Drinking chamomile tea on a daily basis could help prevent complications of Type 2 diabetes, according to researchers.

Published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the study by staff at the University of Toyama involved feeding chamomile extract to a group of diabetic rats for 21 days.

The findings were compared to group of control animals on a normal diet.

Blood glucose levels were lower in the creatures which were fed the extracts, which the researchers noted appeared to inhibit production of sugar in the liver, the BBC reports.

Reduced activity in the enzyme aldose reductase was also noted.

Web resource Science Daily notes: "Atsushi Kato and colleagues point out that chamomile, also known as manzanilla, has been used for years as a medicinal cure-all to treat a variety of medical problems including stress, colds, and menstrual cramps."

According to the researchers, the study's findings raise hopes of a new anti-diabetes drug.

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