Sunday 3 November 2013

Yet more evidence that green tea can help maintain your health?

Part of the University of Mauritius, the Centre for Excellence for Biomedical and Biomaterials Research, have carried out a small scale study of the effects of drinking green tea on diabetes. It was carried out on a total of 155 subjects, 77 of who were in a pre-diabetic state. So what is a pre-diabetic state? It is also known as prediabetes and can be followed by the development of type 2 diabetes. Despite the name, diabetes does not always follow. It is difficult to know if you are pre-diabetic as the symptoms are unclear but if you are predisposed to diabetes, you should be checked out by your doctor. Essentially, it shows up a higher than normal level of glucose in your bloodstream. It is not necessary to treat prediabetes using drugs, taking more exercise and shedding some weight often solves the problem.

OK, back to the University of Mauritius study. The pre-diabetic stage subjects were asked to drink 3 cups of green tea each day before eating. No details are given about the type, size of cup or exact preparation method for the green tea thus it is possible that the control of this research was not exact. The other group of 78 subjects drank only hot water before their meals. The study does not state what other controls were in place for the food each group ate or quantities, times and other beverages allowed during the study.

Subsequent testing of the two groups using a variety of immune system bio-markers was claimed to have "green tea reinforced the antioxidant defences of those who had reached the pre-diabetic stage" to quote the team leader.

Make up your own mind as to how valid this study is. At least it was carried out on people rather than mice or in-vitrio cell samples. Even if you don't drink green tea for health reasons, it is an enjoyable drink! In Nature Tea - www.innteas.com