Acute Effect of Honey-Sweetened Green Tea on Blood Glucose, Blood Pressure and Heart Rate in Healthy Female Subjects: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Study

Authors

• Esther Oluwasola Aluko, Physiology Department, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, NigeriaFollow
• Patience John Okon, Physiology Department, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria
• Mary Emmanuel Etim, Physiology Department, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria
• Ernest Etim Akpan, Physiology Department, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria

Keywords

Green tea, Honey, Blood glucose, Blood pressure, Heart rate

Abstract

Introduction: Green tea contains bioactive catechins associated with antioxidant and cardiometabolic benefits, while honey is a natural sweetener rich in phenolic compounds with potential health-promoting properties. However, limited data exists on the combined physiological effects of green tea sweetened with honey.

Objectives: This study assessed the acute effects of honey-sweetened green tea on blood glucose, blood pressure, and heart rate in healthy young adult females.

Methods: Thirty healthy females aged 18–25 years participated in this randomized controlled study conducted over three consecutive days. Participants were randomly assigned into three groups: control group (250 mL warm water), green tea group (250 mL green tea containing 2 g green tea), and honey-sweetened green tea group (250 mL green tea containing 2 g green tea plus 20 mL honey). Blood pressure and heart rate were measured at baseline and at 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes post-consumption, while blood glucose was measured at baseline and at 30 and 60 minutes post-consumption. Data were analyzed using one-way and two-way ANOVA, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.

Results: Acute consumption of honey-sweetened green tea did not produce significant changes in blood glucose, blood pressure, or heart rate compared with the control or green tea groups.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that honey-sweetened green tea does not exert significant acute effects on glycemic or cardiovascular parameters in healthy young adult females. Further studies are warranted to investigate the chronic effects and potential mechanisms underlying the cardiometabolic actions of green tea and honey.

References

1. Kuriyama S, Shimazu T, Ohmori K, et al. Green tea consumption and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and all causes in Japan: the Ohsaki study. JAMA. 2006;296(10):1255-1265.
2. Lobo V, Patil A, Phatak A, Chandra N. Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: impact on human health. Pharmacogn Rev. 2010;4(8):118-126.
3. Chen ZM, Lin Z. Tea and human health: biomedical functions of tea active components and current issues. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2015;16(2):87-102.
4. Zhao T, Li C, Wang S, Song X. Green tea (Camellia sinensis): a review of its phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology. Molecules. 2022;27(12):3909.
5. Musial C, Kuban-Jankowska A, Gorska-Ponikowska M. Beneficial properties of green tea catechins. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(5):1744.
6. Meyer BR, White HM, McCormack JD, et al. Catechin composition, phenolic content, and antioxidant properties of commercial green teas. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2023;78:662-669.
7. James A, Wang K, Wang Y. Therapeutic activity of green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate on metabolic and liver diseases. Nutrients. 2023;15(13):3022.
8. Xu R, Yang K, Ding J, Chen G. Effect of green tea supplementation on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020;99(6):e19047.
9. Yıldırım-Ayaz E, Dincer B, Mesci B. Effect of green tea on blood pressure in healthy individuals: a meta-analysis. Altern Ther Health Med. 2023;29(5):66-73.
10. Zhao Y, Tang C, Tang W, et al. Association between tea consumption and blood pressure in adults in Southwest China. BMC Public Health. 2023;23:476.
11. Li N, Zhao Y, Liang Y. Cardioprotective effects of tea and its catechins. Health. 2013;5:23-30.
12. Cao SY, Zhao CN, Gan RY, et al. Effects and mechanisms of tea and its bioactive compounds for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases: an updated review. Antioxidants (Basel). 2019;8(6):166.
13. Onakpoya I, Spencer EA, Heneghan CJ, Thompson MJ. The effect of green tea on blood pressure and lipid profile: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2014;24(8):823-836.
14. Liu K, Zhou R, Wang B, et al. Effect of green tea on glucose control and insulin sensitivity: a meta-analysis of 17 randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013;98(2):340-348.
15. Chen J, Zhang Z, Yu P, et al. Beneficial effects of green tea on age-related diseases. Front Biosci (Schol Ed). 2020;12(1):70-91.
16. Wasai M, Fujimura Y, Nonaka H, et al. Postprandial glycaemia-lowering effect of a green tea cultivar Sunrouge: metabolic profiling for bioactivity. Sci Rep. 2018;8:16041.
17. Bulmer JM, McBain TR, Peart DJ. High-intensity interval walking with green tea extract reduces postprandial glucose concentrations. Nutr Health. 2018;24(3):193-198.
18. Takahashi M, Ozaki M, Miyashita M, et al. Effects of acute catechin-rich green tea ingestion on postprandial glucose metabolism in healthy men. J Nutr Biochem. 2019;73:108221.
19. Takahashi M, Ozaki M, Tsubosaka M, et al. Effects of timing of acute and consecutive catechin ingestion on postprandial glucose metabolism in mice and humans. Nutrients. 2020;12(2):565.
20. Eteraf-Oskouei T, Najafi M. Traditional and modern uses of natural honey in human diseases: a review. Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2013;16(6):731-742.
21. Khan SU, Anjum SI, Rahman K, et al. Honey: single foodstuff comprising many drugs. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2018;25(2):320-325.
22. Mandal MD, Mandal S. Honey: its medicinal property and antibacterial activity. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2011;1(2):154-160.
23. Olas B. Honey and its phenolic compounds as an effective natural medicine for cardiovascular diseases. Nutrients. 2020;12(2):283.
24. Cianciosi D, Forbes-Hernández TY, Afrin S, et al. Phenolic compounds in honey and their associated health benefits: a review. Molecules. 2018;23(9):2322.
25. Yaghoobi R, Kazerouni A, Kazerouni O. Evidence for clinical use of honey in wound healing: antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiviral effects. Jundishapur J Nat Pharm Prod. 2013;8(3):100-104.
26. Alkhalifah MK, Alabduljabbar KA, Alkhenizan AH. Effect of natural honey on lowering lipid profile. Saudi Med J. 2021;42(5):473-480.
27. Aluko EO, Olubobokun TH, Atang DE, Nna VU. Honey's ability to reduce blood pressure and heart rate in healthy male subjects. Front Sci. 2014;4(1):1-6.
28. Afroz R, Tanvir E, Little P. Honey-derived flavonoids: natural products for the prevention of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Clin Exp Pharmacol. 2016;6(3):1-5.
29. Ahmed S, Sulaiman SA, Baig AA, et al. Honey as a Potential Natural Antioxidant Medicine: An Insight into Its Molecular Mechanisms of Action. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2018;2018:8367846.
30. Whitehead AL, Julious SA, Cooper CL, Campbell MJ. Estimating the sample size for a pilot randomised trial to minimize the overall trial sample size for the external pilot and main trial for a continuous outcome variable. Stat Methods Med Res. 2016;25(3):1057-1073.
31. Yu J, Song P, Perry R, Penfold C, Cooper AR. The effectiveness of green tea or green tea extract on insulin resistance and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis. Diabetes Metab J. 2017;41(4):251-262.
32. Wang X, Tian J, Jiang J, et al. Effects of green tea or green tea extract on insulin sensitivity and glycemic control in populations at risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2014;27(5):501-512.
33. Yilmazer-Musa M, Griffith AM, Michels AJ, Schneider E, Frei B. Grape seed and tea extracts and catechin 3-gallates are potent inhibitors of α -amylase and α -glucosidase activity. J Agric Food Chem. 2012;60:8924-8929.
34. Erejuwa OO, Sulaiman SA, Wahab MS. Honey: a novel antioxidant. Molecules. 2012;17(4):4400-4423.
35. Khalesi S, Sun J, Buys N, Jamshidi A, Nikbakht-Nasrabadi E, Khosravi-Boroujeni H. Green tea catechins and blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Eur J Nutr. 2014;53(6):1299-1311.
36. Bogdanski P, Suliburska J, Szulinska M, Stepien M, Pupek-Musialik D, Jablecka A. Green tea extract reduces blood pressure, inflammatory biomarkers, and oxidative stress and improves parameters associated with insulin resistance in obese, hypertensive patients. Nutr Res. 2012;32(6):421-427.
37. Eawsakul K, Jaresitthikunchai J, Matanasarawoot A, et al. Proteomic analysis of the effects of Girdin on Jiaogulan-treated type 2 diabetes patients. Comput Biol Med. 2025;186:109619.
38. Eawsakul K, Panichayupakaranant P, Ongtanasup T, Warinhomhoun S, Noonong K, Bunluepuech K. Computational study and in vitro alpha-glucosidase inhibitory effects of medicinal plants from a Thai folk remedy. Heliyon. 2021;7(9):e08078.
39. Eawsakul K, Ongtanasup T, Ngamdokmai N, Bunluepuech K. Alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activities of astilbin contained in Bauhinia strychnifolia Craib. stems: an investigation by in silico and in vitro studies. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2023;23(1):25.

Recommended Citation

Aluko, Esther Oluwasola; Okon, Patience John; Etim, Mary Emmanuel; and Akpan, Ernest Etim. 2026 Acute Effect of Honey-Sweetened Green Tea on Blood Glucose, Blood Pressure and Heart Rate in Healthy Female Subjects: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Study. Asian Medical Journal and Alternative Medicine. 26, 2 (Aug. 2026), 16-28.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.70933/2773-9465.2110

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.