High Time for Green Tea by WholeFoods Magazine Staff
Diabetes. Green tea may help
diabetics because it can regulate serum glucose levels in the body.
So, exactly how can green tea offer this benefit? It inhibits both
salivary and intestinal amylase, thereby causing starch to be
broken down slower and minimizing the rise in serum glucose levels.
Green tea may also heighten the body's sensitivity to insulin,
which might lower one's risk for diabetes (2).
A Japanese retrospective cohort study of 17,413 participants
(6,727 men and 10,686 women, ages 40 to 65, with no prior history
of type 2 diabetes) was implemented, along with a five-year
follow-up questionnaire. Study findings were based on consumption
of coffee as well as black, green and oolong teas (the three main
tea types). During the five-year assessment, some 444 new cases of
diabetes developed in 231 men and 213 women. Green tea, along with
the aforementioned caffeinated beverages, was associated with a 33%
deflated risk of diabetes (3).
1. H. Iso, et al., "The Relationship between Green Tea
and Total Caffeine Intake and Risk for Self-Reported Type 2
Diabetes among Japanese Adults," Annals Int. Med. 144 (8),
554-562 (2006).
2. Greentealovers.com, accessed October 22, 2009.
3. K.S. Stote and S.J. Baer, "Tea Consumption May Improve
Biomarkers of Insulin Sensitivity and Risk Factors for Diabetes,"
J. Nutr. 138, 1584S-1588S (2008).
Posted 7/26/12
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