Does green tea lower blood sugar?
Effects of green tea consumption on glycemic control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Green tea lowers fasting glucose but does NOT improve fasting insulin or insulin sensitivity.
Most people assume lowering blood sugar means better insulin function—but here, glucose drops while insulin stays flat, suggesting green tea may force glucose into cells without improving insulin signaling.
Practical Takeaways
If you drink green tea for health, keep doing it—but don’t expect it to lower your A1c or replace diabetes medication.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Green tea lowers fasting glucose but does NOT improve fasting insulin or insulin sensitivity.
Most people assume lowering blood sugar means better insulin function—but here, glucose drops while insulin stays flat, suggesting green tea may force glucose into cells without improving insulin signaling.
Practical Takeaways
If you drink green tea for health, keep doing it—but don’t expect it to lower your A1c or replace diabetes medication.
Publication
Journal
Nutrition & Metabolism
Year
2020
Authors
Renfan Xu, Yang Bai, Ke Yang, Guangzhi Chen
Related Content
Claims (5)
Drinking green tea supplements for up to a year can slightly lower your fasting blood sugar by about 1.4 points — and it seems to help your body manage sugar better, not just by coincidence.
Drinking green tea supplements might lower your blood sugar a bit, but it doesn’t help your body use insulin better in the short term — so your insulin levels stay about the same.
Some people think taking green tea in pill form might lower your blood sugar better than drinking green tea, because the pills give you a stronger, more steady dose of the good stuff—but we’re not totally sure yet because studies don’t all agree.
Drinking green tea supplements won’t noticeably lower your long-term blood sugar levels, even if you take them for up to a year — so it’s not a reliable way to manage diabetes or blood sugar over time.
Drinking green tea for less than 12 weeks might lower your blood sugar more than drinking it for longer, which suggests the benefit might fade if you keep taking it.