The 7 Best Teas for People With Diabetes

In a midday slump? Consider steeping a cup of green tea, which contains 28 milligrams (mg) of caffeine, according to the Mayo Clinic, and may help fend off diabetes.

A review of studies suggested that green tea and green tea extract may help lower blood glucose levels and may play a role in helping prevent type 2 diabetes and obesity.

A study mentioned in the review found that people who drank green tea habitually for more than 10 years had lower body fat and a smaller waist circumference than those who did not. And obesity can raise a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes by at least sixfold, according to a study published in 2020.

One of the reasons green tea may play a role preventing diabetes? It contains a potent compound called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). “EGCG has been found to increase the uptake of glucose into muscle cells,” says Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, who specializes in diabetes management and is based in the New York City area. According to a review published in 2019, this process of EGCG stimulating glucose to enter muscle cells may also be useful to treat obesity.

Per the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), one cup of green tea has 0 carbohydrates, 0 grams (g) of sugar or fat, and a mere 2.5 calories, making it an all-around healthy choice.

RELATED: 10 Potential Health Benefits of Green Tea

Black tea comes from the same plant as green tea, so as with green tea, you’ll reap diabetes-friendly benefits. Though it’s the same plant, “different processing methods are used” to create it, explains Stefanski.

A review published in 2019 noted that some epidemiological studies show that drinking black, green, or oolong tea may reduce the risk of developing diabetes or diabetes complications. Plus, the researchers suggest tea (including black) may work in the body in part by improving insulin resistance, playing an insulin-like role, as well as alleviating the inflammatory response.

Also, black tea may work to help people with diabetes in other ways. “Animal studies on black tea have found it may reduce carbohydrate absorption and therefore improve blood glucose control; however, more research is needed on humans,” explains Palinski-Wade. A review published in 2016 found that black tea lowered body weight in animals.

Another study, from 2017, found that drinking black tea after consuming sugar helped control blood glucose. The small study looked at people with prediabetes as well as people without diabetes.

More positive news for black tea drinkers: Another review found that tea drinkers, including those who drink black tea, had a lower prevalence of incidence of type 2 diabetes.

RELATED: 10 Tips to Lower Blood Sugar Naturally

A sleepless night is the last thing that someone with diabetes needs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), just one single night of poor sleep could cause your body to produce insulin less effectively, potentially raising your blood sugar levels.

The good news? Drinking herbal chamomile tea, which is caffeine free, may support your slumber. A study from 2015 found that when women with poor sleep (who had recently given birth) drank chamomile tea for two weeks, they had fewer sleep quality problems and symptoms of depression compared with the control group who didn’t drink the tea.

Of course, those women didn’t have diabetes. But that doesn’t mean chamomile tea doesn’t offer perks for these individuals. “Diabetes is considered an inflammatory state, and along with proper food intake, good quality sleep is important in reducing inflammation,” says Stefanski.

There’s more, Palinski-Wade says: “Chamomile tea has also been associated with improved insulin sensitivity and glucose management and may help to reduce oxidative stress in the body.” A study published in 2018 found that when study participants with type 2 diabetes consumed chamomile tea three times a day (after each meal) for eight weeks, researchers saw benefits in both insulin resistance and inflammatory markers.

Furthermore, research involving animals showed that daily chamomile tea consumption may help slow down or prevent the progress of complications that can come along with diabetes, though more studies in humans are needed.

Yes, a cup of ginger tea may come with a zing, but it might be worth sipping this spicy drink, especially if you have diabetes.

For starters, a review from 2015 suggested that ginger root supplementation — technically a more potent form than tea — lowered fasting blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes, as well as A1C.

What’s more, a small study published in 2015 observed that people with diabetes (who weren’t on insulin) who took ginger supplementation for three months improved their glycemic control, and results were significant between the ginger group and the control group.

Ginger may affect glycemic control in the body by inhibiting enzymes that are involved in the carbohydrate metabolism process as well as increased insulin sensitivity, a separate review found. As a result, the researchers noted, there’s more of an uptake of glucose into the peripheral adipose and skeletal muscle tissue.

RELATED: The Potential Health Benefits and Risks of Ginger for Type 2 Diabetes

This tart and tangy tea not only tastes refreshing — it could play a role in helping you manage diabetes and other issues linked to the disease.

Hibiscus tea may provide benefits for heart health, and according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, having diabetes means that you’re more likely to develop heart disease, plus have a greater odds of heart attack and stroke. “Drinking 8 ounces of hibiscus tea twice daily was found to reduce systolic blood pressure in individuals with diabetes in a one-month period, which is especially good news for this population, as they are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease,” says Palinski-Wade.

Furthermore, a review from 2015 found that hibiscus tea significantly helped lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure numbers.

As the CDC notes, systolic blood pressure, which is listed at the top of your reading, refers to the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. Diastolic blood pressure is the bottom number, which indicates arterial pressure between heartbeats.

Though more studies are needed, laboratory models suggest this herbal tea, which is made from the leaves of a shrub grown in South Africa, may be beneficial for weight loss.

And weight loss is a key factor in helping people with prediabetes delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes, research shows. Those study authors also concluded that weight loss could help people who already had type 2 diabetes better control their blood sugar, and potentially reduce the progression of the disease.

One laboratory study, for example, found that rooibos may help halt fat cell formation, which researchers said could play a role in obesity prevention.

In addition, rooibos tea contains a plant compound called aspalathin, which has glucose-lowering properties, researchers suggested, in a study published in 2019. The study, done in a laboratory setting, further found that the compound may help reverse metabolic disease-associated complications. Metabolic disease or metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions like excess body fat around the waist and high blood sugar that increase your risk for heart disease and stroke as well as type 2 diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Research from 2009 on mice with type 2 diabetes found that aspalathin helped improve glucose intolerance and may be beneficial in helping control blood sugar for type 2 diabetes. Plus, one study from 2011 on humans found that drinking rooibos tea helped lower LDL “bad” cholesterol and triglyceride levels (though study participants needed to drink six cups a day, which may not be reasonable for everyone).

When shopping for teas, know this: “Just because that ingredient is included in a small amount in a tea bag, it doesn’t mean the amount is enough to have those same benefits,” says Stefanski.

Also, beware of teas that tout “weight loss” on the packaging. “Some specialty teas claiming to produce weight loss or reduce bloating can contain ingredients that increase urination, cause your colon to spasm, or lead to diarrhea,” Stefanski says, citing senna leaf or parsley tea as examples. Those side effects aren’t ideal — by any means — for people who are looking to improve their health.

RELATED: 7 Surprising Things That Affect Weight When You Have Type 2 Diabetes

Adding peppermint tea to your drink rotation may help you feel calmer — and that’s good news for your A1C. “For individuals with type 2 diabetes who have high stress levels, the calming effects of peppermint tea may be beneficial, because reduced stress can often improve blood glucose levels,” says Palinski-Wade. Stress can raise your blood sugar levels and make them more difficult to control, according to the University of California in San Francisco.

In one study from 2009, researchers found that the peppermint aroma (which you can get when taking a whiff of your tea!), helped reduce anxiety, frustration, and fatigue for drivers exposed to the scent. And another study from 2019 found that the aroma of peppermint helped reduce pain and anxiety caused by intravenous catheterization. The researchers recommended peppermint aromatherapy before a catheter procedure.

A Final Word on Preparing and Drinking Tea if You Have Diabetes

Whatever tea you choose, just remember these guidelines. “If you have diabetes it’s important to keep the beverage sugar-free, stick to mainstream green, herbal, or black teas, and monitor when you should cut off caffeine intake to help support your best sleep,” advises Stefanski. Here’s to enjoying a cozy cup of tea — for your health!