Does Green Tea Help in Diabetes
So, does green tea help in diabetes? Yes it is! However, the advantages of tea do not end there. Green tea may be able to assist persons with diabetes regulate their blood sugar levels.
A thorough evaluation found that drinking green tea is connected with lower fasting glucose and A1C values, as well as lower fasting insulin levels, which are used to assess diabetic health. While not all studies have had such favorable findings, green tea has been demonstrated to be healthy in other ways.
According to the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, the antioxidant activity of polyphenols and polysaccharides is to blame for these advantages. These same antioxidants have been linked to anticancer, cholesterol-lowering, and blood pressure-lowering properties. In this blog, we also have an article about best herbal tea for diabetes type 2 that you might want to read about it.
Diabetes is a disease in which your body either can’t produce insulin or can’t properly use the insulin it produces.”
Diabetes Canada
What is diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic condition that happens when the pancreas is no longer able to create insulin or when the body is unable to properly use the insulin that is produced. Insulin is needed for the body to absorb and use sugar from food for energy.
Diabetes can also be caused by problems with your hormones and metabolism. A person with diabetes needs special care to keep their blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible. This may mean taking medications, eating a healthy diet, and doing regular physical activity.
When someone has diabetes, their body can’t maintain healthy levels of glucose in the blood. Glucose is a form of sugar which is the main source of energy for our bodies. Unhealthy levels of glucose in the blood can lead to long term and short term health complications.”
Diabetesaustralia.com
How Diabetes Works
Carbohydrates are digested into sugar when you ingest them. In reaction, the pancreas secretes insulin to assist cells in absorbing glucose for use as fuel. When you have diabetes, though, the process is slowed.
Insulin resistance occurs in people with type 2 diabetes because their cells are insensitive to insulin. This, along with the fact that the pancreas often stops producing enough insulin, makes controlling their blood sugar levels challenging.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the pancreatic insulin-producing cells are targeted and destroyed by the body’s immune system, resulting in no insulin production at all.
Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes
The symptoms of type 1 diabetes depend on how severe the disease is. The average onset age ranges between 10–20 years old, and it is more common among children than adults. Symptoms include:
- Changes in appetite
- Frequent urination
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
- Blurred vision
- High or low blood pressure
- Swelling of hands or feet
- Headaches
- Rash
- Severe infections
- Cuts or wounds that don’t heal
- Numbness or tingling of extremities
- Vision changes
- Uncontrolled high or low levels of blood sugar
Causes Of Type 1 Diabetes
There is no known cause of type 1 diabetes. It usually strikes people without any family history of the disease. Researchers believe that genetics play a role in causing the disease. They think that some genes make the body vulnerable to developing type 1 diabetes. Other factors such as stress, viruses, allergies, chemicals, radiation, obesity and certain drugs like thiazolidinediones may increase the risk of developing type 1 diabetes.
Treatment Options For Type 1 Diabetes
Some people manage type 1 diabetes well without medication. Others need to take insulin injections daily. Others need to inject another hormone called glucagon. Glucagon helps control blood sugars after eating. Some people who have type 1 diabetes also need shots of vitamin D every day. Your doctor will work with you to decide what combination works best for you. There are three types of treatment available for type 1 diabetes: oral medications, insulin therapy and surgery.
Oral Medications
You may be able to treat type 1 diabetes with pills that contain insulin combined with other medicines. Oral meds work by helping the pancreas produce insulin or by making the body more sensitive to insulin so that it gets rid of excess sugar from the blood. These are called sulphonylurea derivatives.
Insulin Therapy
When you start insulin therapy, you begin injecting yourself each time you eat or drink something sweet. You’ll learn how much insulin to give yourself, based on your needs, and where on your body to give it to. You might also need additional doses throughout the day. Over time, you get better and better at self-managing your insulin dose.
Surgery
Some people with type 1 diabetes develop complications that require surgery.
Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes can occur when the body doesn’t use insulin properly. People with type 2 diabetes have higher blood sugar levels than most healthy individuals do. This results from the body having problems processing sugar out of carbohydrates. Insulin isn’t used as effectively in those with type 2 diabetes, but the body still manages to convert some of its glucose into fat.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes vary depending on the stage of the disease. Because the body has developed resistance to insulin, it takes more and more insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels. As a result, people with type 2 diabetes may experience:
- Increased thirst
- Excessive hunger
- Urinary tract infection
- Blurry vision
- Leg cramps
- Slow healing of cuts and sores
- Elevated cholesterol levels
- Foot ulcers
- Eye damage
- Heart attack and stroke
Causes Of Type 2 Diabetes
People with type 2 diabetes have a tendency to gain weight over time. This happens because they tend to overeat carbs even though they’re not hungry. When the stomach becomes full of simple sugars, the pancreas releases less insulin. Eventually, this leads to too little insulin circulating in the bloodstream. This causes increased amounts of sugar in the blood.
Obesity is a major factor in the development of type 2 diabetes. Obesity means being overweight, which makes your body store more fat. Fat cells around the belly area release harmful substances that lead to high triglyceride levels. High triglycerides block the uptake of insulin by muscle tissue, forcing muscles to rely more heavily on stored fat for energy. This results in low blood sugar, and eventually, impaired glucose tolerance.
Other conditions can trigger the onset of type 2 diabetes. The following list includes many common disorders associated with elevated fasting blood sugar levels:
Family History
The chance of developing type 2 diabetes increases if one parent or both parents have the condition. Children born to mothers with diabetes are 4 times more likely to develop the disorder themselves. Similarly, children born to fathers with diabetes are 3 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. However, even children born to moms with gestational diabetes are twice as likely to develop type 2 compared to children born to parents with normal glucose tolerance.
Race/Ethnicity
African Americans are more prone to type 2 diabetes. Hispanic Americans also face a greater risk. Asian Americans don’t seem to be at an elevated risk.
Age
As you get older, you are also more likely to develop type2 diabetes. For example, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes doubles every decade after age 45. Most studies suggest that men are more likely to develop type II diabetes than women.
Genetics
A child who has a sibling with type 2 diabetes is 50% more likely to develop the condition. Some families inherit a genetic predisposition towards type 2 diabetes. The chances increase from 5-10% to 25-30% when two family members share the same gene mutation.
Insulin Resistance
When someone’s liver secretes excess insulin, he or she is said to have insulin resistance. Excess insulin helps the body process food better, but it does so at the expense of other functions. In turn, the body uses up available glucose stores faster. If this continues for long enough, the body develops type 2 diabetes.
Lifestyle & Exercise
Most research suggests that physical activity lowers the odds of developing type 2 diabetes. People who exercise regularly are 40% less likely to develop the condition than sedentary folks.
Obesity
Being obese greatly increases your chances of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as certain types of cancer.
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