New Research Shows Health Benefits of Green Tea: Reduces Blood Sugar, Boosts Gut Health

Consuming green tea extract for four weeks can lower blood sugar levels and enhance gut health by lowering inflammation and decreasing "leaky gut," according to new research in adults with a cluster of heart disease risk factors.

Health benefits of green tea

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As stated by the scientists, this is the first study to look into whether the health risks linked with metabolic syndrome, which affects approximately one-third of all Americans, may be minimized by green tea's antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties in the stomach, as per ScienceDaily.

Although there is evidence that consuming more green tea is associated with reduced levels of cholesterol, glucose, and triglycerides, no studies have linked it to those health indicators, according to Richard Bruno, senior research author and professor of human nutrition at The Ohio State University.

The clinical experiment was undertaken on 40 people as a follow-up to a 2019 study that linked lower obesity and fewer health risks in mice who received green tea supplements with improved gut health.

Green tea extract significantly reduced blood sugar, or glucose, as well as intestinal inflammation and permeability in healthy adults, according to the new research.

This informs us that we can decrease blood glucose in both persons with metabolic syndrome and healthy people in one month and that reducing blood glucose appears to be associated with decreasing leaky gut and decreasing gut inflammation - independent of health status, according to Bruno.

Metabolic syndrome is defined as having at least three of the five risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, and other health issues: excess belly fat, high blood pressure, low HDL (good) cholesterol, and high levels of fasting blood glucose and triglycerides, a form of fat in the blood.

Researchers validated that subjects ate a low-polyphenol diet (natural antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables, teas, and spices) during the placebo and green tea extract confection periods of the trial, so any outcomes could be attributable to green tea alone.

Fasting blood glucose levels were considerably lower for all subjects after ingesting green tea extract compared to those after taking the placebo.

An examination of fecal samples revealed a decrease in pro-inflammatory substances, indicating that the green tea administration reduced intestinal inflammation in all subjects.

Using a method to analyze sugar ratios in urine samples, researchers discovered that green tea improved participants' small intestinal permeability.

Gut permeability, also known as leaky gut, permits intestinal bacteria and toxic chemicals into the bloodstream, resulting in a low-grade inflammatory process.

According to Bruno, the absorption of gut-derived products is regarded to be a starting factor for obesity and insulin resistance, both of which are central to all cardiometabolic illnesses.

If we can increase gut integrity and eliminate leaky gut, we may be able to not only relieve but possibly reverse the low-grade inflammation that causes cardiometabolic diseases.

Other benefits of green tea

Tea is high in polyphenols, which are natural substances with health advantages such as inflammation reduction and cancer prevention, as per Health Line.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate is a catechin found in green tea (EGCG). Catechins are natural antioxidants that aid in the prevention of cell damage and give additional advantages.

Such free radicals lead to aging and a range of diseases.

Green tea may help to increase brain function while also keeping you attentive.

Caffeine, a well-known stimulator, is the primary active ingredient.

Green tea may help boost brain function while also keeping you attentive.

The principal active ingredient is caffeine, a well-known stimulant.

It doesn't have as much caffeine as coffee, but it produces a reaction without generating the jittery symptoms associated with excessive caffeine use.

Caffeine affects the brain by suppressing adenosine, an inhibiting neurotransmitter.

Green tea is almost always included in the ingredients list of any fat-burning product.

This is due to research showing that green tea can improve fat burning and metabolic rate.

Green tea extract boosted the number of calories burnt by 4% in one research involving 10 healthy males. In another study involving 12 healthy males, green tea extract boosted fat oxidation by 17% when compared to a placebo.