2023-10-03 13:56:00
Are you a tea fan? You are quite right. Reduction of risks of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, improvement of the brain system, strengthening immunity… The health benefits of tea have been highlighted numerous times by researchers.
“The substantial health benefits of tea, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, have been reported in several studies in recent years, but the mechanisms underlying these benefits remain unclear“, note the authors of a recent study. Green, black or white tea… Beverages do not all have the same virtues. This new study, led by researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia and Southeast University in China, reveals that consuming black tea daily might reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The researchers’ results were presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) held in Hamburg (Germany) on October 2.
Diabetes: a study of 1,923 people
To carry out this study, researchers analyzed 1,923 adults (562 men and 1,361 women)aged 20 to 80 years old and living in China. The volunteers included non-tea consumers and consumers of a particular type of tea. They were questioned regarding their tea consumption, whether on frequency (never, occasionally, often or every day) or the type of tea (green, black or other tea).
Scientists have taken into account the different factors known to increase the risk of diabetes:
- age ;
- gender;
- ethnic origin ;
- body mass index (BMI);
- mean arterial pressure;
- fasting blood sugar;
- cholesterol;
- Alcohol consumption ;
- smoking;
- physical activity ;
- and family history of diabetes.
Researchers examined the association between the frequency and type of tea consumption and the excretion of glucose in urine. The latter serves to measure diabetes. Indeed, in diabetic people, glucose excretion is low because glucose is mainly sent to the kidneys. This phenomenon contributes to high blood sugar, and therefore type 2 diabetes. Likewise, insulin resistance, another indicator of diabeteswas also measured.
Black tea: risk of diabetes reduced by 47%
Among the participants, 436 people had type 2 diabetes and 352 others had prediabetes. In comparison, 1,135 of the volunteers had normal blood sugar levels. Researchers found that daily tea consumption was associated with an increase in urinary glucose excretion and a reduction in insulin. Thus, the risk of prediabetes was reduced by 15% and that of type 2 diabetes was reduced by 28%.
Black tea further reduced the risks. Indeed, its daily consumption was associated with a 53% reduced risk of prediabetes and a 47% reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes. “Our results suggest the protective effects of habitual tea consumption on blood sugar management via increased excretion of glucose in urine, improved insulin resistance and therefore better blood sugar control. These benefits were more pronounced among daily black tea drinkers“, explain the authors.
Black tea: drink it daily to take care of your general health
According to the authors of the study, these results are linked to the bioactive compounds present in black tea. The researchers believe that these might directly or indirectly modulate glucose excretion in the kidneys. They specify that they have:an effect mimicking to a certain extent that of the sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2), a new class of antidiabetic drugs that is not only effective to prevent and treat type 2 diabetesbut which also has substantial protective effects on the heart and kidneys”. Thus, daily consumption of black tea would have a positive impact on health in general.
The authors conclude: “Our results suggest that daily consumption of black tea has the potential to reduce the risk and progression of type 2 diabetes thanks to better blood sugar control. Drinking black tea can therefore be a simple step to take to improve your health“.
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