Did you know that there’s a health condition that can increase your risk of diabetes, but often doesn’t have anysigns or symptoms? That condition is insulin resistance. While often overlooked, insulin resistance is becoming increasingly common. In fact, 4 out of 10 adults in the U.S. ages 18 to 44 have insulin resistance. Problem is, many people don’t know they have it.

The good news is that insulin resistance can be treated with lifestyle changes. One surprisingly simple change is choosing unsweetened beverages or water more often. Tea is one of our favorite unsweetened drinks. Not only is tea a popular beverage—second only to water—but tea is associated with many positive health benefits, including improvements in insulin resistance. Read on to learn more about insulin resistance and find out what specific tea we recommend.

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Can You Reverse Insulin Resistance? Here’s What a Diabetes Expert Says

What Is Insulin Resistance?

When someone has insulin resistance, this process is disrupted, as cells become less sensitive to insulin. In response, the pancreas has to produce more and more insulin to move glucose into cells. “If your body can’t produce enough insulin to keep up, it can lead to high blood sugar levels and eventually may lead to a prediabetes diagnosis,” saysAlyssa Pacheco, RD, a registered dietitian specializing in polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition associated with insulin resistance.

The Best Tea for Insulin Resistance

Next time you are craving a cup of tea, reach for green tea. It’s our top pick for the best tea to combat insulin resistance. Green tea is made fromCamellia sinensis, the tea plant that black, white and oolong teas are also made from. While those other teas are also associated withpositive health benefits, green tea has the most clinical data to support its role in combating insulin resistance.

Researchers suspect that green tea helps reduce your risk of insulin resistance in several ways, including lowering oxidative stress, improving glucose metabolism and blocking absorption of carbohydrates.Together, this can lead to small improvements in your blood sugar. For example, a recent meta-analysis found that drinking green tea may help lower fasting blood sugar levels, an indicator of insulin resistance.

So, how might the brew boost blood sugar management? Inflammation and insulin resistance often coexist, so if you can tamp down inflammation you may also see improvements in insulin resistance. “Green tea is high in polyphenols, which are naturally occurring compounds in foods that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects,” says Pacheco. “Green tea is particularly high in a polyphenol and catechin called epigallocatechin gallate. EGCG plays an important role as an antioxidant and may help to lower inflammation, which can contribute to insulin resistance,” she explains.

These mighty polyphenols in green tea may also have a positive influence on your gut microbiome, saysLisa Andrews, M.Ed., RD,owner of Sound Bites Nutrition. We know that the composition of the types of bacteria in your gut can play a role in your risk for developing insulin resistance, as well as supporting your overall health.

How to Enjoy Green Tea

For the best-tasting green tea, you’ll want to steep it right so that it retains its mild flavor without becoming bitter. Steep bagged or loose-leaf green tea in hot water (170 to 185°F is ideal) for 3 minutes. Enjoy a warm mug or chill it in the refrigerator and serve over ice.

To add more flavor to your green tea, pair it with citrus, mint or ginger. For example, thisOrange-Ginger Teais made with green tea steeped with fresh ginger and flavored with a splash of orange juice. Mint is also a refreshing addition to iced green tea. We like to cool off with a glass of thisIced Mint Green Tea. Green tea is also stellar in aMatcha Green Tea Latteor aGreen Tea-Fruit Smoothie.

The Bottom Line

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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Parcha V, Heindl B, Kalra R, et al.Insulin resistance and cardiometabolic risk profile among nondiabetic American young adults: insights from NHANES.J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022;107(1):e25-e37. doi:10.1210/clinem/dgab645Williamson G, Sheedy K.Effects of polyphenols on insulin resistance.Nutrients. 2020; 12(10):3135. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12103135Xu R, Bai Y, Yang K,et al.Effects of green tea consumption on glycemic control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Nutr Metab (Lond).2020; 17:56. doi:10.1186/s12986-020-00469-5Rana A, Samtiya M, Dhewa T, Mishra V, Aluko RE.Health benefits of polyphenols: A concise review.J Food Biochem. 2022;46(10):e14264. doi:10.1111/jfbc.14264

Sources

EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Parcha V, Heindl B, Kalra R, et al.Insulin resistance and cardiometabolic risk profile among nondiabetic American young adults: insights from NHANES.J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022;107(1):e25-e37. doi:10.1210/clinem/dgab645Williamson G, Sheedy K.Effects of polyphenols on insulin resistance.Nutrients. 2020; 12(10):3135. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12103135Xu R, Bai Y, Yang K,et al.Effects of green tea consumption on glycemic control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Nutr Metab (Lond).2020; 17:56. doi:10.1186/s12986-020-00469-5Rana A, Samtiya M, Dhewa T, Mishra V, Aluko RE.Health benefits of polyphenols: A concise review.J Food Biochem. 2022;46(10):e14264. doi:10.1111/jfbc.14264

EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.

Parcha V, Heindl B, Kalra R, et al.Insulin resistance and cardiometabolic risk profile among nondiabetic American young adults: insights from NHANES.J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022;107(1):e25-e37. doi:10.1210/clinem/dgab645Williamson G, Sheedy K.Effects of polyphenols on insulin resistance.Nutrients. 2020; 12(10):3135. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12103135Xu R, Bai Y, Yang K,et al.Effects of green tea consumption on glycemic control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Nutr Metab (Lond).2020; 17:56. doi:10.1186/s12986-020-00469-5Rana A, Samtiya M, Dhewa T, Mishra V, Aluko RE.Health benefits of polyphenols: A concise review.J Food Biochem. 2022;46(10):e14264. doi:10.1111/jfbc.14264

Parcha V, Heindl B, Kalra R, et al.Insulin resistance and cardiometabolic risk profile among nondiabetic American young adults: insights from NHANES.J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022;107(1):e25-e37. doi:10.1210/clinem/dgab645

Williamson G, Sheedy K.Effects of polyphenols on insulin resistance.Nutrients. 2020; 12(10):3135. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12103135

Xu R, Bai Y, Yang K,et al.Effects of green tea consumption on glycemic control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Nutr Metab (Lond).2020; 17:56. doi:10.1186/s12986-020-00469-5

Rana A, Samtiya M, Dhewa T, Mishra V, Aluko RE.Health benefits of polyphenols: A concise review.J Food Biochem. 2022;46(10):e14264. doi:10.1111/jfbc.14264