Mulberry Tea and Diabetes
Yes
The mulberry leaf has been used for thousands of years as the elixir for inflammation, the common cold, and even diabetes. Hailed as one of the most effective healing leaves, its leaf is rich both in history and bodily healing.
It's no surprise why it's a common component of many traditional medicines in China and throughout Asia.
The Mulberry trees have fed many enthusiasts across the world with their flavorful berries. No wonder it has been ranked as one of the superfoods you can add to make a healthy diet.
Packed with a heavy concentration of vitamins, minerals and plant compounds, the fruit decorated around its branches is not the only part of the tree blessed with healthy benefits. The Mulberry Leaf is equally bursting with nutrients.
Antioxidants, Vitamins C, and Flavonoid are among its many healthy properties, but the mulberry leaf extract is also acclaimed to aid blood sugar control and support people with diabetes in more ways than one.
If you’re trying to manage type 2 diabetes, you know that a lot of your effort will be focused on regulating blood sugar levels.
The body's inability to produce adequate insulin or, in many cases, insulin resistance causes sugar levels to reach dangerous heights.
Mulberry Leaf extract, as used in many traditional remedies, including making Mulberry is very effective for maintaining healthy blood glucose.
Although it must be stated clearly before we jump in deeper, people with diabetes are always advised to consult with their healthcare providers before adding any herbal supplement alleged to be an alternative health remedy to their diet.
In this article, we will be revealing many sides of mulberry tea. Here, we will be looking into the following:
The Mulberry Leaf: Origin and Types
Mulberry Properties
Health Benefits of Mulberry Tea
Risk in Taking Mulberry Tea
Drugs and Mulberry Tea
How To Make Mulberry Tea
The Mulberry Leaf: Origin and Types
Mulberry trees (botanical name Morus) are popular ornamental shade trees that belong to the Moraceae plant family. The origins of most cultivated mulberry varieties are believed to be in the areas of China and Japan, but it has thrived in many other Asian countries as well as in Europe and the Middle East.
Over centuries, the Mulberry tree has been attributed to concepts like faith, growth, and even love, as its leaves are shaped like a heart.
Its berries are edible and its wood is sought after to make quality tennis rackets, boats, and furniture.
The Mulberry is known to have three main species distinguished by the color of their fruit, leaf shape, and bark. It has Red Mulberry (Morus rubra), White mulberry (Morus alba), and Black mulberry (Morus nigra).
The red, black, and white mulberries are known to have originated from different parts of the world. The red mulberry finds its origin in the Eastern United States, while the Black mulberry has its beginning in the western part of Asia. The white Mulberry historically originates in China, especially with the silk trade.
The Mulberry leaf is the only food preferred by the caterpillar known as the silkworm, which it uses to produce silk which became a major product for Chinese trade.
Nowadays, the leaves, which contain a milky sap called latex, are believed to be somewhat toxic, causing stomach issues and skin irritation. Yet, these tendencies do not affect many people who consume Mulberry leaves, whether as dietary supplements or as tea leaves.
Over the years, the Chinese and many other countries have documented the medicinal, culinary, and industrial importance of mulberry leaves.
The mulberry leaf extract used in tea has been accounted for lower blood sugar and unhealthy cholesterol and supports weight loss.
With the many health benefits attributed to the mulberry-flavored waters, especially for prediabetes or those battling type 2 diabetes, it's hard not to incorporate its healing properties into your diet.
The mulberry leaf is a powerful plant packed with many healthy compounds. It is loaded with minerals like iron, calcium, and zinc. It's also a great source of polyphenol antioxidants, Vitamins C, Magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.
The mulberry leaf is also gifted with a rich amount of amino acids, flavonoids, dietary fibers, and DNJ (Deoxynojirimycin) content which functions as an anti-diabetic drug and is believed to be found only in the mulberry leaf.
Let us now see how these healthy blends of compounds and minerals can be of health benefit to us.
Health Benefits of Mulberry Tea
It's not a surprise to hear all the hype around a natural remedy touted to lower blood sugar and help you achieve all-around good health, but usually, the hype fades off. In the case of Mulberry, it appears this much-talked-about herbal tea is worthy of all of its praise.
The mulberry tea is loaded with an array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, including Vitamins A, B1, B2, and C, Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), Phytosterol, Quercetin, Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, and Zinc.
Let's now see the health benefits this herbaceous beverage offers.
Lower Blood Sugar
An ingredient, 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), found in mulberry leaf has helped to give efficacy in lowering blood sugar. This ingredient helps to prevent carbs in your gut by slowing down the assumption of glucose in the body. In this 2017 study, it was revealed that mulberry is capable of reducing blood glucose responses after intake of carb-heavy meals.
Another study comprising 36 adults that were given a blood sugar-boosting starchy powder known as Maltodextrin was also given mulberry herbal extracts. The ones that took the 5% DNJ extracts were observed to have had lower blood sugar rise and Insulin levels. This was not the case for the placebo participants.
Helps Weight Loss
Mulberry has an effect on weight loss due to the presence of Moranoline (1-deoxynojirimycin) which supports the flushing of carbohydrates and starch thereby leaving the body with no glucose to break down. This, in turn, helps to lower blood sugar levels and ultimately triggers weight loss. This study on rodents showed that it can aid fat burning and weight loss.
Still, more human studies are needed to further establish the claim.
Reduces the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
People with diabetes are typically desperate to try alternative remedies, and more often than not, these acclaimed healing potions fail to do what it claims but it appears that the mulberry, unlike many others, functions just the way it claims when it comes to issues relating to diabetes.
Studies have backed this claim with evidence showing that mulberry tea can indeed reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
As published in a Saudi Journal of Biological Science, a study revealed how mulberry aids in the reduction of abnormal postprandial blood glucose levels(PPG) levels in people with diabetes.
In this study, 48 diabetes patients were split into two groups. one group was administered tea that originated from the Camellia sinensis plant, while the other subject group received Mulberry Leaf Tea.
Samples revealed a significant difference in the PPG levels of the group that took mulberry tea. This was after researchers had collected fasting blood glucose tests after 90 minutes of each group taking breakfast.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
A few animal studies have shown that the mulberry leaf, which is rich in flavonoid antioxidants, helps fight the body's reaction to the compounds known to induce inflammation.
A 2010 study on rats given Mulberry leaf extract revealed a significant reduction in pains and joint inflammation.
The mulberry leaf and tea extract were also used in a test tube study in human white blood cells, and it showed it helped reduce inflammatory proteins and lowered DNA damage triggered by oxidative stress.
Properties in the mulberry leaf make it ideal for treating and preventing arthritis and any form of motion challenge.
Still, more human studies are demanded to fully validate this claim.
Helps the Heart
Mulberry leaves are believed to be of great benefit to one's heart. Several studies have given evidence for its cardiovascular support. It is said to help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure levels owing to the presence of phenolics and flavonoids.
One such study was the 2018 findings published in the journal Pharmaceutical Biology that administered 23 people with cholesterol 280 mg of Mulberry leaf supplements 3 times per day. This study showed that after a period of 12 weeks, bad cholesterol (LDL) dropped to 5.6%, while good cholesterol (HDL) increased by 19.7%.
Also, another study published in BioMed Research International showed that people with high triglycerides that took mulberry supplements decreased their CRP and LDL levels as compared to the ones that took plain tea.
It is also believed to clear up your arteries and stop atherosclerosis which is when plaque builds up within the walls of your arteries, causing heart-related diseases.
Anticancer Potentials
Mulberry leaves have been the preferred herbal remedy for decades due to their potential to treat chronic diseases, and based on some test tube research over the years, we can see that the use of Mulberry leaf extract has the potential to assist in the prevention of some types of cancer. This study showed that it can help eliminate human cervical and liver cancer cells.
As in many cases, more research is needed, and it's always advised to talk to your doctor before you adopt any alternative remedy. Don't be quick to add it to your meal or to combine it with your drug if you have not sought the professional advice of your healthcare providers.
Helps With a Common Cold and Related Illness
As used in many traditional Chinese homes, Mulberry is an antidote for fever and cold. It also relieves one from sore throat, headache, and even bacterial strain.
Good for Your Bones
Mulberry leaf tea actually contains more calcium than milk. Calcium is needed for healthy bone and sipping the mulberry tea will ensure your bones remain strong and active.
Improves Vision and Skin Tone
The Mulberry comes with a rich concentration of vitamin A, which helps improve vision and eliminates eye strain, loss of vision, and any form of retina degeneration.
It is also agreed that mulberry leaf extract can prevent hyperpigmentation, blemishes, and dark spots on the skin. Little wonder it remains a constant constituent of beauty products across the world as it appears it naturally lightens skin tone.
Risk in Taking Mulberry Tea
People that have diabetes know that diabetes can be very unpredictable at times and one thing that is always stated with it is that one should be extremely cautious with whatever they add to their diet.
When it comes to reported adverse effects of drinking Mulberry tea, there have been reports of people claiming to come down with nausea, bloating, constipation and diarrhea after taking any of its extract or supplements.
Low Blood Sugar
Hypoglycemia or low sugar is not a state any person with type 2 diabetes will like to experience as it causes blurred vision, dizziness, headache, and excessive sweating. Taking any of the mulberry herbs, including the white mulberry, can cause a lowering in your blood sugar, so you should speak to your doctors before you take it.
Kidney Issue
The white mulberry, red, and black is all equally rich in potassium, which would make anyone with kidney disease wary. If you have any form of kidney complications, do avoid the mulberry, or better, talk to your doctor.
And if you ever need a health professional with years of helping people battling this disease, visit our easy-to-follow step on our website. We are sure we can help you through this journey just as we have done with many others like you.
Allergic Reaction
The mulberries are known to be used to make tea, but they can also be eaten raw. The red, black, and white mulberry leaves are used for cooking and medicine.
Although not common, people have been known to react to it, and the consequences include a runny nose, watery eyes, and heavy sneezing.
The leaves and other parts of the tree contain a milky white sap called latex which is typically an irritant and can lead to skin irritation, swelling, and difficulty breathing.
You should stop taking it immediately if you experience any of these symptoms and contact a licensed health provider at once.
When Pregnant or Breastfeeding
There is not a lot of claim behind the effect of taking Mulberry when pregnant or with other conditions, but it's advised you avoid drinking the white mulberry or any other mulberry varieties when pregnant, breastfeeding, or scheduled for surgery.
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When it comes to herbal remedies, many of these flavored delights usually interact with the medications we take to treat diabetes, so it's absolutely important to know what is best for you as a person with diabetes.
Mulberry extracts are quite acidic and therefore lower blood sugar levels; this is the same function as most diabetes medications.
Mixing both your diabetes medications with the tea can be quite dangerous to your health as it can cause an extreme lowering of blood glucose.
To be absolutely sure, we ensure you consult with your doctor first. If not, avoid the herbal drink altogether.
It's also important that you monitor your blood sugar closely while taking the mulberry tea to know if you stop taking it.
Whether hot tea on a rainy day or homemade iced tea on a sunny day, it's always great to make healthy tea yourself.
One easy way is to put the tea leaves or bags in hot water. The tea is made from the dry leaves after you sieve the water from it.
You can boil your water below the boiling point of 160 to 200 degrees F (71 to 93 C). Just add the leaves and leave them for 5 -7 minutes. Pour and then enjoy the wonderful health benefits that come with it.
It's easy to get too excited with all the rave reviews given to a herbal tea that can help one with blood sugar control, blood pressure, or that can even "cure" it all. But if you have prediabetes or diabetes, it's always good not to be too hasty to follow sweeping claims.
The most important person you need to listen to is a licensed healthcare provider.
Diabetes can be challenging to manage and there are many sides to how you can ensure it doesn't leave you feeling frustrated.
Indeed, herbal remedies or dietary supplements can help you manage your condition. However, when it comes to an unpredictable disease like diabetes, you must always ask the right question and, even more importantly, to the right people. We at Klinio can surely assist you or a loved one down this road.
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