Drinking Dark Tea May Help Control Blood Sugar, Reduce Your Diabetes Risk

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2 years ago

October 6, 2023

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Share on Pinterest New research suggests that drinking a daily cup of dark tea can help control blood sugar and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by 47%. pixdeluxe/Getty ImagesA new study suggests that drinking dark tea daily may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.Dark tea consumption was linked with a 53% lower risk of prediabetes and 47% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers suggest drinking dark tea increases glucose excretion in urine and improves insulin resistance. Experts say drinking dark tea is a good blood sugar management tool, but you should consider your overall diet too.

A cup of tea is a daily staple for many people around the world. Now, a new study has found that drinking dark tea specifically may reduce your diabetes risk.

Drinking dark tea every day may help to mitigate type 2 diabetes risk and progression in adults through better blood sugar control, according to new research shared at this years Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Hamburg.

Researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia and Southeast University in China found that compared with never tea drinkers, daily consumers of dark tea had 53% lower risk for prediabetes and 47% reduced risk for type 2 diabetes.

This was even after taking into account established diabetes risk factors, such as age, gender, ethnicity, and body mass index (BMI).

The cross-sectional study included 1,923 adults. 436 of the participants were living with diabetes, 352 had prediabetes, and 1,135 had normal blood glucose levels. The cohort included non-habitual tea drinkers and those with a history of drinking only a single type of tea.

The researchers examined the association between both the frequency and type of tea consumption and the excretion of glucose in the urine, insulin resistance, and glycaemic status.

Commenting on the findings, co-lead author associate professor Tongzhi Wu said: Our findings hint at the protective effects of habitual tea drinking on blood sugar management via increased glucose excretion in urine, improved insulin resistance and thus better control of blood sugar. These benefits were most pronounced among daily dark tea drinkers.

So, is drinking dark tea daily an effective tool for reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes? Dark tea and diabetes risk: Whats the link?

Nutritionist Natalie Burrows is impressed by the findings. Im not hugely surprised by the findings as we know how antioxidant rich tea leaves are and how antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds can support vascular health and inflammation, she says.

However, the degree to which daily consumption of unsweetened dark tea can improve an individuals risk of type 2 diabetes is remarkable. It goes to illustrate once again how powerful nature can be when we consume natural foods.

Burrows says tea leaves have been shown to contain beneficial compounds that benefit the body in a multitude of ways.

Catechins, a polyphenol (AKA an antioxidant) which are found in tea have been shown to be responsible for the regulation of insulin, blood sugar, and energy metabolism by managing the signaling pathways, she explains.

The study suggests that drinking dark tea may contribute to a reduction in diabetes risk for two reasons. Firstly, it improves insulin resistance which means being better able to control your blood sugar.

Secondly, it contributes to increased glucose excretion in your urine, meaning there is less blood sugar to actually control.

Like Burrows, nutritionist Harry Snell believes this is down to the polyphenol content of dark tea.

He explains that the hypoglycemic effects of polyphenolic compounds may inhibit carbohydrate digestion, glucose absorption, and the stimulation of insulin secretion, all of which lead to better blood sugar control.What exactly is dark tea?

Its important to remember that the study looks at the effects of dark tea specifically. Its a kind of fully oxidized tea that shouldnt be confused with black tea.

Dark tea has undergone microbial fermentation, Snell explains. Its referred to as dark because the leaves are oxidized and change color, a bit like the rusting process with iron.

A common type of dark tea is Pu-erh from China which is available online and in health shops.

Explaining the differences between dark tea, and other popular tea types, Burrows says black tea is highly oxidized, whereas green tea is unoxidized.

Meanwhile, yellow tea is slightly fermented and dark tea is post-fermentation.

The addition of fermentation may play an important role in the impact dark tea has on blood sugar regulation, she explains.

So, would experts recommend dark tea as a blood sugar management tool?

The results are positive and drinking dark tea is certainly a low-resistance way to get potential important health effects. There is also the added benefit of hydration, which can affect glucose response, says Snell.

However, he believes there are some things to consider, including:The cost of specialist teaTaste (and the addition of sugar to change it)Availability (dark tea is not available in many supermarkets)

Similarly, Burrows would recommend dark tea as a blood sugar management tool but advises drinking it unsweetened.

Adding sugar or sweetener to tea will dissolve its recognized benefits for blood sugar, she warns.

I would also recommend enjoying different teas; dark, black, green, and white for all the various benefits they have on lowering blood sugar and improving inflammation and antioxidant status, she adds. Additional actions you can take that may help reduce your diabetes risk

One thing is clear: the foods and drinks we consume can play a major role in our health outcomes. The study shows that dark tea reduces diabetes risk, but its important to consider your diet as a whole.

No single thing is a cure by itself, Snell points out. Rather, as part of a healthy diet, many different foods can be used effectively to improve health markers.

With that in mind, how else can you reduce your diabetes risk through diet? Burrows says reducing your overall intake of sugar should be your first port of call. She recommends eliminating or swapping refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta, rice, and pastries.

Although these may not appear sugary, they break down to sugar during digestion, without the added benefit of fiber to slow the impact on blood sugar down.

Cutting out ultra-processed foods is another important step. These will only increase inflammation as they contain more sugar, salt, and fat. They have been linked to an increase in obesity, type 2 diabetes, and increased risk of heart attack and strokes too, Burrows explains.

Her advice is to eat as close to nature as possible. This, she explains, will encourage the consumption of whole foods with high fiber, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds that help to regulate blood sugar.

Finally, stay hydrated. Dehydration will increase your blood sugar levels, Burrows warns. The average person will require around two liters of water a day to replace what is used and lost during the usual function of the body, so drink up. Takeaway

The results of this new study linking daily dark tea consumption with a reduction in diabetes risk are certainly promising. Its also an easy and enjoyable way to do something good for your health.

However, its important to remember that no one food or drink is a magic bullet when it comes to your overall health.

By all means, drink dark tea daily, but its important to consider your diet as a whole, particularly when it comes to blood sugar control.

Entertainment

The Magic Circle’s first female member fooled them into believing she was a man – how did she do it?

Published

2 hours ago

April 24, 2025

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The Magic Circle's first female member fooled them into believing she was a man - how did she do it?

How did one woman fool the most famous magic society on the planet?

Back in 1991, Sophie Lloyd pulled off the ultimate illusion, tricking the Magic Circle into thinking she was a man.

But over 30 years after being unceremoniously kicked out, the Circle has tracked down the former actress to apologise and reinstate her membership.

She told Sky News how returning feels like the society has “made good on something that was wrong”.

How did she infiltrate that exclusive group that nowadays counts the likes of David Copperfield and Dynamo as members?

In March of that year, she took her entry exam posing as a teenage boy, creating an alter-ego called Raymond Lloyd.

“I’d played a boy before,” she explained, but “it took months of preparation” to secretly infiltrate the Circle’s ranks half a year before it would officially vote to let women in.

“Really, going back 30 years, men’s clubs were like, you know, just something you accepted.”

The men-only rule had been in place since the Circle was formed in 1905. The thinking behind it being that women just couldn’t keep secrets.

Aware of the frustration of female magicians at the time, Lloyd felt she was up for the challenge of proving women could be as good at magic as the men.

The idea was, in fact, born out of a double act, thought up by a successful magician called Jenny Winstanley who’d wanted to join herself but wasn’t allowed.

She recognised the hoax would probably only work with a much younger woman posing as a teenage boy, and met Lloyd through an acting class.

Lloyd said: “We had to have a wig made… the main thing was my face, I had plumpers made on a brace to bring his jawline down.”

To hide her feminine hands, she did the magic in gloves, which she says “was so hard to do, especially sleight of hand.”

The biggest test came when she was invited for a drink with her examiner, where she had to fake having laryngitis.

“After the exam, which was 20 minutes, he invited Jenny and I – she played my manager – and I sat there for one hour and three quarters and had to say ‘sorry, I’ve got a bad voice’.”

Raymond Lloyd passed the test, and his membership certificate was sent through to Sophie.

Then, in October of the same year, when whispers started circulating that the society was going to open its membership to both sexes, she and Jenny decided to reveal all. It didn’t go down well.

Rather than praise her performance, members were incandescent about the deception and, somewhat ironically, Raymond Lloyd was kicked out just before women members were let in.

Lloyd said: “We got a letter… Jenny was hurt… she was snubbed by people she actually knew, that was hurtful. However, things have really changed now…”

Three decades later the Magic Circle put out a nationwide appeal stating they wanted to apologise and Lloyd was recently tracked down in Spain.

While Jenny Winstanley died 20 years ago in a car crash, as well as Sophie receiving her certificate on Thursday, her mentor’s contribution to magic is being recognised at the special show that’s being held in both their honour at the Magic Circle.

Lloyd says: “Jenny was a wonderful, passionate person. She would have loved to be here. It’s for her really.”

Sports

Avs welcome back captain Landeskog after 3 years

Published

2 hours ago

April 24, 2025

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Avs welcome back captain Landeskog after 3 years

ESPN News Services

Apr 23, 2025, 03:51 PM ET

DENVER — Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog took the ice in his first NHL game in nearly three years Wednesday night against the Dallas Stars.

It marked his first NHL appearance since June 26, 2022, when he and the Avalanche beat Tampa Bay to win the Stanley Cup. He had been sidelined because of a chronically injured right knee.

The Avalanche posted a video of Landeskog driving to Ball Arena, which he concluded, “Hey Avs Faithful, it’s Gabe here, just wanted to shoot you guys a quick message — thank you guys for all the support over the last few years and I’ll see you tonight.”

The Cap has a message for you, Avs Faithful.#GoAvsGo | #BuiltDifferent pic.twitter.com/dhoTqrflZo

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 24, 2025

It’s his first game with the Avalanche in 1,032 days. He becomes the fifth player in NHL history — among those with a minimum of 700 games played — to return to his team after 1,000 or more days without a contest, according to NHL Stats. The last one to do so was longtime Avalanche forward and Hall of Famer Peter Forsberg.

“I feel surprisingly calm and in control right now. I know the butterflies and the nerves will come, I’m sure,” he said during a pregame interview. “I found myself thinking about this moment a lot over the last three years. And now that it’s here, it’s the reverse — I’m thinking a lot about the hard work that’s gone into it, some of the ups, a lot of the downs, sacrifices and support I’ve had along the way.

“Thankful for everybody and all their support, but now it’s go time so I’m excited to get out there.”

The first-round series with Dallas is tied at 1-1.

Landeskog’s presence on the ice provided a big boost not only for his teammates but also for the capacity crowd. His No. 92 sweater is a frequent sight around the arena.

The crowd chanted “Landy, Landy” as he led the Avalanche on the ice for pregame warmups. The chants continued during player introductions. Later, a video chronicling Landeskog’s three-year journey back was shown on the arena scoreboard.

“Everyone is rooting for him. It’s a great comeback story,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said after morning skate. “I trust in Gabe’s preparation, and what I’m seeing with my own eyes that he’s getting close and ready to play. I think he feels really good about where he’s at.

“Adding him back into our locker room, he’s almost an extension of the coaching staff, but he’s still one of the guys and the guy that everyone looks up to. You can’t get enough of that this time of the year.”

Landeskog’s injury dates to the 2020 “bubble” season when he was accidentally sliced above the knee by the skate of teammate Cale Makar in a playoff game against Dallas. Landeskog eventually underwent a cartilage transplant procedure on May 10, 2023, and has been on long-term injured reserve.

He was activated Monday before Game 2 in Dallas and skated in pregame warmups but didn’t play.

Stars forward Matt Duchene was teammates with Landeskog and they remain good friends.

“We’ve been rooting for him to come back,” said Duchene, who was the No. 3 pick by Colorado in 2009. “Obviously, it makes our job harder having a guy like that out there, but on the friends side, the human side and the fellow athlete side, I think everyone’s happy to see the progress he’s made. … I’m just really happy that he’s gotten to this point.”

It doesn’t mean the Stars will take it easy on Landeskog.

“It’s remarkable he’s coming back, if he’s coming back, as a friend,” said longtime teammate Mikko Rantanen, a 2015 first-round pick by Colorado before being traded in January to Carolina and on to Dallas in March. “As an opponent, obviously, no mercy.”

The 32-year-old Landeskog recently went through a two-game conditioning stint with the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles. He practiced with the Avalanche leading up to their playoff opener.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Sports

Oilers welcome back Kane, Klingberg for Game 2

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2 hours ago

April 24, 2025

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Oilers welcome back Kane, Klingberg for Game 2

Associated Press

Apr 23, 2025, 10:15 PM ET

LOS ANGELES — Veteran forward Evander Kane made his season debut for the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night.

Defenseman John Klingberg also returned from a lengthy injury absence as the Oilers attempted to even the series.

Kane is a 15-year NHL veteran who hasn’t played for the Oilers since Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final last June. He had surgery last September to repair a sports hernia, and he underwent knee surgery in January.

Kane was slotted on to the Oilers’ second line alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman.

Klingberg hasn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury while blocking a shot March 27 in Seattle. The Swedish veteran signed with Edmonton in January after going unsigned early in the season, but he played in only 11 games while dealing with multiple injuries.

The Oilers are hoping Klingberg can help their blue line, which frequently struggled in the Kings’ 6-5 victory in Game 1.

Jeff Skinner was scratched by the Oilers to make room for Kane. The 15-year NHL veteran forward made his Stanley Cup playoff debut in Game 1, recording an assist.