Black Tea May Fight Diabetes

Long known for its antioxidants, immune boosting and, most recently, antihypertensive properties, black tea could be used to control diabetes, according to a study. Next to water, tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world. Researchers studied the polysaccharide levels of green, oolong and black teas and whether they could be used to treat diabetes. Polysaccharides, a type of carbohydrate that includes starch and cellulose, may benefit people with diabetes because they help retard absorption of glucose. The researchers found that of the three teas, the polysaccharides in black tea had the most glucose-inhibiting properties. The black tea polysaccharides also showed the highest scavenging effect on free radicals, which are involved in the onset of diseases such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of Food Science, July 2009