According to the American Diabetes Association, just over 11 percent of people in the United States have diabetes.
“Several studies have pointed to green tea as a potentially effective addition to a health-promoting eating plan that may help improve insulin sensitivity.”
How green tea may work to support insulin sensitivity is not entirely clear. Older studies suggest that catechins in tea, which are also responsible for its anticancer properties and heart health benefits, may be responsible.
How does diabetes work?
When you eat foods containing carbohydrates, they are digested and broken down into sugar or glucose. In response to this process, the pancreas releases insulin to help cells absorb glucose to use as cellular fuel. When you have diabetes, this process is hindered.
“People with type 2 diabetes have cells that do not respond to insulin, a process known as insulin resistance. This, and the fact that the pancreas often stops releasing enough insulin, makes it difficult to manage blood sugar levels.”
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. With this condition, the body’s immune system attacks and kills the pancreatic cells that produce insulin. Furthermore, these specific cells of the pancreas do not produce insulin.
“Most studies on the effects of green tea in people with diabetes have focused on type 2 diabetes, as it is more common and accounts for 90 to 95 percent of diabetes diagnoses in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”
Green Tea and Diabetes Prevention:
Research indicates that including green tea as part of a Mediterranean-style eating plan may be helpful in preventing type 2 diabetes. Drinking green tea as a replacement for other sugary drinks may also reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
“A recent literature review suggests that green tea may be beneficial for weight loss as part of a healthy eating plan, but more well-controlled human studies are needed.”
Green tea and diabetes management:
According to an exhaustive review of research published in 2017, studies show some benefits of green tea for those with diabetes, but the results are mixed.
“The inconsistent results were likely due to genetics, a mix of male and female participants, the type of tea leaves used, and the bioavailability of the active ingredients in green tea leaves. The review involved analysis of global research that included human and animal participants.”
For example, research published in 2023 involving over 2,200 Chinese adults found that tea consumption resulted in reduced insulin secretion and worse insulin resistance. The research was conducted over a 5-year period.
“More well-controlled human studies are needed to reach a definitive conclusion on the benefits of green tea for diabetes.”
While not all studies have shown positive results regarding diabetes, green tea has been shown to be beneficial in other ways as well. For example, in unsweetened form, green tea remains preferable to sugary drinks.
Get the most out of green tea:
If you suffer from diabetes and want to maximize the potential benefits of green tea, it is important to avoid adding substances that can cause changes in blood sugar. It’s best to drink mild-flavored tea plain, rather than diluting it with milk or sweetening it with sugar.
“Tea bags are fine (loose leaves are best), but if you want to enjoy a fresher, greener flavor, you can buy traditional matcha green tea online and in specialty stores.”
Matcha is a green tea powder, traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies. It’s made with a small bowl and a bamboo whisk, although a spoon or wire whisk can work in a pinch. Because the tea is more concentrated in matcha powder, you may get additional benefits over bagged green tea.
Best Green Tea for Diabetes Patient:
1. Black Tea May Help Reduce Insulin Resistance:
Black tea comes from the same plant as green tea, so as with green tea, you’ll get diabetes-friendly benefits. Although it is the same plant, “different processing methods are used to create it,” explains Stefanski.
“A review published in 2019 found that some epidemiological studies show that drinking black, green, or oolong tea may reduce the risk of developing diabetes or diabetes complications. Additionally, researchers suggest that tea (including black tea) may work in the body in part by improving insulin resistance, playing an insulin-like role, and alleviating the inflammatory response.”
Additionally, black tea may work to help people with diabetes in other ways. “Animal studies on black tea have found that it can reduce carbohydrate absorption and therefore improve blood sugar control; however, further research in humans is needed,” explains Palinski-Wade. A review published in 2016 found that black tea reduced body weight in animals.
“Another study, from 2017, found that drinking black tea after consuming sugar helps control blood sugar. The small study looked at people with prediabetes and people without diabetes.”
More good news for fans of black tea: a different analysis discovered that tea drinkers, including black tea drinkers, had a decreased incidence of type 2 diabetes.
2. Chamomile Tea May Make You Sleepy:
A sleepless night is the last thing anyone with diabetes needs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), even just one night of poor sleep could cause the body to produce insulin less effectively, potentially raising blood sugar levels.
“The good news? Drinking herbal chamomile, which is caffeine-free, can aid sleep. A 2015 study found that when sleep-deprived women (who had recently given birth) drank chamomile tea for two weeks, they had fewer sleep quality problems and symptoms of depression than the control group who didn’t drink the tea.”
Of course, those women did not have diabetes. But that doesn’t mean chamomile tea offers no benefits for these individuals. “Diabetes is considered an inflammatory condition, and along with proper food intake, good quality sleep is important to reduce inflammation,” says Stefanski.
There’s more, says Palinski-Wade: “Chamomile tea has also been associated with improved insulin sensitivity and glucose management and may help reduce oxidative stress in the body.” A study published in 2018 found that when study participants with type 2 diabetes consumed chamomile three times a day (after each meal) for eight weeks, researchers found benefits on both insulin resistance and inflammatory markers.
“Additionally, animal research has shown that daily consumption of chamomile can help slow or prevent the progress of complications that can accompany diabetes, although further studies in humans are needed.”
3. Ginger Tea Lowered Fasting Blood Glucose in Studies:
Yes, a cup of ginger tea can add some zing, but it might be worth sipping on this spicy drink, especially if you have diabetes.
“For starters, a 2015 review suggested that ginger root supplementation – technically a more potent form of tea – lowered fasting blood glucose levels, as well as A1C, in people with type 2 diabetes .”
Additionally, a small study published in 2015 observed that people with diabetes (who were not taking insulin) who took ginger supplementation for three months improved their glycemic control, and the results were significant between the ginger group and the control.
“Ginger may affect glycemic control in the body by inhibiting enzymes involved in the process of carbohydrate metabolism and increasing insulin sensitivity, according to a separate study. As a result, the researchers noted, there is increased glucose uptake into peripheral adipose tissue and skeletal muscle tissue.”