Researchers find the nation's favourite cuppa may help to control diabetes
By Lucy Quinton
Researchers at the University of Dundee have revealed substances in black tea can help control type-two diabetes.
Several of the black tea constituents, dubbed theaflavins and thearubigins, have been found to mimic the action of insulin on proteins called foxos.
In addition, scientists at the University of Ulster and United Arab Emirates University found that one of the peptides on the skin of the Pseudis Paradox frog stimulates insulin release, which can help humans fight the condition.
These scientific developments coincide with a study at Leicester University which revealed that British people have a tendency to underestimate the size of their waist.
Men are more deluded and think their waist is around three inches thinner than the reality, while women underestimate theirs by around 2.2 inches.
Caroline Butler, care advisor at leading health charity Diabetes UK, said: "The type-two diabetes epidemic is the biggest health challenge of our time. Watching our waistlines is vital as we all need to do our best to reduce the chances of developing this condition."
Diabetes develops when the body does not produce enough insulin, or if the insulin produced does not work properly, resulting in high levels of glucose in the blood.
Diabetes can lead to further complications such as blindness, heart disease, stroke, amputation and kidney disease. It is estimated that up to 750,000 people in the UK have type-two diabetes but do not know it.
According to Diabetes UK, women with a waist measurement of 31.5 inches or more and men with a waist measuring 37 inches or more could be at risk of developing type-two diabetes.
