Sugar free tea (1 piece)

Check the tea label and any sweetener sachets for maltodextrin, dextrose, glucose syrup, or “natural flavours”; choose plain unsweetened tea or products without these additives.

If caffeine seems to raise your readings, try decaffeinated tea or a lower-caffeine variety and compare your response on separate days.

Avoid adding sweetened creamers, flavoured milks, condensed milk, or powdered whiteners; use a small amount of unsweetened milk or unsweetened soy milk if desired.

Have the tea alongside a protein- and fibre-containing snack, such as a boiled egg, plain Greek yogurt, or a small handful of almonds, rather than drinking it on an empty stomach.

Keep preparation consistent: use water only at first, avoid “sugar-free” syrups, and confirm that no honey, juice, or sweetened plant milk is being added.

Repeat the test under similar conditions and check timing, portion size, sleep, stress, and recent exercise; if spikes persist with plain tea, discuss the pattern with a clinician.