The Drink To Lower Cholesterol

There are two words for lowering cholesterol if you have type 2 diabetes. They might not spring to mind at first, but a new study suggests that they just might work.

Sour tea.

Increasing evidence suggests that drinking sour tea (a.k.a. Hibiscus sabdariffa) has hypoglycemic (helping regulate blood sugar) and  hypolipidemic (lowering cholesterol) effects. In this way, the tea may benefit patients suffering from metabolic disorders such as diabetes.

A new study has just investigated the cholesterol-lowering possibilities of sour tea in patients with diabetes. Researchers compared it to black tea. It was a randomized, controlled clinical trial, where 60 diabetic patients were randomly assigned into two groups: sour tea and black tea. They were instructed to consume sour tea or black tea two times a day for one month.

At the beginning and the end of the study, researchers took fasting blood samples to evaluate many different cholesterol
molecules. Fifty-three patients finished the study. Those drinking sour tea watched their HDL cholesterol levels (the good one) increase significantly by the end of the study. They also experienced a significant decrease in total cholesterol, LDL
cholesterol (the bad one) and triglycerides (also bad). For those drinking black tea, they did experience higher HDL  levels, but not the cholesterol-lowering effects.

The study concludes that sour tea "has a significant effect on blood lipid profile in patients with diabetes."

Along with your cup of sour tea each day, you might be interested in the supplement chromium. It has well-established
anti-diabetic abilities, because it can improve insulin sensitivity. And it regulates cholesterol for those with diabetes.

Now, it goes without saying that, after all the research that has been done, chromium plays an essential role in insulin activity and it is poorly absorbed through our diet. Therefore, taking supplements is the sure way to have increased levels of the mineral. Between 50 mg to 400 mg of chromium both enhances the action of insulin and decreases fasting blood sugar levels.

One recent study even found which kind of chromium gives you the best results. An analysis shows that "chromium picolinate" is effective in improving control over blood glucose and normalizing cholesterol levels in people who have type 2 diabetes. This type, at between doses of 200 micrograms and 1,000 micrograms a day, continually produces the best results. Chromium picolinate may work better because the body absorbs it more easily.Any extra knowledge in the battle against diabetes is a bonus.

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