Black tea may help manage blood sugar levels, reduce diabetes risk

New research suggests that by enhancing blood sugar regulation, regular black tea use may help lower the risk and advancement of type 2 diabetes. Researchers from Southeast University in China and the University of Adelaide in Australia found that people who drank black tea on a regular basis had a 47 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes and a 53 per cent lower risk of pre-diabetes.
Co-lead author Associate Professor Tongzhi Wu from the University of Adelaide and The Hospital Research Foundation Group Mid-Career Fellow said, "The 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."
"Our 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 drinkers."
The special method of making dark tea—microbial fermentation—may have positive benefits on metabolic regulation. Through this process, distinct bioactive compounds (such as alkaloids, free amino acids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, and their derivatives) may be produced that have strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, enhance insulin sensitivity and pancreatic beta cell function, and alter the composition of gut bacteria.