”
In that light, what else can you do to reduce the risk of diabetes through your diet? Burrows suggests that reducing your overall consumption of sugar is the priority. She means eliminating or rearranging refined carbohydrates like white pasta, bread rice, pastries, and other grains.
“Although these may not appear sugary, they break down to sugar during digestion, without the added benefit of fiber to slow the impact on blood sugar down.”
The elimination of processed foods is a second important step. “These are likely to increase inflammation because they are loaded with sugar as well as salt and fat. They’ve been linked to an rise in weight gain and type 2 diabetes and a higher chance of heart attacks and strokes, too.” Burrows explains.
Her suggestion is to follow a diet as close to nature as possible. She explains that this will encourage the consumption of whole foods that have lots of fiber, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory components that assist in regulating blood sugar levels.
Keep hydrated. “Dehydration will increase your blood sugar levels,” Burrows warns. “The average person will require around two liters of water a day to replace what is used and lost during the usual function of the body, so drink up.”
