Drinking black tea can help minimise risk of diabetes: Research

Drinking black tea every day can help reduce the risk and progression of type 2 diabetes in people by improving blood sugar control according to new researchResearchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia and Southeast University in China discovered that daily dark tea drinkers had a 53 per cent lower risk of prediabetes and a 47 per cent lower risk of Type 2 diabetes even after controlling for established risk factors such as age gender ethnicity body mass index BMI average arterial blood pressure fasting plasma glucose and cholesterolThe 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 notes the studys colead author Associate Professor Tongzhi Wu from the University of Adelaide and The Hospital Research Foundation Group MidCareer FellowOur 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 drinkersThese beneficial effects on metabolic control may lie in the unique way dark tea is produced which involves microbial fermentation a process that may yield unique bioactive compounds including alkaloids free amino acids polyphenols polysaccharides and their derivatives to exhibit potent antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects improve both insulin sensitivity and the performance of beta cells in the pancreas and change the composition of the bacteria in the gutThe latest crosssectional study included 1923 adults 562 men1361 women aged 2080 years living in the community across 8 provinces in China In total 436 participants were living with diabetes and 352 with prediabetes and 1135 had normal blood glucose levelsParticipants included both nonhabitual tea drinkers and those with a history of drinking only a single type of tea They were asked about the frequency ie never occasionally often and every day and type ie green black dark or other tea of tea consumptionThe researchers examined the association between both the frequency and type of tea consumption and excretion of glucose in the urine assessed by the morning spot urine glucosetocreatine ratio UGCR insulin resistance measured using the triglyceride and glucose index TyG derived from fasting plasma glucose and fasting triglyceride levels and glycaemic status defined as a history of type 2 diabetes current use of antidiabetic medications or an abnormal 75g oral glucose tolerance testPeople with diabetes often have an enhanced capacity for renal glucose reabsorption so their kidneys retrieve more glucose preventing it from being excreted in urine which contributes to higher blood sugarAccording to Associate Professor Wu 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 sodiumglucose cotransporter2 SGLT2 inhibitors a new antidiabetic 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 kidneysColead author Professor Zilin Sun from Southeast University adds 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 healthThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever