Antioxidant In Green Tea Suppresses Blood Sugar Spikes After Eating Starchy Foods

The antioxidant epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) found in green tea reduced sugar spikes in mice fed a diet of corn starch, U.S. researchers report. For the study, mice were fed corn starch and EGCG at a level equivalent to about 1.5 cups of green tea for a human. The spike in blood glucose levels was about 50 percent lower in the EGCG mice than in mice fed corn starch only. The findings suggest the possibility that the antioxidant might function the same way in humans. “The relatively low effective dose of EGCG makes a compelling case for studies in human subjects,” the researchers concluded.