New Functional Tea Popular with Diabetics
( NewsUSA ) – Now more than ever, older adults recognize the importance of staying healthy. And their numbers are increasing. The U.S. population of adults aged 65 years and older is expected to be 88.5 million by the year 2050, according to U.S. Census Bureau projections. For many of these older adults, staying healthy includes working to control glucose levels because they have type 2 diabetes or meet the criteria for “pre-diabetes” with risk factors such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. The beverage industry is adapting to meet this long-term trend with a surge in “functional beverages” that provide health benefits beyond quenching thirst, and market research data show that healthy or functional beverages represent the largest growing category. A range of products already exist to help promote health, such as ready-to-drink nutrition shakes and probiotic-enhanced teas. However, the diabetes and pre-diabetes drink category is a market ripe for expansion, as doctors and n