New Data Strengthen The Case For a Humble Drink That Could Help You Control Blood Sugar and Reduce Your Diabetes Risk By Almost Half

Struggling to control blood sugar and want to reduce diabetes risk? A new study, presented at this year’s Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), Hamburg, reveals a healthier drink option that could slash the risk of prediabetes by 53% and type 2 diabetes risk by 47%.

People who drink this tea every day have a 53% lower risk for prediabetes and a 47% reduced risk for type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

The paper presented at this year’s Annual Meeting of EASD in Hamburg highlights that consuming dark tea daily might play a role in reducing the risk and progression of type 2 diabetes by enhancing blood sugar regulation.

This collaborative study between the University of Adelaide, Australia, and Southeast University, China, found that daily dark tea drinkers had a 53% reduced risk for prediabetes and a 47% decreased risk for type 2 diabetes. These findings remained consistent even after accounting for other influential factors such as age, BMI, blood pressure, and lifestyle habits.

Associate Professor Tongzhi Wu, the study’s co-lead author from the University of Adelaide remarked, “The substantial health benefits of tea, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, have been reported in several studies over recent years, but the mechanisms underlying these benefits have been unclear.

“Our findings hint at the protective effects of habitual tea drinking on blood sugar management via increased glucose excretion in urine, improved insulin resistance and thus better control of blood sugar. These benefits were most pronounced among daily dark tea drinkers.”

The positive impact on metabolic regulation might stem from dark tea’s distinct production method. This involves a microbial fermentation process, potentially leading to the creation of special active substances. These might include substances like alkaloids, amino acids, and polyphenols. Such compounds can display strong antioxidant properties, combat inflammation, enhance insulin responsiveness, boost the functionality of pancreatic beta cells, and alter gut bacterial makeup.

The recent study encompassed 1,923 adults from 8 provinces in China, consisting of 562 men and 1,361 women ranging from 20 to 80 years old. Out of these, 436 had diabetes, 352 had prediabetes, and 1,135 displayed normal glucose levels.

The study considered participants with varying tea-drinking habits, from those who seldom drank tea to those who consistently drank a specific kind. They were inquired about their consumption patterns, like how often they drank tea and the kind of tea they preferred.

The investigation aimed to uncover the link between tea-drinking habits and factors like glucose excretion in urine, as indicated by the morning urine glucose-to-creatine ratio (UGCR), insulin resistance determined via the triglyceride and glucose index (TyG), and overall glucose health.

Notably, those with diabetes typically show a heightened ability to reabsorb glucose in their kidneys, leading to decreased glucose excretion in urine and subsequently, elevated blood sugar levels.

Upon considering variables such as age, gender, and lifestyle, the findings indicated that daily tea drinkers had increased glucose excretion in urine and diminished insulin resistance. They also showed a 15% and 28% decreased risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, respectively, in contrast to those who didn’t drink tea.

Among all teas, dark tea demonstrated the most significant health benefits, with its consumption linked to further increases in glucose excretion and even more pronounced reductions in insulin resistance.

Associate Professor Wu further added, “These findings suggest that the actions of bioactive compounds in dark tea may directly or indirectly modulate glucose excretion in the kidneys, an effect, to some extent, mimicking that of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, a new anti-diabetic drug class that is not only effective at preventing and treating type 2 diabetes, but also has a substantial protective effects on the heart and kidneys.”

Co-lead author Professor Zilin Sun from Southeast University added, “Our findings suggest that drinking dark tea every day has the potential to lessen type 2 diabetes risk and progression through better blood sugar control. When you look at all the different biomarkers associated with habitual drinking of dark tea, it may be one simple step people can easily take to improve their diet and health.”

However, it’s vital to approach these findings with caution. While the results are promising, observational studies can’t confirm causality. The researchers are now initiating a more controlled trial to solidify their findings. Other factors not accounted for might also influence the outcomes.

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