The green tea and blood sugar connection exists and is really beneficial for those suffering from diabetes. However, before delving deeper into the connection between the two, let’s have a look at what diabetes is and how it affects the levels of blood sugar?
Diabetes – An overview
Diabetes is a medical condition that occurs when the blood sugar level of an individual is very high. Blood sugar is used as the main source of energy by the body and comes from the food consumed.
There is a hormone called insulin secreted by the pancreas. This insulin helps the sugar present in food to be utilized by cells for energy.
When your body does not make a sufficient amount of insulin or is not able to utilize it well, the sugar stays in your blood and does not get into the cells.
Health Risks Due to Diabetes
Elevated blood sugar can lead to many health problems over time such as stroke, heart disease, kidney problems, dental problems, nerve damage, eye disease, and problems related to the foot.
Common types of diabetes
Type 1 diabetes: Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body is not able to make insulin. Individuals with type 1 diabetes have to consume insulin daily in order to stay alive. This type of diabetes is an auto-immune disorder.
Type 2 diabetes: This is the most common kind of diabetes and occurs when the body cells are not able to utilize the insulin well. It affects middle-aged people and the elderly most often.
Gestational diabetes: This type of diabetes develops in some women during pregnancy and most often goes away after the birth of the baby. Women who have had gestational diabetes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes in the later years of life.
Common type 2 diabetes risk factors:
- Family history
- Obesity or being overweight
- Inactive lifestyle
- Ethnicity
- History of gestational diabetes
- Existing PCOS
Why do you need to control blood sugar levels?
It is very important to keep blood sugar levels in check because above-normal or below-normal blood sugar can cause a lot of health problems. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to the damage of important organs in the body.
So, you must make sure that your blood sugar levels are in the desired range if you have diabetes.
Blood Sugar and Green Tea
Green tea is a popular health drink that finds its place in everybody’s pantry and the credit goes to its health benefits. Right from protecting the heart to preventing diabetes, it has a long list of benefits.
One among them is its ability to control blood sugar levels and manage diabetes.
How is green tea helpful for diabetics?
As mentioned above when a person has diabetes, he or she has high blood sugar. Green tea plays a role in reducing elevated levels of blood sugar.
The polyphenols and polysaccharides present in green tea are the compounds that help in bringing down the levels of high blood sugar.
In brief, polyphenols are the antioxidants that are found in plants.
Scientists have discovered that it is EGCG or epigallocatechin gallate, a polyphenol that has a pivotal role to play in the manner in which glucose is absorbed by the body.
Those with diabetes are directly benefitted as EGCG mimics the action of insulin and lowers blood sugar thereby preventing blood sugar spikes! It is advised that you consume green tea along with a carb-rich or starchy meal.
EGCG is the compound that is responsible for all the health benefits of green tea.
Green tea and type 1 diabetes
Green tea has a positive impact on type 1 diabetes and the credit goes to the nutrients and antioxidants present in it. It is capable of delaying and preventing the disease.
According to lab studies on animals, green tea can even enhance the production of insulin by the pancreas which is great news for type 1 diabetes patients.
It is, however, only a ray of hope as the studies need to be carried out on humans to understand the real effect of green tea on diabetes.
Green tea and type 2 diabetes
Talking about type 2 diabetes, the one common risk factor is obesity and there can be nothing better than green tea to combat that.
The polyphenol EGCG present in green tea is known to boost metabolism and suppress your appetite.
Green tea is also known to trigger the process of fat burning. Over a period of time, your unwanted body fat will get reduced and you will be able to maintain a healthy weight.
Once you reach a healthy weight, your chances of developing type 2 diabetes will get reduced.
So, essentially if you ward off the risk factors for type 2 diabetes, you can keep the disease at bay.
Overall, green tea is definitely a beneficial beverage for diabetics.
Tea for diabetes – How green tea is the winner?
Whereas all kinds of teas are good for diabetes, green tea emerges as a winner! This is because green tea has a higher proportion of polyphenols when compared to the other varieties of teas.
You must be aware of the fact that polyphenols are the compounds that give a bright hue to the fruits and veggies you consume every day.
So, when your green tea has more color in it, it means that it has more polyphenols in it and it will provide you with more health benefits.
Apart from that, the way green tea is processed (without fermentation) is also why it has more polyphenols in it. Black tea, on the other hand, has reduced amounts of nutrients in it because the leaves are fermented.
So, you should definitely choose a cup of green tea over others!
Those with diabetes can drink green tea safely. However, monitoring of blood sugar levels is recommended as green tea lowers blood sugar levels and it might get too low at times.
Generally speaking, green tea is able to help with the management of diabetes.
Remember to have it without any sweeteners to make the most of it.
Green tea for non-diabetics
If you are not diabetic but want to prevent the onset of the disease, you can make green tea a habit.
According to a study carried out in Japan, it has been found that people who consumed 5 or more cups of green tea every day were able to witness 33% fewer chances of developing type 2 diabetes than individuals who consumed just one cup of green tea a week.
It is a healthy habit and that will keep you fit and fine.
Green tea and blood pressure
To find the effect of green tea on blood pressure, research has been conducted and it concluded that when you consume green tea over a longer period of time, it has a positive effect on blood pressure.
According to the study carried out, green tea lowers blood pressure and thereby brings down the risk of stroke by 8% and reduces the chances of death by coronary artery disease by 5% and the overall mortality rate by 4%.
The amount of green tea required for these effects is still not clear but it is suggested that 3 to 4 cups a day should do the magic!
Best green tea for diabetes and blood sugar levels
You need to choose high-quality green tea from a trusted brand for the best results. Furthermore, any matcha green tea can help you better in controlling levels of blood sugar.
This is because the concentration of polyphenols in matcha is considerably higher than the one present in normal green tea.
When you drink matcha, you are actually drinking the green tea leaves whereas with normal green tea leaves, you allow the leaves to steep in hot water and then discard the leaves. This is a huge difference and it does matter.
Hope you will make green tea a part of your life!
