Modulation of Glucose Metabolism by Leaf Tea Constituents: A Systematic Review of Recent Clinical and Pre-clinical Findings.

Leaf teas are widely used as a purported treatment for dysregulated glucose homeostasis. The objective of this study was to systematically evaluate the clinical and cellular-metabolic evidence, published between January 2013 and May 2019, and indexed on PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science, supporting the use of leaf teas for this purpose. Fourteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (13 on Camellia sinensis teas) were included, with mixed results, and providing scant mechanistic information. In contrast, 74 animal and cell culture studies focusing on the pancreas, liver, muscle, and adipose tissue yielded mostly positive results and highlighted enhanced insulin signaling as a recurring target associated with the effects of teas on glucose metabolism. We conclude that more studies, including RCTs and pre-clinical studies examining teas from a wider variety of species beyond C. sinensis, are required to establish a stronger evidence base on the use of leaf teas to normalize glucose metabolism.