Effect Of Green Tea Consumption On Blood Glucose And Hemoglobin Levels In Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background Green tea (Camellia sinensis) is a popular beverage due to its various benefits. It is rich in biologically active components, including catechins like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which have been studied for their potential roles in glucose metabolism, oxidative stress, and other physiological pathways. While some studies have shown the beneficial effects of green tea on fasting blood glucose, there is no consistency in the results on its effects on glycemic and hematological parameters. Habitual green tea consumption and hemoglobin concentration among young adults have been studied less. Objective The aim of the present study was to examine the correlation between blood glucose and blood hemoglobin levels with the consumption of green tea in young adults. Methods The study was hypothetical, with a cross sectional design, and the participants were 120 young adults between 18-30 years. The participants were classified as non-consumer, low-consumer, moderate-consumer and frequent-consumer of green tea. Data on demographic and lifestyle factors were obtained from a structured questionnaire. Standard anthropometric measurements were taken and fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin levels were measured as per the standard laboratory method. Associations between green tea consumption and biochemical parameters were evaluated with descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, correlation analysis and multiple linear regression. Results A total of 120 people completed the survey, of which 48 (40.0%) were non-consumers of green tea and 72 (60.0%) consumed green tea regularly. Fasting blood glucose was 94.8 ± 8.7 mg/dL in the non-consumers, 92.7 ± 7.9 mg/dL in the low consumers, 90.9 ± 7.1 mg/dL in the moderate consumers and 89.1 ± 6.8 mg/dL in the frequent consumers. This difference between groups was statistically significant (p = 0.018). Mean hemoglobin concentrations were 13.1 ± 1.2, 13.2 ± 1.1, 13.3 ± 1.0, and 13.4 ± 1.1 g/dL, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.426). The level of green tea consumption was significantly negatively correlated with fasting blood glucose (p = 0.001, r = −0.29) but not with hemoglobin (p = 0.274, r = 0.10). The association of green tea consumption with fasting blood glucose was found to be negative even after adjustment for potential confounders (β = −0.24, 95% CI: −1.42 to −0.28, p = 0.004). Conclusion The potential results suggest that an increased intake of green tea may be linked to slightly lower FBP in young adults, but not to hemoglobin. Randomized controlled studies would be needed to establish cause and effect relationship between green tea consumption and glucose metabolism.