Scientists are hoping a particular type of African tea may become a powerful weapon in the fight against type 2 diabetes.
The tea, obtained from the extract of Rauvolfia vomitoria leaves and the fruit of Citrus aurantium, is prepared by simply boiling the leaves, young stalks and fruit, and filtering the liquid. It has been used as a treatment in traditional Nigerian medicine.
Danish scientists studied its application by first testing the tea on genetically diabetic mice. The results showed that after six weeks of daily consumption, combined with a low-fat diet, the animalsÂ’ pancreas health improved.
The researchers have recently completed a four-month long clinical test on 23 patients with type 2 diabetes who were asked to drink 750 ml of the tea each day and reported encouraging results.
“The [African tea] appears to differentiate itself from other current type 2 diabetes treatments because [it] does not initially affect the sugar content of the blood,” says Joan Campbell-Tofte from the University of Copenhagen.
“But after four months of treatment we can see a significant increase in glucose tolerance,” she adds.
The researchers say the patients who drank the tea had higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which make cell membranes more permeable, resulting in better glucose absorption from the blood. 