Diabetes: Here’s Why You Should Drink Green Tea 

If You Have High Blood Sugar

By now you all must know how sipping into a hot cup of green tea every day does wonder to your body. You already know how drinking green tea regularly can be beneficial for maintaining a healthy heart, slowing down the growth of cancerous cells, and reducing the extra flab. But, does the hot beverage also have a medicinal advantage for those who are suffering from diabetes? Turns out, it does. In this article, you will get to know how this miraculous drink can help you keep your blood sugar under control. Also Read - Can diabetes be prevented? Things to do if you are at risk

Green tea and coffee consumption have been widely popular worldwide. These beverages contain caffeine to activate the central nervous system by adenosine receptor blockade. In addition to this caffeine effect, green tea and coffee consumption have always been at the center of discussions about human health, disease, and longevity. Thus, they are beneficial against degenerative diseases, including obesity, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and various inflammatory diseases. And, some reports have also suggested that daily consumption of green tea also helps in controlling type 2 diabetes. Also Read - Diabetes: Common mistakes you are making that can raise your blood sugar levels

#Green Tea And Diabetes

Green tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, an evergreen shrub that grows mainly in China and India. While black tea and green tea come from the same plant, they are processed differently. Post-harvest, the leaves for green tea are quickly steamed or heated to stop oxidation. Green tea is rich in the class of polyphenol compounds known as catechins. Polyphenols may have health benefits for humans. Many of the effects of green tea are thought to be due to its most abundant catechin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Also Read - Are you a diabetic? 5 things you should do every morning to control blood sugar levels

Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a chronic health condition where the body is unable to produce enough insulin and properly break down sugar (glucose) in the blood. Glucose comes from food and is used by the cells for energy. Glucose is also made in the liver. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach. Insulin is needed to move sugar into the cells where it can be used for energy needed for body processes. With Type 1 diabetes, the body does not make any insulin. With Type 2 diabetes, the more common type, the body does not make or use insulin properly. Without enough insulin, glucose stays in the blood and causes a condition called hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar levels.

#Green Tea – Weight Loss – Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes- the most common form of diabetes—is caused by several factors, including lifestyle factors and genes. One is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if the individual isn’t physically active and is overweight or obese. Extra weight sometimes causes insulin resistance and is common in people with type 2 diabetes. So, in such a case, green tea helps to reduce weight and this is how people with type 2 diabetes get their blood sugar under check.

#Green Tea – Improving Insulin Sensitivity

The catechins present in green tea helps to reduce the effects of insulin resistance by decreasing the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates (Catechins are a type of antioxidant). According to the researchers, one who is suffering from type 2 diabetes can sip into a hot cup of well brewed green tea at least thrice a day.

#Green Tea – Stress Management – Type 2 Diabetes

In addition, stress can be a major barrier to manage glucose control. Therefore, when you’re under physical stress, your blood sugar can also increase. This can happen when you’re sick or injured and it affects people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. In such a scenario, green tea which contains amino acid L-theanine helps to calm down the mind and body thereby relieving stress.

So, what did you learn from the above article? It is clear now that what you choose to eat and drink can affect your blood sugar level dramatically. Green tea doesn’t contain added sugar, is naturally calorie-free when enjoyed plain from the bag, and is a nutritional powerhouse — all of which makes it a great beverage to add to your diabetes diet. But, to clarify – green tea alone cannot help you manage type 2 diabetes. One also needs to eat a balanced diet, which is low in added sugars, simple carbohydrates, and saturated fat.