PSA: Drinking This Daily May Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk By 47%

Maintaining blood sugar balance can profoundly impact one's mood, energy levels, and risk of chronic disease. A few ways to keep sugar levels steady include eating balanced meals with adequate protein and fiber, limiting saturated fats and processed sugars, and walking after meals (even if only for a few minutes).

A new study presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes found that adults living in China who drank "dark tea" daily had a 53% lower risk for prediabetes and a 47% reduced risk for Type 2 diabetes compared to non-tea drinkers.

The study was observational, so there's no direct explanation as to why this significant difference in prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes risk exists, though researchers suggest it may be caused by the bioactive compounds in dark tea directly or indirectly influencing glucose secretion in the kidneys. More research is needed to confirm the findings in other populations as well.

To be clear, the findings were most significant for daily dark tea drinkers, so there's no saying an occasional beverage would have much of an impact.

As mentioned above, Pu'erh is somewhat popular in the United States but may run a bit more expensive than other types of tea given the complex fermentation and manufacturing process. A couple of options include the Mountain Rose Herbs Pu'Erh Tea and Jinglong Tea Factory Pu'Erh Tea—both of which provide fermented leaves right from the Yunnan province in China, where Pu'erh is a delicacy. You can also find Pu'erh tea at local herb stores, tea shops, and plenty of grocery stores.