Dark tea could lower risk of diabetes

Sipping dark tea daily has the potential to lower the risk and progression of type 2 diabetes in adults, according to a new study.  A study revealed that dark tea drinkers had a 53% lower risk of prediabetes and a 47% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

Here will know how its different from black tea (The Dark Tea). Contrary to what most people think that just because tea is black or dark-coloured doesn’t mean it’s called dark tea.

The research was presented at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes and was conducted by experts from the University of Adelaide in Australia and Southeast University in China,

The study revealed that dark tea drinkers were blessed with a 53% lower risk of prediabetes and a 47% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Astonishingly, these benefits persisted even after accounting for other known risk factors for diabetes.

Associate Professor Tongzhi Wu, co-lead author of the study, shared that the remarkable health advantages of tea have been widely reported, including its ability to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

However, the exact mechanisms behind these benefits have remained elusive. The team’s findings suggest that habitual tea drinking may enhance blood sugar management through increased glucose excretion in urine, improved insulin resistance and better control of blood sugar.

The study included 1,923 adults from different provinces in China, with varying tea-drinking habits. After analysis, the researchers discovered that daily tea consumption was associated with increased urinary glucose excretion and reduced insulin resistance, leading to a decreased risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

The benefits were most evident among those who indulged in dark tea.

What is dark tea?

Dark tea is not to be confused with black tea. Contrary to what most people think just because tea is black or dark-coloured doesn’t mean it’s called dark tea.

Dark tea is a mixture of six major tea categories in China. It is produced using microbial fermentation. It is a combination of the following types of tea.

• Pu-erh tea
• Liubao (also known as Liupao or Liupu) tea
• Fuzhuan brick tea
• Qingzhuan brick tea
• Kangzhuan brick tea

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As per the study, dark tea may have extra health benefits because of the fermentation process. That process makes it antioxidant-rich with anti-inflammatory effects. It could have improved insulin sensitivity and performance of insulin-producing cells, and a more diverse gut microbiome, according to the researchers.

However, the authors caution that this study, like any observational study, cannot establish a causal relationship between tea drinking and blood sugar control.