Research with tea has shown that ‘true’ teas may help to give insulin a boost. Greater insulin activity implies greater control over blood sugar levels in people who have a malfunctioning insulin function and are vulnerable to type2 diabetes or what is known as adult-onset diabetes. So if you are a diabetic patient with a fondness for tea, or would like to gift some to someone with diabetes, be sure to buy true teas only.
What are true teas?
Not all people know that there are the true teas, which have a pedigree, and then there are herbal teas, which are not related to the traditional tea plant at all. True teas come from the leaves of the same Chinese plant, the Camellia sinesis. Herbal ones come from parts of other plants, such as the leaves, roots, flowers etc. Peppermint leaves, for instance, or camellia flowers go into making herbal brews.
When you are buying tea for a diabetic, look for the true varieties. There are four kinds – green, black, white and oolong. These leaves are all from the same plant. They are differentiated only by the amount of oxygen they have been exposed to by the manufacturers. Oxidation makes the aroma and the flavors more intense and more the oxidation, the deeper and richer the color of the infusion.
What about anti-oxidants?
White leaves are the least oxidized, followed by green, oolong and then black. Of these, they also have the maximum amount of anti-oxidants, which are believed to have their own health benefits. So, white and green brews are excellent choices for maintaining overall health.
Does green tea have special benefits?
Research has shown that maybe green tea has the additional ability to suppress blood sugar levels. There are chemical substances in it called ‘catechins’, which control the sugar-producing enzymes in the body.
What is the bottomline?
According to the research that has been done so far, it doesn’t matter what kind of true tea you buy (the blood-sugar-controlling effects of herbal brews and iced-teas are suspect) as long as you put the right things in it. Squeeze in a lemon, and you can give insulin activity in your cells a 15-fold kick. If you add milk – at about 10 teaspoons a cup – you can cause it to plummet by more than 90%.
Now you know how to buy tea for diabetics. Buy the true varieties – green tea is a good option for its other health-enhancing properties as well. Don’t add milk, like the British do, to your cup of brew – not even soy milk – but squeeze in a few drops of lemon like the Americans. Remember that the insulin boosting effect lasts for a short time, so you need to drink lots of it throughout the day.
