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Posted on Sep 15, 2008, 5 a.m.
By Rich Hurd
New research suggests that drinking chamomile tea may help to prevent many of the complications associated with diabetes, such as kidney damage, nerve damage, and vision loss.
New research suggests that drinking chamomile tea may help to prevent many of the complications associated with diabetes, such as kidney damage, nerve damage, and vision loss.
Japanese and English researchers added chamomile extract to the diets of diabetic rats for 21 days. Results showed a significant decrease in blood glucose levels in rats given the chamomile extract, compared to a control group of rats fed a normal diet. The chamomile extract was also found to inhibit aldose reductase (ALR2) an enzyme which plays a role in the development of many of the complications of diabetes, including: diabetic neuropathy, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and nephropathy.
The authors conclude: “These results clearly suggested that daily consumption of chamomile tea with meals could contribute to the prevention of the progress of hyperglycemia and diabetic complications.”
Kato A, Minoshima Y, Yamamoto J, Adachi I, Watson AA, Nash RJ. Protective Effects of Dietary Chamomile Tea on Diabetic Complications. J Agric Food Chem. 2008;56:8206–8211.
