Consuming this beverage daily may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by controlling blood glucose levels.
Is black tea an ally against diabetes? That is the hypothesis of a study presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Hamburg. According to the authors, regular consumption of black tea is associated with better blood sugar control, and therefore a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
“The health benefits of tea, particularly in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes, have been reported in several studies in recent years, but the underlying mechanisms behind these benefits remain unclear,” notes the study’s co-author, Tongzhi Wu from the University of Adelaide.
To shed light on this topic, the authors analyzed data from nearly 2,000 adults. Some were regular tea consumers, while others did not drink tea at all. They were asked about their frequency of consumption and the type of tea they drank.
Drinking black tea is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
The researchers examined the association between the frequency and type of tea consumed and glucose excretion in the urine, insulin resistance, and glycemic status (defined as a history of type 2 diabetes, the use of antidiabetic medications, or an abnormal 75g oral glucose tolerance test). “People with diabetes often have an increased ability to reabsorb glucose in the kidneys, so their kidneys retrieve more glucose, preventing it from being excreted in the urine, which contributes to higher blood sugar levels,” the authors explain.
