Herbal Tea for Blood Sugar and Cholesterol: What Is Known
Pooled trials of herbal tea in type 2 diabetes report lower glucose and some lipids, yet few trials exist. See what is known about cinnamon, hibiscus and mate teas and the medicine cautions.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Natural products can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read herbal tea and extract safety before you use anything on this page.
Herbal tea is not a replacement for diabetes or cholesterol medicine. NCCIH reports that the FDA is warning consumers not to buy illegally marketed, potentially dangerous products claiming to prevent, treat or cure diabetes. [1] If you take diabetes or cholesterol medicine, ask a pharmacist or clinician before adding a tea daily, and never change a prescribed medicine on your own. In one small study, a hibiscus drink lowered exposure to simvastatin in six healthy volunteers. [2]
What research shows
Blood sugar and cholesterol numbers are biomarkers. The sources we read do not show that any herbal tea prevents diabetes complications, heart attacks or strokes: Proper evidence not found for those outcomes (we read the abstracts of the reviews below).| Question | What the source found | Evidence label | Form and people studied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Camellia herbal tea, blood sugar | A 2025 meta-analysis of 14 trials (551 people) reported lower fasting glucose and HbA1c, and said more research is needed given the limited number of studies. [3] | Promising but limited | Many herbs; adults with type 2 diabetes |
| Same review, cholesterol | Total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides were lower when water or placebo was the control. [3] | Mixed | Same trials |
| Camellia and herbal tea, 2022 review | No effects on total cholesterol or waist size; moderate effects on glycemic control, other lipids and blood pressure; more high-quality trials needed. [4] | Mixed | 16 studies, 832 people with type 2 diabetes |
| Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) | A 2025 overview reported lower total cholesterol, LDL and fasting glucose, and higher HDL; it pooled several preparations, not only tea. [5][6] | Promising but limited | Mixed hibiscus products |
| Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum J.Presl, also called Ceylon, and cassia cinnamon, Cinnamomum cassia as NCCIH names it) | A 2024 meta-analysis of 24 trials reported lower fasting blood sugar and HbA1c with cinnamon supplements. [7] NCCIH says results are hard to interpret because it is often unclear which species or plant part was tested. [8] | Promising but limited | Supplements, not tea |
| Cinnamon tea | Proper evidence not found for the tea itself: our PubMed searches returned supplement trials, not a trial of cinnamon tea. | None found | Not applicable |
| Yerba mate tea (Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil.) | In an 8-week crossover trial, LDL fell in people with normal cholesterol, while mate and the control drink had similar effects in people with high cholesterol. [9] | Mixed | Tea in adults who did not usually drink mate |
NCCIH says that for a few dietary supplements, including cinnamon, there is weak evidence of a possible benefit for blood sugar. [1] A 2019 scoping review found that few clinical studies of herbal teas exist for diabetes and heart disease. [10]
Related pages
Hibiscus tea, foods and blood sugar, foods for cholesterol and heart health and herbal tea for people with diabetes or high blood pressure.Frequently asked questions
Does cinnamon tea lower blood sugar?
Proper evidence not found for the tea. Trials of cinnamon supplements report lower fasting blood sugar, but species and plant parts differ. [7][8]
Can herbal tea lower cholesterol?
Pooled trials found lower cholesterol with some herbal teas when compared with water or placebo, but a 2022 review found no effect on total cholesterol. [3][4]
Can I drink hibiscus tea with a statin?
A small study found a hibiscus drink lowered simvastatin exposure. Ask a pharmacist. [2]
Can herbal tea cause low blood sugar with diabetes medicine?
Proper evidence not found. Ask a pharmacist. The NHS says low blood sugar usually affects people on insulin or some other diabetes medicines. [11]
Is cassia cinnamon tea safe for the liver?
NCCIH says some cassia products contain high levels of coumarin; prolonged use could matter for people with liver disease. [8]
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Safety
- Low blood sugar and medicines. The NHS says low blood sugar usually affects people with diabetes who take insulin or some other diabetes medicines. [11] Proper evidence not found on whether adding an herbal tea to those medicines increases the risk: we searched PubMed for herbal tea with hypoglycemia and found a safety study in healthy volunteers only. [12] Ask a pharmacist, and see herbs and diabetes, blood pressure and heart medicines.
- Statins. The simvastatin finding above is from six volunteers; the authors discouraged co-administration until more clinical data exist. [2]
- Cassia cinnamon and the liver. NCCIH says some cassia cinnamon products contain high levels of coumarin, and prolonged use could be an issue for sensitive people such as those with liver disease. [8] See cinnamon tea.
- Kidney disease. NCCIH says kidney disease has been linked to using some dietary supplements, and that people with or at risk for kidney disease should have a provider closely monitor supplement use. [1]
- Pregnancy. NCCIH says larger amounts of Ceylon cinnamon are considered unsafe in pregnancy, and little is known about larger amounts in breastfeeding. [8]
- See how interactions work.
References
- NCCIH. Diabetes and Dietary Supplements. Read 2026-10-23.
- In vivo pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic interactions of Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces extracts with simvastatin. Journal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics. 2017. PubMed 28925046. Read 2026-10-23.
- Effects of Herbal Tea (Non-Camellia sinensis) on Glucose Homeostasis and Serum Lipids in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrition reviews. 2025. PubMed 38894639. Read 2026-10-23.
- Effects of Camellia tea and herbal tea on cardiometabolic risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Phytotherapy research : PTR. 2022. PubMed 36197117. Read 2026-10-23.
- Efficacy and safety of Hibiscus sabdariffa in cardiometabolic health: An overview of reviews and updated dose-response meta-analysis. Complementary therapies in medicine. 2025. PubMed 39870328. Read 2026-10-23.
- GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy species match (accepted names and families for Hibiscus sabdariffa L., Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil., Cinnamomum verum J.Presl, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Matricaria chamomilla L., Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench, Sambucus nigra L., Trifolium pratense L., Crocus sativus L., Crataegus monogyna Jacq. and Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze). Read 2026-10-23.
- The effect of cinnamon supplementation on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: An updated systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Phytotherapy research : PTR. 2024. PubMed 37818728. Read 2026-10-23.
- NCCIH. Cinnamon: Usefulness and Safety. Read 2026-10-23.
- Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hill.) Tea May Have Cardiometabolic Beneficial Effects in Healthy and At-Risk Subjects: A Randomized, Controlled, Blind, Crossover Trial in Nonhabitual Consumers. Molecular nutrition & food research. 2025. PubMed 40263915. Read 2026-10-23.
- Herbal Teas and their Health Benefits: A Scoping Review. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands). 2019. PubMed 31243622. Read 2026-10-23.
- NHS. Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). Read 2026-10-23.
- Effect of Thunbergia laurifolia Herbal Tea on Glucose Homeostasis in Healthy Volunteers: A Single-Arm Phase I Study. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM. 2020. PubMed 32774409. Read 2026-10-23.