Benefits of butterfly pea flower when eating/drinking sugar

Butterfly pea flowers curb the body’s response when ingesting sugar:

  • reducing the glucose surge
  • reducing the insulin surge 
  • maintaining or enhancing blood antioxidant capacity after a sugar hit

Jump to the data

Why is this important ?

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Diabetes Atlas estimated that around 451 million adults were living with diabetes in 2017. At least half of that number are living without a formal diabetes diagnosis. A more troubling fact is that the IDF also estimates that a further 374 million people are living with prediabetic conditions, such as impaired glucose tolerance. In line with this analysis, the CDC also estimated that 88 million Americans were living with prediabetes in 2018 alone. With the number of pre-diabetic and diabetic adults on the rise (the IDF estimates 693 million by 2045) it is imperative that we find healthy and affordable ways to manage pre-diabetic glucose and insulin levels. Butterfly pea may provide a new, cost effective, and natural aid to complement traditional diabetic interventions.

In normal circumstances, blood sugar increases after eating (hyperglycemia) and induces a subsequent increase in insulin levels (hyperinsulinemia). Hyperinsulinemia is associated with prediabetes/development of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These ROS can go on to damage our body’s proteins, lipids, and DNA molecules. 

The data from this study suggest that when we drink butterfly pea flowers we reduce the effect of ‘sugar hits’. We maintain the natural antioxidant capacity in our blood – without any negative effects if we already have low blood sugar. Better antioxidant capacity in our blood means that we can better protect all the building blocks of our body. Drinking butterfly pea flower reduces oxidative stress, which can slow inflammatory disease progression and aging-associated changes.

For more information on oxidative stress and aging, check out this scientific review in Clinical Interventions in Aging.

The study:

Chusak, C, Thilavech, T, Henry, CJ, Adisakwattana, S,  2018, ‘Acute effect of Clitoria ternatea flower beverage on glycemic response and antioxidant capacity in healthy subjects: a randomized crossover trial’ BMC Complement Altern Med. vol 18, pp 1-11 Link

Type of study : in vivo randomised crossover trial

These two graphs show the body’s response to sucrose, a simple sugar. Drinking a sugary drink containing butterfly pea flower extract (CTE = Clitoria ternatea extract) reduced the spike in blood glucose and insulin levels (green) compared to drinking sugar by itself (red).

Both amounts of butterfly pea flower extract used in this study (1g or 2g) showed statistically significant  reductions in blood glucose levels.  However, only the higher dose of butterfly pea  significantly lowered the spike in insulin levels.

This final graph demonstrates a dramatic drop in the antioxidant capacity of blood in response to ingesting sugar (the red line). A reduction in the antioxidant capacity of blood means that it is less able to cope with oxidative stress.

Participants in the study who drank a mix of sugar and butterfly pea flower extract maintained good oxidative capacity in their blood (green).

en_GBEN