Scientists have discovered that the antioxidant EGCG, found in green tea, may be able to help prevent or slow down the onslaught of type 1 diabetes.

While researching the effects EGCG has on Sjogren’s syndrome, scientists discovered that the antioxidant also slowed the development of type 1 diabetes in lab mice.

Although the antioxidant reduced the severity and delayed the onset of Sjogren’s syndrome the researchers also found that only 25 percent of the mice receiving EGCG developed type 1 diabetes compared to 67 percent who were given water only, which came as a surprise to scientists.

Both Sjogren’s syndrome and type 1 diabetes are autoimmune diseases and previous research has shown EGCG’s positive effects on those types of diseases.

Doctors also pointed out that another positive outcome from this study is the limited side-effects of green tea as nutritional supplements compared to other health resources like prescription drugs.

“The benefit of using green tea in preventing or slowing these autoimmune diseases is that it’s natural and not known to harm the body,” says Dr. Kevin Gillespie, one of the study’s authors.

According to the National Institutes of Health, studies show green tea may have numerous health benefits including slowing the growth of cancer and improving mental alertness.