If Type 2 Diabetes runs in your family, you may be concerned about how you can reduce your risk.
Type 2 Diabetes is a chronic illness that affects how the body processes blood sugar.
It leads to high blood sugar levels and causes a range of health problems, from nerve damage and eye problems to heart disease and stroke.
It’s essential to reduce your risk of developing this disease.
One way to reduce your risk of Type 2 Diabetes is through diet and lifestyle changes.
This is best done through healthy eating, regular exercise, stress, and weight management.
Tea to reduce Type 2 Diabetes risks?
Studies also show that drinking tea may play a helpful role in reducing the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.
This could be great news for tea lovers who want to prevent or manage this condition. It’s certainly one of the easiest interventions we can make!
There is some evidence to the contrary, but more and more research suggests that diabetics who consume green tea daily may have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
Green tea consumption daily may lower the risk of Type 2 Diabetes among those predisposed to it. That’s exciting news!
This is believed to be because of the antioxidants in green tea, which are known to be helpful to people with many health conditions.
Despite the evidence, further research is essential to better understand the effects of tea consumption on people with T2D.
Further research will also help us learn about the recommended doses to gain benefits from drinking tea.
To gain comprehensive insight, researchers should conduct investigations into larger groups.
This will allow us to uncover more accurate information about the influence of tea on diabetes risk and how we can benefit the most.
Effects of Drinking Tea on Type 2 Diabetes
A meta-analysis of 19 cohort studies from eight countries examined the effects of black, green, and oolong tea on Type 2 Diabetes risk.
The studies reviewed included a large number of participants, making it one of the most extensive analyses to date on this topic.
Through their analysis, they sought to explore the relationship between these various teas and Type 2 Diabetes. They also considered other variables such as geographical location, population size, gender balance, age range, and lifestyle factors.
Researchers conducted a study to explore the potential benefits of tea consumption on diabetes risk.
The result shows that four or more cups of tea a day dramatically reduced the risk of diabetes!
That’s amazing!
This suggests that regular consumption of tea may be an effective way to reduce the risk of developing this serious health condition.
“Drinking tea does not seem to be harmful and may confer a small benefit in diabetes risk reduction, other foods high in polyphenols have shown similar effects,”1https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/drinking-4-cups-of-tea-daily-may-reduce-type-2-diabetes-risk#How-many-cups-of-tea?
Dr. Kashif M. Munir, associate professor of medicine at the University of Maryland Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today,
Can Tea Really Lower the Risk for Type 2 Diabetes?
Yes, drinking tea can actually reduce the chances of developing Type 2 Diabetes.
Studies have shown that regular consumption of tea can help to decrease the risk of acquiring this metabolic disorder. This is especially true when drinking green and black tea.
The antioxidants present in these types of tea are believed to be responsible for this beneficial effect on health.
Regular drinking of tea can improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in people with Type 2 Diabetes.
That’s right! You can drink tea to improve insulin sensitivity.
I start my daily tea-time habit today!
So, to reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes and maintain good health, it may be effective to incorporate a cup or two of tea into your daily routine.
Dr. Munir stated that drinking tea could potentially help to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. He said:
“Tea is known to contain food polyphenols, such as EGCG, which have been shown to reduce insulin resistance and improve endothelial function ([which is] important for regulating the immune response, blood clotting, and the dilation or constriction of blood vessels). These effects may have beneficial effects on glucose homeostasis and improve diabetes risk.”
Dr. Mandy Willig from the University of Alabama at Birmingham has also offered her views on how tea can help in controlling type 2 diabetes.
“We haven’t identified a specific mechanism for drinking tea to reduce diabetes risk. Polyphenols and catechins in tea might improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin or act as scavengers of reactive oxygen species. However, the amount of polyphenols and catechins in any single cup of tea varies greatly depending on the type of tea, how the tea leaves are prepared and stored, and what other ingredients are added to the tea.”2https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/drinking-4-cups-of-tea-daily-may-reduce-type-2-diabetes-risk#How-many-cups-of-tea?
Different Types of Tea for T2D
Green tea can stimulate increased production of insulin and reduce blood sugar levels in mice, as shown by studies.
Polyphenols and catechins, which are known for their beneficial health effects, are highly concentrated in green tea.
For those at risk of diabetes or prediabetes, green tea is an attractive option as a natural supplement.
In contrast to other teas, black tea is rich in theaflavins. These special compounds have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
They are known to help reduce inflammation and fight off free radicals. This provides a potential range of health benefits.
Additionally, theaflavins are thought to be effective in reducing cholesterol levels. As such, drinking black tea may provide many positive health outcomes.
Drinking black tea may help to reduce the risk of obesity. It can also consequently contribute to improving one’s diabetic health.
By encouraging the transformation of white fat into brown fat, we can burn off fat more easily!
This process can lead to significant weight loss, as well as improved blood sugar regulation and enhanced metabolism of fats.
Limitations about Drinking Tea to Reduce Diabetes
Drinking tea has been studied to show benefits for reducing the risk of Type 2 Diabetes. But there are things you should consider about tea.
Prof. Peter Clifton, not involved in the study, was asked about its limitations. He explained that the study focused on large groups of people to understand how diseases affect them.
Therefore, it only suggests possible connections. Prof. Clifton teaches at the University of South Australia.
He said that many clinical studies must be conducted over a long time to determine if dried tea extract capsules are effective. These studies should be double-blind and randomized, comparing the extract to placebos.
The purpose is to gather enough information to confirm the treatment’s efficacy. To get reliable results from these kinds of studies, they would have to be carefully watched and followed for several years.
“Suggesting tea drinking or coffee drinking as a lifestyle intervention will not work as people will not suddenly change their ingrained habits of non-tea drinking. So, no reason to give it up but not much evidence to take it up.”3https://people.unisa.edu.au/Peter.Clifton
A limited number of participants
Dr. Munir stated that the preliminary study had a limited number of participants. As a result, there was no evidence of the benefits of drinking tea. To detect minor effects on a wider group of people, a larger sample size is typically required.
“The meta-analysis included over a million participants from 19 studies and did show benefits with higher levels of tea consumption associated with lower risk of developing diabetes. Larger studies, such as this one, are often needed to tease out a small benefit from a particular food,” he continued.
“However, the limitations are we don’t know whether the food is causal or merely an association with lower rates of developing diabetes, and many biases may interfere with non-randomized studies,” he added.
“This type of study cannot tell us why drinking 4 cups of tea was associated with reduced diabetes risk,” noted Dr. Willig, “Is there something specific to drinking tea, or are there other traits or lifestyle habits of high-tea consumption participants in China that actually reduce diabetes risk and were not controlled for in this study?”
“If you already enjoy tea without added sugar, this study suggests that it won’t hurt to drink tea daily—which is good news—and it may help in some cases. But, basic health behaviors are still key to [reducing] diabetes risk—being physically active, eating a healthy diet with adequate fiber and protein, maintaining a body weight where you have good blood sugar control, and reducing or eliminating tobacco use. Focusing on one specific food or beverage will not have any added health benefits if those practices are not already in place.”4https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/drinking-4-cups-of-tea-daily-may-reduce-type-2-diabetes-risk
— Dr. Mandy Willig
She helped start and managed a supplement company and has consulted on targeted supplement creation.
She has also served for over 7 years as an admin for very large Facebook groups about health and autoimmune issues.
Anna has years of unique experience seeing which protocols and treatments work for which people, having seen hundreds of thousands of patient experiences and testimonials.
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