Rooibos tea compounds may save insulin cells
In vitro comparison of various antioxidants and flavonoids from Rooibos as beta cell protectants against lipotoxicity and oxidative stress-induced cell death
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
NAC, a widely used antioxidant supplement, provided no significant protection against oxidative stress in pancreatic beta cells—even at high doses.
NAC is marketed as a universal antioxidant and is commonly recommended for liver detox, anti-aging, and even hangovers—yet here it failed completely in a model directly relevant to diabetes.
Practical Takeaways
Choose high-quality, unprocessed green rooibos tea (preferably standardized extract like GRT) to maximize aspalathin and 3-hydroxyphloretin intake.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
NAC, a widely used antioxidant supplement, provided no significant protection against oxidative stress in pancreatic beta cells—even at high doses.
NAC is marketed as a universal antioxidant and is commonly recommended for liver detox, anti-aging, and even hangovers—yet here it failed completely in a model directly relevant to diabetes.
Practical Takeaways
Choose high-quality, unprocessed green rooibos tea (preferably standardized extract like GRT) to maximize aspalathin and 3-hydroxyphloretin intake.
Publication
Journal
PLoS ONE
Year
2022
Authors
Céline Moens, C. Muller, L. Bouwens
Related Content
Claims (6)
Certain natural compounds from Rooibos tea, called aspalathin and 3-hydroxyphloretin, help protect insulin-producing cells in the pancreas from damage caused by stress, possibly by turning on the body’s natural defense genes and turning off genes that cause cell death.
A diabetes drug called Exendin-4 helps some pancreatic cells survive when they’re attacked by a harmful chemical called hydrogen peroxide, boosting their survival by up to 38%, but it doesn’t help when other toxins are used—and it doesn’t turn on the cell’s natural defense genes, so it’s probably not working by fighting free radicals.
A natural tea extract called Green Rooibos might help protect insulin-producing cells in the pancreas from damage caused by stress and bad fats, keeping more of them alive—and it does this in a way that doesn’t rely on the body’s usual defense system.
Compounds found in rooibos tea may help keep the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas safe from damage caused by too much sugar and fat, which could help prevent diabetes.
Even though NAC is known to fight harmful free radicals, in lab tests on insulin-producing pancreatic cells, it didn’t help protect them from damage caused by a chemical called streptozotocin—and it didn’t turn on the cells’ natural defense genes either.