Can someone explain this to me - on insulin reponses

[Fenthis Glusos]

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/11/17/black-tea-shows-blood-sugar-benefits.aspx

Black Tea Shows Blood Sugar Benefits

Drinking black tea may be beneficial for people with diabetes, as it appears to stimulate an insulin response and reduce blood sugar levels, according to researchers from King‘s College London and the University of Central Lancashire.

Sixteen participants drank glucose in either water, water plus a small amount of caffeine, or water plus instant black tea.

After two hours, plasma glucose concentrations were significantly reduced in those who consumed 1 gram of tea, compared to the plain water and caffeine drinks. Drinking black tea also increased insulin levels compared with the other drinks, after 90 minutes.

Tea’s protective benefits have been linked to polyphenols, including:

* Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)

* Epigallocatechin

* Epicatechin gallate

* Epicatechin

These compounds may offer blood sugar benefits by stimulating B-cells -- pancreatic cells responsible for insulin production -- to produce insulin in your body, according to researchers.

Black tea makes up about 78 percent of the global tea market.

How is stimulating an insulin response considered a good thing? I thought that was what people want to avoid. I remember reading the same thing for cocoa, that it is good for insulin sensitivity and lowering blood sugar levels (like the above black tea) but that it invokes a great insulin response -- to me that seems counter-intuitive...but I guess its not?

[Mike ODonnell]

Diabetics can not produce enough insulin (hence why they need insulin injections), and high blood sugar is dangeous. It's a more natural way to help stimulate more insulin for people who have issues to keep blood sugar levels normal, although diabetics can (and should) also manage their blood sugar with proper eating. If they can improve insulin sensitivity and control blood sugar then they will need less insulin overall helping with their condition already and requiring less medicine/insulin shots. You always have some insulin present at some level, you just don't want chronic high spikes that can create resistance issues.

Cinnamon is also good for insulin sensitivity.

[George Mounce]

So is nutmeg (don't go overboard, it is poisonous in high doses) and turmeric.

[Fenthis Glusos]

thanks, everyone.

Yeah, I am aware of over-doing the spices, even cinnamon can be toxic if you overdo it.

[Craig Van De Walker]

I find it interesting that the assumption is made that insulin is being released.

Could some things like this just increase the body's glucose uptake independent of insulin?

[Susie Rosenberg]

I find it interesting that the assumption is made that insulin is being released.

Could some things like this just increase the body's glucose uptake independent of insulin?

Well, just reading the paragraph quoted from the original study, it says that not only did blood glucose levels go down in the tea-drinkers as compared to the other liquid-drinkers, blood insulin levels were higher. This suggests that the tea stimulated the pancreas to put out more insulin, which lowered the blood glucose level.

If black tea had primarily stimulated cellular uptake of glucose, you'd expect the blood insulin levels to go down.

But even that's a pretty big leap to conclusion from just the bit of study reported.

Susie

[Lara Green]

thanks, everyone.

Yeah, I am aware of over-doing the spices, even cinnamon can be toxic if you overdo it.
hello all,
That black tea study seems a bit inconclusive to me. Most studies that I have seen show green tea to be better for the metabolism and blood sugar. But in general most want to balance the blood sugars and not spike the insulin levels.

So for this the cinnamon is great, you can get an awesome supplement of it now from New Chapter company in the USA.