A cup of tea a day may have health benefits
A cup of tea a day may prevent diabetes (although Australian and Chinese experts say not every type of tea provides the greatest benefit ). Experts believe that the invigorating drink has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
The first cup of tea often seems like salvation in the morning, writes the Daily Mail. Now research shows that this tea drinking ritual is also beneficial for your health – it reduces the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes by 28 percent.
Experts believe that tea has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that improve insulin sensitivity.
The effect was especially strong in dark tea , an ancient tea whose production process uses microbiological fermentation.
Researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia and Southeast University in China studied the daily tea drinking habits of 1,923 adults in China.
The participants included both non-usual tea drinkers and former tea drinkers. only one type of tea.
Participants were asked about the frequency of drinking tea – from «never», «from time to time» to "often" and "every day", as well as the type of tea, such as green, black, dark or other tea.
The survey results were then compared with test results for urine sugar, insulin resistance, and glycemic status, defined as a history of type 2 diabetes, current use of antidiabetic medications, or an abnormal glucose tolerance test at a dose of 75 g orally.
Daily tea consumption has been associated with increased urinary glucose excretion and decreased insulin resistance, indicating a reduced likelihood of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
People with diabetes often suffer from renal glucose reabsorption, which means that their kidneys extract more glucose, preventing it from being excreted in the urine and contributing to high blood sugar levels, writes the Daily Mail.
Presenting their findings at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Hamburg, Germany, the researchers found that those who enjoy drinking a cup of tea had a 15% lower risk of developing prediabetes and a 28% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. , compared to those who never drank tea.
Professor Tongzhi Wu from the University of Adelaide and lead author of the study notes: “Our results indicate a protective effect of habitual tea drinking on blood sugar levels through increased excretion glucose in urine, improving insulin resistance and thus better control of blood sugar levels. These benefits were most pronounced among those who drank dark tea daily.
Those who drank dark tea had a 53% lower risk of developing prediabetes and a 47% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, even after taking into account established risk factors including body mass index (BMI), mean blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, cholesterol, alcohol consumption, smoking, family history of diabetes and regular exercise.
The researchers emphasized that the results were obtained through observational studies, so they could not prove cause and effect, but they hope so further studies are underway.
Professor Zhilin Song from Southeastern University emphasizes: "Our findings suggest that daily consumption of dark tea potentially reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes through better control of blood sugar levels . If you look at all the different biomarkers associated with habitual dark tea consumption, it may be one simple step that people can easily take to improve their nutrition and health.