Oolong tea does not improve glucose metabolism in non-diabetic adults

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition 2011-01, Vol.65 (1), p.87-92
• Main Authors: Baer, D.J, Novotny, J.A, Harris, G.K, Stote, K, Clevidence, B, Rumpler, W.V
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/443/319; 692/699/2743/137; Adult; adults; Beverages; Biological and medical sciences; blood glucose; Blood Glucose - metabolism; carbohydrate metabolism; Catechin - administration & dosage; Catechin - pharmacology; Clinical Nutrition; Concentration time; Cross-Over Studies; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - drug therapy; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Epidemiology; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Fasting; Feeding. Feeding behavior; flavanols; Flavonoids - administration & dosage; Flavonoids - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glucose; Glucose metabolism; glucose tolerance; Glucose Tolerance Test; Health aspects; human nutrition; Humans; Insulin; Insulin - blood; Internal Medicine; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Metabolism; Middle Aged; Nutrition research; Oolong tea; original-article; Phenols - administration & dosage; Phenols - metabolism; phytochemicals; Polyphenols; Public Health; Self Report; Tea; tea (beverage); Tea - metabolism; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2010.192

Background: Studies of the influence of tea on glucose metabolism have produced inconsistent results, possibly because of the lack of dietary control and/or unclear characterization of tea products. Methods: Therefore, a double-blind crossover study was conducted in which healthy males (n=19) consumed each of three oolong tea products or a control beverage as part of a controlled diet. Treatment beverages (1.4 l/day) were consumed for 5 days, followed by assessment of fasting plasma glucose, fasting serum insulin and an oral glucose tolerance test. Tea products included oolong tea, oolong tea with added catechins and oolong tea with added oolong tea polyphenols, and control beverages included caffeinated water and unsupplemented water. On the fifth day of each treatment period, treatment beverages were consumed with a standardized meal, and glucose and insulin responses were assessed for 240 min. Results: No significant differences were detected for fasting plasma glucose, fasting serum insulin, incremental plasma glucose area under the concentration time curve (AUC), total plasma glucose AUC or total serum insulin AUC. Conclusions: Neither oolong tea nor oolong tea supplemented with catechins or other polyphenols produced improved glucose metabolism in healthy adult volunteers on the basis of this highly controlled dietary intervention trial.