Tea can cut risk of type 2 diabetes
A study of European populations found that drinking tea was an effective way of reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It discovered that countries whose citizens are heavy tea consumers and drink at least four cups of tea per day have a 20 per cent lower risk of developing the illness. German scientists working on the study suspect that this beneficial effect may be caused by polyphenols contained in tea. They may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by influencing glucose digestion, glucose uptake, and by protecting beta-cells from free-radical damage. The research was carried out in 8 European countries and included over twelve thousand type 2 diabetes cases. Average European tea consumption ranges from four daily cups in the UK to none a day in Spain.