A study conducted by researchers at the University of Mauritius has highlighted that papaya and green tea act beneficially on levels of C-reactive protein and uric acid, and on blood sugar levels, respectively. In the first phase of the research, 77 volunteers diagnosed with pre-diabetes were asked to drink three cups of green tea a day, before meals, for fourteen weeks. An equal number of subjects were instead given warm water for the same period. Clinical analyses carried out at the end of the test showed that tea boosts the body's antioxidant defences without producing any side effects. "We discovered that green tea strengthened the antioxidant defences of those who had reached the pre-diabetic stage. And, above all, without any negative impacts," said professor Theeshan Bahorun of the Centre of Excellence for Biomedical and Biomaterials Research at the University of Mauritius.

The second phase of the study examined the effects of fermented papaya on diabetes in two groups of people, one of 50 and one of 78. The first group was invited to consume two sachets of fermented papaya every day for a period of fourteen weeks; members of the second group took two glasses of warm water daily for the same number of weeks.

At the end of the period, all participants underwent clinical tests to assess their levels of cholesterol, blood sugar, urea, creatinine and uric acid. Here too, positive results were recorded in the group that had taken the fermented papaya. "Green tea prevents blood sugar levels from rising, while fermented papaya helps to positively reduce the level of C-reactive protein and uric acid," said Bahorun, specifying that the results are highly significant because they show a reduction in risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease without medical intervention.