Most of us face an unfortunate moment every day: the dreaded afternoon slump. Maybe for you, it happens shortly after you finish your meal. Your belly is full, you’ve finished your morning coffee, and you’re ready for a nap. Or maybe you feel tired towards the end of a work day because getting through those last few hours feels like a pain.
How do you get through it? Most people don’t have the opportunity to take a quick nap, which can be counterproductive and make it harder for you to fall asleep later. Would you drink another cup of coffee or caffeinated soda? How about some candy for a quick sugar fix?
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This energy roller coaster is directly related to blood sugar levels. Even if you don’t have diabetes, Dr. Eiriny Eskander, MD, Endocrinologists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center say it’s important to maintain stable blood sugar levels.
“Maintaining blood sugar is important for overall balance. High sugar can cause headaches and fatigue, often followed by a blood sugar crash that can lead to heart palpitations, nervousness and irritability,” she says.
Sound familiar? If you want to avoid a sharp drop in your blood sugar in the afternoon, there’s one drink in particular that can help.
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What causes afternoon energy crashes?
According to Dr. Eskander, there are several reasons why people without diabetes may experience an afternoon energy crash, both of which have to do with what they eat for lunch. Dr. Eskander says a lunch high in carbohydrates can cause a sharp drop in blood sugar.
“After a high-carbohydrate lunch, the body releases large amounts of insulin in response to the meal, sometimes in excess,” she explains. “This causes a sharp drop in postprandial blood sugar about one to two hours after lunch.”
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On a related note, Dr. Eskander says eating a large lunch (usually high in carbohydrates) can have a similar effect. “Sometimes people feel tired after eating a large meal because blood flows to the gut instead of the brain, causing an afternoon ‘lull,'” she explains.
Drinks to Prevent Afternoon Blood Sugar Crash
Kseniya Ovchinnikova/Getty Images (Ksenia Ovchinnikova/Getty Images)
Drinks with lunch may make post-meal bleeding worse or may help prevent it, depending on what you drink. A scientific study tested the blood sugar response of drinks with different sugar content. High-sugar drinks (such as soda, juice and sports drinks) caused blood sugar to spike by 72% within 30 minutes of drinking. A 2025 study found that drinking soda with a meal caused blood sugar to rise rapidly and drop sharply after 120 minutes.
Green tea is one drink that does not produce this effect. In fact, Dr. Eskander says green tea can help prevent blood sugar from dropping. She explains that this is due to an active compound called EGCG, which helps prevent insulin from dropping.
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In an analysis of 27 randomized controlled trials involving 2,194 people, researchers found that drinking green tea significantly reduced fasting blood sugar levels. When someone’s baseline blood sugar is lower and more stable, that means they’re less likely to have a large drop in blood sugar after eating.
Green tea can have this beneficial effect whether you drink it in the morning or with lunch in the afternoon. Of course, it’s important to be aware of how the caffeine in green tea affects you. Drinking anything containing caffeine, including green tea, too late in the day can disrupt subsequent sleep.
Dr. Eskander says that while drinking green tea can help keep your blood sugar levels balanced, the most important thing is eating a balanced, nutrient-dense meal. “Avoiding pure carbohydrates and high-sugar foods helps keep the amount of insulin produced by the pancreas balanced and minimizes these spikes and dips,” she notes.
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If you’re going to eat something high in carbohydrates, Dr. Eskander recommends pairing it with something high in protein, fiber, and fat to minimize blood sugar spikes. “Eating protein- and fiber-rich foods regularly can also help control blood sugar throughout the day,” she adds.
When you swap your lunch soda for green tea, you may find that your energy and mood remain stable throughout the afternoon. This is the power of stabilizing blood sugar. Pretty sweet, right?
Next:
RELATED: Endocrinologists say these are the most underrated glycemic foods after age 50
Source:
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Dr. Eiriny Eskander, MD, Endocrinologist, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
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Marcus, CR, and Rogers, PJ (2020). Effects of high-sugar and low-sugar beverages on blood glucose and hypoglycemia-like symptoms. Physiology and Behavior. 222:112916. DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112916
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Kim, S., and Song, Y. J. (2025). Glycemic responses to SSB and ASB: role of mixed meals and individual differences.nutrition magazine. 24(1):113
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Xu R., Bai Y., Yang K., et al. (2020). Effects of green tea consumption on glycemic control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Nutrition and Metabolism. 17:56. Number: 10.1186/s12986-020-00469-5
This article was originally published by Parade on March 15, 2026 and first appeared in the Health & Wellness section. Click here to add Parade as a preferred source.
