One of the most popular beverages in the world – tea – holds an important place in our lives. So much so that you’ll find a dedicated dabba for bottles in every kitchen cabinet. A cup of kadak chai not only energizes us but also helps our health in a number of ways. So far, much has been said about how certain teas – including black tea, green tea and oolong tea – promote weight loss, boost immunity, et al. But if the findings of a new study are to be believed, do these teas also help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes?! You heard us. A recent study by researchers at Wuhan University of Science and Technology, China found that drinking at least 4 cups of tea a day was associated with a 17% reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes in average period of 10 years.
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The study involved more than one million adults from eight countries and the results were presented at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Stockholm, Sweden. “Our results are interesting because they suggest that people can do something as simple as drinking four cups of tea,” said lead author Xiaying Li from Wuhan University of Science and Technology in China. every day to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.”
For the study, they first studied 5199 adults with an average age of 42 and no history of type 2 diabetes. According to the official release, “From the outset, the participants filled out included in the food and beverage frequency questionnaire and provided information on lifestyle factors such as regular exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption.Overall, 2,379 (46%) participants reported drinking tea. and at the end of the study, 522 (10 percent) of the participants developed T2D.”
They then surveyed people in different age groups, for a total of 1076311 participants from eight countries. “The researchers also explored the potential effects of different types of tea (green tea, oolong tea, and black tea), tea drinking frequency (less than 1 cup/day, 1-3 cups/day, and 4 cups/day) separation or more/day), gender (male and female), and study location (Europe and America, or Asia), for risk of T2D,” the statement added.
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The results showed that adults who drank 1-3 cups of tea a day had a 4% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who didn’t drink tea. And those who drank at least four cups of tea a day reduced their risk by 17 percent.
“While more research is needed to determine the exact dosage and mechanism behind these observations, our findings suggest that tea drinking is beneficial in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, but only at high doses (at least 4 cups per day),” said lead author Xiaying Li.
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