The secret of green tea! Why catechins are effective in preventing diabetes

Introduction

In recent years, diabetes, a type of lifestyle-related disease, has become a serious social problem.

In the meantime, the compound catechin contained in green tea has been attracting attention for its potential to help prevent diabetes, and its effectiveness in preventing diabetes is being scientifically proven.

Specifically, it is expected to reduce the risk of diabetes through various mechanisms, such as suppressing the rise in blood sugar levels and supporting the function of insulin.

This time, we will explain in detail the mechanism by which green tea helps prevent diabetes.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a lifestyle-related disease in which blood sugar levels remain above normal for a chronic period, and if left untreated, it can cause a variety of serious complications.

Normally, when you eat a meal, your blood sugar level rises.

When blood sugar levels rise, insulin is secreted to lower blood sugar levels to normal levels.

In healthy people, blood sugar levels are regulated within a certain range by the action of various hormones such as insulin. However, in people with diabetes, blood sugar levels become high because of insufficient insulin secretion or because insulin does not work properly.

Prolonged hyperglycemia can lead to a variety of complications.

For example, typical complications include neuropathy, kidney disease, and retinopathy, which can significantly reduce quality of life, including blindness, kidney failure, and lower limb amputation.

There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is a type of diabetes caused by an autoimmune disease in which the body produces too little insulin.

On the other hand, type 2 diabetes is a type that is heavily influenced by lifestyle habits, resulting in reduced insulin secretion and reduced effectiveness of insulin.

It is said that 90% of Japanese people have type 2 diabetes, which is caused by lifestyle habits and other factors.

The mechanism by which catechins help prevent diabetes

As mentioned at the beginning, catechins, which are abundant in green tea, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), are attracting attention as effective ingredients in preventing diabetes.

The mechanisms by which catechins control blood sugar levels are diverse, and it has been found that they exert their anti-diabetic effects through a wide range of actions.

1. Suppression of blood sugar levels

- α-glucosidase inhibitory effect: Catechin works to slow down the breakdown of carbohydrates ingested through food.

By interfering with the action of the sugar-decomposing enzyme α-glucosidase, it reduces the amount of carbohydrates absorbed into the body and prevents a sudden rise in blood sugar levels.

- Promotes insulin secretion: It is believed to support the function of insulin by suppressing the production of selenoprotein P (SeP), a bad protein produced in the liver.

Catechin suppresses the production of SeP, which makes insulin work more smoothly and leads to improved blood sugar levels.

2. Improves insulin resistance

- Action at the cellular level: Catechins help cells become more sensitive to insulin, improving insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is a condition in which insulin becomes less effective, which increases the risk of developing diabetes.

- Anti-inflammation: Catechin has an anti-inflammatory effect, which inhibits the activity of various substances and enzymes involved in inflammatory responses that occur in the body.

This action is thought to suppress chronic inflammation, which may lead to the improvement of insulin resistance.

3. Improves lipid metabolism

- Reduction of triglycerides: Catechin reduces blood triglyceride levels by suppressing the synthesis of triglycerides and promoting their breakdown.

・Improvement of cholesterol levels: Catechin reduces bad cholesterol and suppresses the absorption of neutral fats. It is also expected to increase good cholesterol.

Experimental findings and human studies

These effects have been verified through numerous demonstration experiments.

First, in a glucose tolerance test in which glucose is ingested, it has been shown that although blood sugar levels rise temporarily after ingesting glucose, they are then quickly reduced by drinking tea containing catechins.

In animal experiments, catechin intake also reduced blood sugar levels in rats.

Additionally, a human study has shown that those who consumed six or more cups of green tea per day had a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who consumed less than one cup per week.

Of course, it is possible that other factors besides the habit of drinking green tea, such as daily lifestyle and diet, may also have an influence, but these results suggest that catechins may help control blood sugar levels and prevent diabetes.

Prevent diabetes with a daily tea habit

When you drink tea, the catechins contained in the tea leaves are absorbed by the small intestine and enter the bloodstream.

However, only a very small amount is absorbed into the body. Because catechin is not naturally present in the body, it is treated as a foreign substance and is excreted from the body within just 3-4 hours.

Therefore, in order to get the most out of catechins, it is important to get into the habit of drinking tea every day.

Drinking green tea with a meal helps prevent blood sugar levels from rising after a meal because the catechins in it inhibit sugar absorption.

Sencha brewed with boiling water is especially effective as it contains a lot of catechins.

Additionally, drinking tea can help you eat more slowly, preventing blood sugar spikes.

When eating, chewing well and eating slowly, and talking with your family while eating, can also help stabilize blood sugar levels.

In this way, drinking tea not only has physiological effects due to catechins, but by changing your eating habits, it can also serve as an opportunity to adopt lifestyle habits that are helpful in managing blood sugar levels.

Finally

We hope you understand that catechins are effective in preventing diabetes.

However, as mentioned above, catechins do not stay in the body for long and are excreted within a few hours, so in order to get the most out of their effects, it is important to make it a habit to drink tea every day.

By also reviewing your lifestyle habits, you can achieve a synergistic effect with the effects of catechins and more effectively manage your blood sugar levels.