Diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which your blood glucose levels are abnormally high. If you have diabetes, then your body no longer produces enough insulin -- a hormone that converts sugar in foods into energy -- or cannot effectively use the insulin being produced by your body. As a result, too much sugar circulates in your blood. If left untreated, diabetes can cause severe health problems, including blindness, coronary heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and arm and leg amputations. Green tea may be an effective herbal tool in diabetes treatment.
Plant Description
Green tea is an herbal beverage made from the unfermented leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, an evergreen shrub of Asian origin. Today, this plan is cultivated across the globe in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Camellia sinensis reaches up to 8 feet in height, but is usually trimmed below 6 feet when cultivating for its leaves. The leaves are 1.5 to 6 inches in diameter, with a light aroma and delicate flavor.
Green Tea Composition
Green tea contains a number of biologically active components, but the primary constituents of interest are the polyphenols, or catechins, which are believed to account for most of this plant's role in promoting health. Other phytocompounds also found in green tea include flavonoids, volatile oils, alkaloids, polysaccharides, caffeine, vitamins and minerals.
Green Tea and Diabetes
Regular intake of green tea may help prevent the development of type 1 diabetes or slow the progression once it has developed. Your body gets sugar directly from carbohydrate-containing foods in which the enzyme amylase plays a crucial role in the conversion of starch to sugar. Green tea polyphenols reduce the amount of amylase produced in your body, thereby deterring the rush of sugar into your blood, according to a 2007 study published in the journal "Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental." Green tea also improves insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to the North Dakota State University.
Precautions
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved green tea as safe. It contains certain compounds, however, such as caffeine, which may trigger side effects. People with sleep-related problems, such as insomnia, should avoid consuming green tea at night, because of the caffeine. Consult with your doctor if you have gastric problems -- green tea stimulates the production of stomach acid, which may cause severe heartburn, as noted by Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego.
References
- Georgetown University: Health Policy Institute: Diabetes
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice: The Effect of an Extract of Green and Black Tea on Glucose Control in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Double-Blind Randomized Study by Todd MacKenzie et al
- Fairfax Country Public Schools: Herbal Supplements
- Colorado State University Extension: Weight Loss Products and Programs; J. Anderson, L. Young and J Roach; December 2008
- North Dakota State University: Take Time for Tea: For Health and Well-being
- University of California, San Diego: Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Cancer Patients
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