|
Green Tea
and Blood Sugar Control
Diabetes is a terrible
disease that wreaks havoc on nearly every part of the body. It's
characterized by an inability to utilize glucose (or “blood sugar”) in
the proper way. As a result, glucose builds up in the bloodstream and
damages tissues and organs body-wide, causing
heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, nerve damage, gangrene
(especially of the feet) and blindness. Clearly, it’s vitally important
that you get your blood glucose under control and keep it there!
Green tea has been
associated with a decrease in the absorption of carbohydrate (which is
broken down by the body into glucose) and a reduced risk of developing
type 2 diabetes. However, it’s still uncertain whether or not drinking
tea (green or black) can actually lower blood glucose. To find
out, researchers gathered dietary information (including the amount and
frequency of black or green tea consumption) from 542 elderly men and
women living in the Mediterranean area. They also measured fasting blood
glucose levels, body mass index (BMI) and other factors.
The results? Tea intake
was associated with lower blood glucose levels, but only in
non-obese people. And moderate tea consumption (1-2 cups per day) also
reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 88%, no matter what the
participant’s age, sex, dietary and exercise habits, or smoking status
-- but again, only in the non-obese.
(Polychronopoulos E, Zeimbekis A, Kastorini CM, et al.
Effects of black and green tea consumption on blood glucose levels in
non-obese elderly men and women from Mediterranean Islands (MEDIS
epidemiological study). Eur J Nutr 2008;47(1):10-6.)
|
Nadine Taylor, M.S., R.D. presents
GreenTeaLibrary.com, the most
comprehensive collection of scientific information describing the
health benefits of green tea.
|
|
