‘It may be a good idea to stop by Formosan tea when you are dealing with diabetes symptoms because, as you will see, it has incredible natural properties aimed at fighting your condition.’ This is what most people say! The good news is that you can find it for sale whenever when you need it. However, is Formasan Tea really good for diabetics? That’s what we are going to find out in this article, as in some circumstances you should not drink it.
You may think Formosan tea is good for every person with diabetes, as it works similarly to green and black tea when it comes to regulating blood sugar levels. If green or black tea doesn’t let you sleep at night, you may instead make yourself a cup of Formosan tea in the evening. However, due to the complexity of diabetes, you should never take the addition of a new tea to your diet that simple.
If you want to know more about Formosan tea and what it can do for your health when you have diabetes, read the following article. You will learn about what it is, how it works to combat diabetes, how much of it you should drink, when you shouldn’t drink this tea as a diabetic and more.
Let’s start by defining Formosan Tea.
What is Formosan Tea?
Formosan tea is a specialty tea that has been semi-fermented and produced in the Formosa Taiwan mountains. Before it dries in the sun, it ferments 50-70% until the sun dries it. As a result, its leaves look more like black tea and less like green tea.
Drinking Formosan tea for the first time can be an incredible experience. Its Oriental Beauty leaves have an intense scent, not to mention that they’re also creamy, sweet, and light in texture. If you have never liked tea before, you might fall in love with this one.
Also, called oolong tea, Formosan tea was first introduced to society around the 19th century. Back then, a merchant from Scotland started selling it in Taiwan. It is made from the Camellia sinensis plant and contains L-theanine too. L-theanine has a calming effect.
Formosan Black Tea vs Formosan Green Tea – What’s The Difference?
Formosan black tea is not the same as Formosan green tea. These are two types of this tea, depending on how much the plant leaves have dried. Both are premium products because they contain plenty of antioxidants
that protect the immune system.
Formosan green tea is sometimes called snail tea, as it resembles small nails when rolled up in its leaf form. It tastes a lot like usual green tea and provides all the health benefits of Formosan tea, including the one regulating blood sugar levels.
When it comes to Formosan black tea, this version has a stronger taste and a slight flavor of honey. Both green and black Formosan tea can help you live healthier and may address diabetes symptoms but don’t consume them if your doctor didn’t say you could.
Health Benefits of Formosan Tea
As mentioned, Formosan tea has many health benefits, including lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels, improving the immune system, and increasing bone density. At the same time, its high content of antioxidants helps fight free radicals and cancer symptoms.
Like other teas in the oolong family, Formosan contributes to weight loss and helps elevate energy levels. Both these benefits are important for people with diabetes, who need to have a healthy weight and to be able to go on with their day after dieting for a long time.
There is almost no caffeine in Formosan tea, so you can drink it in the evening without any problem. Prepare it just like you would prepare any other tea, as there’s nothing special about it. If you are diabetic, add a natural sweetener and don’t use sugar.
How Much Formosan Tea Should Diabetics Drink?
According to our health experts, people with diabetes should drink only 1-3 cups of Formosan tea a day. In some cases, 4 cups might do them good too, as scientific evidence has been shown that this quantity decreases the risk of experiencing diabetes symptoms by 17%, especially for those who also diet.
If you drink 1-3 cups of Formosan tea a day, it would be a good idea to stick to this routine as much as you can and not drink other teas. Your body will be hydrated enough, and you will live a healthier, longer life without feeling like you’re a ‘diabetic’.
Remember, too much of anything can’t do you any good. Therefore, based on our experts’ opinion, having one cup of Formosan tea in the morning with breakfast, one after lunch, and another after dinner is the maximum you should go for. Between breakfast and lunch, you can have some of it instead of snacking, but we think that could easily go wrong for some.
How Does Formosan Tea May Fight The Symptoms of Diabetes?
The antioxidants in Formosan tea help prevent memory loss and protect against heart disease. But what’s most important is that they support the immune system. Above all, when the immune system functions properly, diabetes symptoms may no longer manifest themselves so intensely.
Even more, Formosan tea helps reduce oxidative stress. When this happens, cells and tissues are better able to cleanse themselves from the reactive products they have accumulated in time. When your body experiences oxidative stress, it can no longer fight diabetes so efficiently.
Last, Formosan tea contains polyphenols. These components may support insulin activity. As you probably already know, your insulin levels should be stable when you have diabetes, so pay attention to your diabetes-friendly diet and drink Formosan tea. Health experts guarantee it will make you feel better.
Is Formosan Tea Good for Prediabetics?
Since it works for diabetics, it’s obvious that Formosan tea can also help people who have prediabetes. This condition is not as dangerous as diabetes, but it still can cause you serious health problems because you experience the early symptoms of this dangerous disease.
These symptoms are fatigue, frequent urination, blurred vision, numbness in the feet and arms, and others. If you experience all these, don’t use Formosan tea without asking your doctor first. Only a health expert can diagnose your condition, as you might have something else too.
The good news is that if you’re dieting, changing your lifestyle for the better, and listening to what your doctor says, and using Formosan tea, you can reverse your prediabetic condition. The most important thing is that you take good care of your body and exercise at least 3 – 5hrs a week.
When Should You Have Formosan Tea?
One thing is for sure, Formosan tea is good for early-stage diabetics, and you can have it whenever you want. For example, you will feel energized and healthier for the rest of the entire day if you drink it in the morning. At lunch, have your small meal and drink another cup.
If you don’t have a place to prepare it, you can drink it cold too. Just take it with you to work in a bottle and enjoy it during your lunch break. It wouldn’t be a good idea to have Formosan tea at night because you might not be able to sleep well. Having it in the evening, a few hours before your bed time, should be okay.
In fact, as a diabetic or prediabetic, you could keep a bottle of Formosan tea with you. However, don’t drink more than 4 cups a day because this won’t help you cure your disease. What’s most important is that you don’t abuse it and at the same time, don’t forget to take your medication.
How Does Formosan Tea Taste Like?
When you have your first sip of Formosan tea, you might feel a taste of orchids, biscuits, and molasses in your mouth. As far as this tea’s texture goes, this is smooth and mellow, developing later into gingerbread and peach flavors that taste like dessert.
If you infuse your Formosan tea for the second time, you will feel a taste of spicy sandalwood. Luckily, you can’t get bored with Formosan if you know how to prepare it. Moreover, if you add a sweetener to it, you might no longer want to have another tea ever again.
You won’t get bored with the taste of your Formosan tea if you drink it during breakfast or lunch. If you want to make a change for dinner too, have it with a biscuit. Just keep in mind that you should also monitor your sugar intake.
Can Diabetics Add Sugar or Sweeteners to Their Formosan Tea?
You can add sugar or sweeteners to your Formosan tea, but not much. Don’t forget that you have diabetes and should constantly pay attention to these aspects. Natural or artificial sweeteners are a better option for you, so use them instead of everyday sugar.
If it is a must, go for sweeteners such as stevia, aspartame, or sucralose. You can find these at any pharmacy or health shops, at affordable prices. The best thing about them is that they’re low in calories, and as you probably already know, you should also monitor your weight as a person with diabetes.
If you sweeten your Formosan tea, you might no longer get bored with its taste. This is very good news considering you can drink this beverage daily to no longer experience diabetes symptoms during the day (if you have early-stage diabetes). Don’t forget that your overall diet is very important as well to get this outcome.
What’s In Formosan Tea – Content and Ingredients
If you want to understand how Formosan tea can help you feel better when you have diabetes, let’s see this product’s nutritional table:
|
Ingredients |
Amount per 220 ml cup |
|
0.22 g | |
|
Fat |
0.22 g |
|
11 mg | |
|
Energy |
13 KJ |
|
Carbohydrate, total sugar |
0 |
|
Caffeine |
0 |
|
Gluten |
0 |
|
Lactose |
0 |
|
Galactose |
0 |
This tea doesn’t contain any caffeine, glucose, lactose, or gluten, so you can drink it safely, even if you are lactose- or gluten-intolerant.
If you don’t feel so good after having it, make sure to ask your doctor or dietitian what you can do. Your system might not tolerate one of its ingredients, so you should make a change. Your personal health experts might recommend green or black tea, depending on your symptoms.
Formosan tea contains protein. However, this doesn’t mean you should eliminate protein from your diet for good if you have it. Since you’re a fighter with diabetes, make sure that you consume as much plant-based protein as possible, so eat beans, broccoli, and cabbage too.
Pros
- Formosan tea is ‘sweet’ even if it doesn’t contain any sugar.
- You can have this tea up to a max of 4 times a day or when you feel like snacking.
- This tea is also good if you want to lose weight because it’s low in calories.
Cons
- Some people say they don’t like Formosan tea because it’s too aromatic.
- Others complain they lost too much weight after drinking this tea.
- Formosan tea can have side effects such as stomach pains, nausea, and vomiting.
Is Formosan Tea Good for Diabetics?
Now that you have found out more about Formosan tea, what it is, how it works, and its ingredients, you can be sure that it’s good for people with diabetes. Drink it as often as you can but remember not to go over 4 cups a day because you might experience its side effects.
(Our expert recommendation is only up to 3 times a day)
As you already know, when you have diabetes, you only need to keep the symptoms of your disease in check. This is possible if you pay attention to what you are eating. This is where you can consider drinking Formosan tea every day or when you don’t feel so good. Just to keep your sugar consumption low.
In other words, if you have diabetes or prediabetes and want to enjoy a tea that can help you feel better, you can choose Formosan. After one cup, you will feel energized and more able to go on with your day, not to mention that you might no longer want to drink any coffee either.
Can Formosan Tea Cure Diabetes?
One thing is for sure, Formosan tea or other types of tea can’t cure diabetes. You probably already know that this disease doesn’t have a cure when you hit the latter stages of diabetes, so you should only keep its symptoms in check. This is possible only through medication and a healthy lifestyle.
However, yes, Formosan tea can help you combat the symptoms of diabetes when you’re experiencing them. For example, if you feel exhausted in the morning and as if you can’t get out of bed, don’t drink coffee. Have only a cup of unsweetened Formosan tea with your breakfast.
The same, if you feel a tingling in your legs and arms, drink a cup of Formosan tea and go out for a walk in Nature. You should always remember to take your medication because this tea can’t and won’t replace it. Therefore, have it only as a supplement.
Is Formosan Tea Expensive?
If you are worried about the prices of Formosan tea, know that this product is not that ‘expensive’ or a luxury category by any means. If you buy it online, you can get it in bulk at more affordable prices. Online shops make special prices for when you’re buying more boxes, so you can save some money while shopping.
It’s a very good idea to buy more Formosan tea boxes at once because if you do, you have enough for more days and even months. Being a fighter with diabetes, you will need to make stocks of it so that you can feel good enough to have a great day ahead.
Formosan tea is more expensive than other types of teas because it takes longer to process and get hand sorted. As mentioned, it is a premium product because it contains many antioxidants and helps the immune system recover after a diabetic emergency.
When Is Formosan Tea Bad for You?
Don’t drink Formosan tea if your doctor doesn’t recommend it. Also, if you experience any side effects after having it, visit a health specialist to see if there is something wrong with your health or if it is contraindicated for your lifestyle. Don’t have too much of it either because you might experience nausea.
On the other hand, some people drink more than 4 cups of Formosan tea every day and don’t have any health problems at all. But they pay attention to their diet and exercise regularly, so they take care of their health without relying on tea.
As said earlier, our expert recommendation is a maximum of 3 cups of tea per day.
Formosan tea doesn’t cause addiction, even if you feel good after having it. You might want to drink a lot because it has great flavor, but if you experience side effects after a few cups, stop consuming it for a while. The key is to keep everything in moderation.
Alternatives
Here is a list of other teas you can consider. However, if you have diabetes, follow the link to read specific recommendations based on how each type of tea may affect your blood glucose levels.
- Black Tea
- Peppermint Tea
- Earl Grey Tea
Conclusion
Formosan tea is a good choice for people with diabetes who no longer want to experience the symptoms of their early-stage of disease. The good news is that it’s also tasty and doesn’t cause side effects if you drink it in moderation. You can have it any time, either with breakfast or after lunch and with supper.
You can get Formosan tea in bulk online; however, brick-and-mortar stores and pharmacies might only sell you the boxes separately, and you might not agree with their prices.
Keep in mind that Formosan tea can’t cure diabetes. It is only a natural supplement you should take to feel better when having diabetes. Have as much as you like, up to 3-4 cups max if it makes you feel good, but still consume it in moderation, as you should any supplement, food, or medication.
