Researchers explore the antidiabetic properties of black tea

In this study, researchers from India evaluated the beneficial effects of black tea extract on key enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Their findings were published in the International Journal of Green Pharmacy.

• Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that affects millions of people worldwide.
• It is characterized by absolute or relative deficiencies in insulin secretion, chronic hyperglycemia and disturbances in carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism.
• Black tea, which differs from green and oolong tea in appearance, organoleptic taste, chemical components and flavor, has been tested against numerous diseases, such as coronary disease, pancreatitis and liver cancer.
• However, its effects on diabetes have only been explored by a few studies.
• To evaluate the anti-diabetic properties of black tea, the researchers used male albino Wistar rats given 40 mg/kg body weight streptozotocin (STZ) intraperitoneally to induce diabetes.
• They administered black tea extract (BTE) to the animals at a dose of 100 mg/kg bodyweight for 30 days.
• The researchers found that BTE significantly decreased the rats’ blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels while increasing their production of insulin.
• BTE also restored carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes to near-normal levels.
• The researchers noted that the effects of BTE on various parameters were comparable to those of glibenclamide, the anti-diabetic drug used as a reference drug.

Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that black tea extract can reverse alterations in carbohydrate metabolism and ameliorate hyperglycemia associated with diabetes.

Journal Reference:

Ramalingam S,  Ramasamy SM, Vasu G, Gopalakrishnan R, Sivakumar S, Priya VV. HYPOGLYCEMIC EFFECT OF BLACK TEA EXTRACT ATTENUATES CARBOHYDRATE METABOLIC ENZYMES IN STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETIC RATS. International Journal of Green Pharmacy. 2019;13(2). DOI: 10.22377/ijgp.v13i2.2496