LONDON, U.K.
German researchers at Heinrich Heine University found tea drinkers consuming at least four cups daily are 20 percent less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes.
Author Christian Herder of the Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine University, said benefits are most obvious among heavy tea drinkers who do not add milk and sugar.
Light tea drinkers, consuming one to three cups daily, did not appear to receive the same benefit.
"Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of Type 2 diabetes, but dietary factors may also play a role. One dietary factor of interest is tea consumption," writes Herder.
The study examined tea-drinking habits of more than 12,000 Type 2 diabetes sufferers across Europe.
Drinking excessive tea prepared with milk and sugar could be quite harmful to health, according to experts.