If you have diabetes, your doctor probably has provided you with an extensive list of drinks and beverages to avoid and what to drink. Right? Tea is the most widely used drink all over the world, having various beneficial functions.
Fortunately, diabetes can take tea; but what kind of teas are good for diabetes? There are a variety of herbal teas consumed for relaxing and positively impact diabetes symptoms.
Why are different herbal teas best for people with diabetes? Different widely used teas like green tea and black tea have polyphenols that increase insulin activity, a much-needed effect for people with diabetes.
Does milk tea increase blood sugar? Yes, anything added like cream, milk, or sugar can affect the total calories and raise blood sugar. A study in 2002 stated a decrease in the activity of insulin when milk adds up in tea.
11 Best Teas For Diabetic People
Herbal teas are purely natural products and are best known to cure diabetes and control diabetic signs and symptoms. The best teas for people with diabetes are those which can’t spike the blood sugar in any way.
1- Black Tea
Experts recommend black tea for diabetes due to its beneficial properties like lowering blood sugar, anti-inflammatory action, and antioxidant effects. Thearubigin and theaflavins are the potent plant compounds found in black tea that are responsible for their tremendous impact on diabetes.
Here are some properties which makes it an excellent choice for the diabetics
- Flavonoids present in black tea help reduce inflammation if any. Also, as produced by fermenting the leaves, the flavonoids are more complex and provide antioxidant properties.
- It is best known to lower blood sugar, which is a much-required effect for people with diabetes. But how does it reduce sugar levels? It blocks the enzyme which converts the starch into sugar, ultimately lowering the sugar level in the blood.
- Also, it lowers your blood sugar level by reducing sugar absorption from the intestine.
Studies show that black tea consumption can lower blood sugar after sucrose intake during lunch, dinner, or meals.
2- Green Tea
Green tea is probably on top of the list of best teas for people with diabetes. It can boost up your metabolism, thus involved in better use of blood sugar. Green tea is rich in certain polyphenols, which have antioxidant functions and are responsible for lowering the risk of heart disease in people with diabetes.
Why is green tea the best recommended drink for diabetes? Well, it not only controls diabetes but also manages the risk factors of diabetes too. It has fewer calories and is used widely for weight loss. Being overweight is one of the most prevalent risk factors of diabetes, and green tea can control weight.
A compound called catechins, found in green tea, lowers carbohydrate absorption and decreases insulin resistance. It helps in maintaining the blood sugar level up to normal limits. Also, it reduces blood sugar by stimulating the glucose uptake into skeletal muscles with the help of a compound called Epigallocatechin Gallate.
How much green tea should a diabetic drink? Studies show that 3-4 cups of green tea daily can help a lot in managing diabetes symptoms.
3- Hibiscus Tea
Hibiscus tea is a bright-coloured tart tea made from the petals of the Hibiscus Sabdariffa plant and is also known as sour tea. Due to multiple astonishing effects on health and diabetes, it is one of the best tea for people with diabetes.
This tea’s vital health benefits generally include diabetes prevention and management, blood pressure, and cholesterol regulation. It also induces insulin resistance and regulates blood glucose levels. It prevents diabetes by controlling the risk factors like blood pressure etc., which may disturb the blood glucose level.
A study suggests that 150 ml of Hibiscus tea three times a day for about four weeks has a significant positive impact on insulin resistance and specific lipoproteins of type 2 diabetes.
4- Ginger Tea
Your mind may pop up with a question, Is ginger tea good for diabetes, and why? Yes, It boosts the carbohydrate metabolism and enhances insulin sensitivity, which would be a severe issue for diabetic people otherwise.
Ginger tea is known to control the glycemic index of people with diabetes, as it improves the uptake of glucose into the muscle cells without requiring insulin. So regular consumption of ginger tea should help to control blood sugar in the long term.
Besides improving insulin sensitivity, it also increases insulin secretion to be among the best teas for people with diabetes.
A study shows that ginger consumption may lead to a 35 % drop in blood glucose level and a 10% plasma insulin level increment.
5- Chamomile Tea
Different properties like anti-inflammatory and antioxidant recommend this tea for diabetes. It prevents cell damage by anti-inflammatory properties, especially in the pancreas, and helps in monitoring and controlling blood sugar.
Its antioxidant effects help to cope with oxidative stress, which may otherwise increase diabetes complications. Chamomile teas also assist in managing the glucose spikes immediately after eating, aids in weight loss by lowering the bad cholesterol.
Is chamomile tea good for diabetes? Yes, it’s also one of the best teas for people with diabetes. A study suggests that chamomile tea has beneficial effects on the lipid profile and glycemic control of patients with diabetes.
6- Cinnamon Tea
Cinnamon is an excellent anti-diabetic supplement usually taken in concentrated form to lower blood sugar. Besides concentrated form, studies show that taking cinnamon as a cup of tea also has the same beneficial effects.
What are the effects of cinnamon tea on diabetes? It helps in improving the cellular uptake of glucose, increasing insulin sensitivity, and ultimately lowering the blood sugar level. Drinking cinnamon tea results in relatively lower blood sugar spikes due to the slow release of sugar into the bloodstream.
According to a study, if you include cinnamon in the diet of people with diabetes, it will lower the serum glucose and total cholesterol. Also, it aids in reducing the risk factors of diabetes and cardiovascular problems.
7- Peppermint Tea
Peppermint tea is involved in different health benefits because of the presence of several antioxidants. Besides other, polyphenol helps in reducing the serum glucose level when consumed regularly, which is indeed a much-needed effect for people with diabetes.
Which polyphenols help lower blood sugar? As per research, Catechin and anthocyanins help in controlling and lowering blood sugar levels. These polyphenols achieve this action by improving insulin sensitivity.
In addition, peppermint tea helps you relax the body and calm the stress, as stress can also affect blood glucose levels.
8- Turmeric Tea
Turmeric is widely used as a spice and is known for its taste enhancer and health-beneficial abilities. It has powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents that keep the body healthy. Its anti-inflammatory properties help in calming vascular complications by lowering hyperglycemia.
Which compound in turmeric is beneficial for people with diabetes? Curcumin, a compound found in turmeric, is known to lower the serum glucose level. This compound increases the uptake of glucose and improves insulin sensitivity for reducing the blood glucose level.
A study analyzed a relationship between curcumin and diabetes, and it states that it is a safe and inexpensive therapy for diabetes. It lowers hyperlipidemia and glycemia, both of which are affecting diabetes and worsening it.
9- Lemon Balm Tea
Lemon balm tea is a soothing herb with a powerful lemony scent and is usually drunk for a calming effect. However, it is considered among the best teas for people with diabetes due to several reasons.
Essential oils found in lemon balm tea lowers the blood sugar level either by inducing the glucose uptake mechanism or inhibiting the synthesis of glucose in the body. Generally, it is recommended to monitor your blood sugar carefully and watch for hypoglycemia while using lemon balm tea.
The study analyzing Lemon Balm Essential Oils’ effects considers it an “Efficient hypoglycemic agent.” It is considered mainly due to its ability to increase glucose uptake, increased metabolism of the liver in glucose, and prevent gluconeogenesis in the liver.
10- Sage Tea
Sage is a herbal plant with vast medicinal applications, especially for diabetes. Mainly, it helps in lowering the serum glucose level by increasing insulin activity. Besides this, sage tea is beneficial for calming the effects of diabetes; it boosts the immune system, calms the headaches, and lowers fatigue associated with diabetes.
It also assists in lowering the cholesterol level, which is one of the leading risk factors for acquiring and worsening diabetes. For more effective results, we recommend drinking sage tea in the morning.
11- Rooibos Tea
Rooibos tea has significant anti-diabetic properties, particularly preventing the risk factors of diabetes. Might you have heard about overweight as the critical factor for diabetes? Well, rooibos tea is effective for diabetes as it prevents fat cell formation, leading to obesity otherwise.
A compound found in Rooibos tea called Aspalathin has the property to lower the body’s glucose level. Similarly, a study suggests that Rooibos tea helps in reducing the triglyceride and bad LDL cholesterols, which may cause diabetes or complicate the diabetic condition.
Although all these teas are perfectly safe for diabetes, we still recommend consulting your physician before starting any of the above. Better to check your diabetes score and avoid severe consequences later on.
FAQs: Best Teas for People With Diabetes
1- Is chamomile good for diabetes?
Yes, chamomile tea is beneficial for people having diabetes. Asper research on rats, those rats consuming chamomile have significantly lower blood sugar than others.
2- Can green tea spike insulin?
Yes, green tea is good for diabetes, and it increases insulin activity and helps lower blood sugar levels.
3- What drink lowers blood sugar?
Green tea and green tea extracts are found beneficial in reducing serum glucose levels.
4- When is the best time to drink green tea?
The best recommended time for drinking green tea is between meals. You should consume green tea approximately 2 hours before a meal and 2 hours after a meal.
5- Is coffee good for diabetes?
Caffeinated drinks are good for preventing diabetic risk. However, if you are already a diabetic patient, its effect on insulin activity depends on blood sugar levels.
6- How many cups of green tea should you drink per day?
Recommended drinking 3-5 cups of green tea for reaping maximal beneficial response.
Conclusion
Teas are excellent for relaxing and soothing effects, along with a wide range of medicinal properties.
Certain teas are considered best for people with diabetes, as they regulate the blood sugar towards normal. But still, if your blood sugar spikes, better to get your genetic testing done to analyze your condition better.
