The Benefits Green Tea for Diabetes Treatment and Prevention
Even though medicine has advanced rapidly, there are diseases for which cure has not been found yet. One of them
is diabetes. The people suffering from Type I diabetes suffer from insulin deficiency while the patients
with Type II diabetes have an insulin resistance, which prevent the cells from using this hormone
properly. The result is that glucose, carried by the blood, cannot be effectively absorbed by the body cells, but
remains in the blood which is dangerous. Even though they have not reached a breakthrough, scientists have
discovered the chemical compounds in green tea can be effective for the treatment and prevention of diabetes.
A recent study has revealed that green tea can enhance the insulin activity. The tests were
conducted on mice and the results were more than optimistic. The insulin activity was raised 15 times after the
regular consumption of green tea. This gives hope that similar beneficial results can occur in patients suffering
from Type I and Type II diabetes.
Another study carried out on humans in 2004 revealed that green tea can actually enhance the glucose
metabolism as well. This means that it can aid for the better absorption of glucose by the cells, which
need it. A more recent experiment concluded that green tea can actually reduce blood sugar. After drinking 6 cups
of tea for 8 weeks, patients with Type II diabetes experienced anywhere between 15% and 20% drop in the glucose,
present in their blood. The findings have been confirmed by several other studies.
There is evidence that chemical substances in green tea can help people suffering from Type II diabetes in yet
another way. After meals, patients with this disease experience large and sudden rises in their blood sugar, which
can be extremely dangerous. When they consume green tea, however, the antioxidants in it can actually slow the
transfer of glucose from the small intestine to the blood. This regulates the release of blood sugar and prevents
the dangerous spikes.
Given that green tea can provide for the regulation of blood sugar, it can be effective for diabetes
prevention. It can protect you from Type II diabetes even better, because it lowers the cholesterol in the
blood vessels. There are indications that the antioxidants can also lower blood pressure. This is beneficial, since
hypertension is one of the factors for Type II diabetes.
You should definitely consume green tea on a daily basis, no matter whether you have diabetes or not. It will be
beneficial without causing any side effects.
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