On Wed, 29 May 2002 17:05:16 -0400, Todd Moody <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>After Mary's message, I did some searching on the effects of
>coffee on insulin.  The key effect seems to be that the caffeine
>causes an increase in insulin resistance, which eventually
>results in higher insulin levels.
>
>The following passage concerning green tea, however, is
>interesting: "When starch is consumed, it requires the enzyme
>amylase to break it down into simple sugars that can be absorbed
>in the blood stream. Green tea polyphenols inhibit amylase, which
>therefore cuts down on the harmful sugars absorbed into the
>blood. One study showed that just one cup of green tea inhibited
>amylase activity by 87 percent. Another study showed that green
>tea extract reduced the normal elevation of glucose and insulin
>when 50 grams of starch were ingested. This is good, because high
>blood levels of glucose and insulin predispose people to diabetes
>and cardiovascular disease, and are associated with accelerated
>aging."
>
>(source: http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag98/may98_tea.html )
>
>This property of green tea, in addition to its ability to prevent
>blood turbidity after a fatty meal, is yet another reason to
>drink it.

One comment - studies like these tend to take a particular food and then
test reactions to it.

This is then reported in the media, as if only this particular food can
produce the result.   (A widely publicized study of oat bran comes to
mind.)

Anyway, it turns out that Black tea has many of the same health benefits
as Green tea:

http://www.usaweekend.com/01_issues/011118/011118eatsmart.html


--
Cheers,

Ken
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