Green tea, oolong tea or black tea have all been shown to be beneficial for controlling blood sugar thanks to the content of catechin, theaflavins and antioxidants that help improve insulin sensitivity. However, according to research from the University of Newcastle (UK), the timing of drinking tea significantly affects the effectiveness of stabilizing blood sugar.
Specifically, drinking tea right after a meal containing starch (such as rice, banh mi, pasta...) can help slow down the rate at which glucose is absorbed into the blood. This is because polyphenols in tea inhibit the enzyme amylase - an enzyme that breaks down starch into simple sugars, thereby helping to reduce blood sugar spikes after eating.
On the contrary, drinking tea on an empty stomach, especially thick tea, can irritate the stomach and cause blood sugar to drop rapidly, easily leading to dizziness and fatigue - especially dangerous for people with underlying diseases or low blood pressure.
The ideal time to drink tea to help control blood sugar is after eating 2030 minutes. Choose a low-cafeine tea (such as diluted green tea), without adding sugar, condensed milk or ice cream.
A study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry showed that drinking 12 cups of green tea per day after meals significantly reduces HOMA-IR (insulin resistance measurement) after 8 weeks.
