Type 2 diabetes can be a 'devastating diagnosis' says expert
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
The pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin and the primary role of this process is to regulate blood sugar – the main sugar found in blood. Unfortunately, in people with type 2 diabetes, insulin production is undermined. The result is rising blood sugar levels, which can cause a torrent of complications.
Fortunately, high blood sugar levels can be counteracted by making sensible dietary decisions.
Evidence has found drinking pu-erh tea – a unique type of fermented tea that’s traditionally made in the Yunnan Province of China – has a significant impact on blood sugar control.
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the anti-hyperglycaemic (blood sugar) effect of pu-erh tea.
A meta-analysis compares the findings of multiple studies in an attempt to draw a more balanced conclusion.
English databases and three Chinese ones were systematically searched up to July 31, 2018.
Those databases were searched to identify studies containing keywords of “Pu-erh”, “Pu’er”, “blood sugar”, “blood glucose” and “hyperglycaemia”.
Systematic reviews collected two mice studies with sixteen records for meta-analysis.
The meta-analysis results showed that pu-erh tea had a “significant” anti-hyperglycaemic effect on mice.
DON’T MISS
The popular food quadrupling your risk of cancer [ADVICE]
Stomach cancer: The warning sign after eating [INSIGHT]
William Shatner: ‘I thought I was going to die’ [TIPS]
What’s more, pu-erh tea appeared to reduce fasting blood glucose over a longer intervention period.
Fasting blood glucose measures your blood sugar after an overnight fast (not eating).
“Secondly, a higher dose of pu-erh is shown to lower fasting blood glucose more significantly,” the researchers concluded.
General tips to lower blood sugar
There’s nothing you cannot eat if you have type 2 diabetes, but you’ll have to limit certain foods.
That’s because certain foods cause a spike in blood sugar shortly after consumption. The worst culprits are carbohydrate foods because they are broken down quickly by your body and cause a rapid increase in blood glucose.
The worst offenders rank high on the glycaemic index (GI) – a rating system for foods containing carbs.
It shows how quickly each food affects your blood sugar (glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own.
High GI foods include:
- Sugar and sugary foods
- Sugary soft drinks
- White bread
- Potatoes
- White rice.
Low or medium GI foods are broken down more slowly and cause a gradual rise in blood sugar levels over time.
They include some fruit and vegetables, pulses and whole grain foods, such as porridge oats.
Type 2 diabetes – how to spot it
Many people have type 2 diabetes without realising. This is because symptoms do not necessarily make you feel unwell.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:
- Peeing more than usual, particularly at night
- Feeling thirsty all the time
- Feeling very tired
- Losing weight without trying to
- Itching around your penis or vagina, or repeatedly getting thrush
- Cuts or wounds taking longer to heal
- Blurred vision.
Source: Read Full Article