Health Benefits of Oolong Tea
Oolong tea, also known as wu long, is made from the same leaves, buds and stems of the Camellia sinensis plant that is also used to make green and black tea. It undergoes semi-fermentation, that is – fermentation stops upon the change of color of the leaves, thereby making a difference among the three. Though not a runaway favorite of tea drinkers, sipping a hot cup of oolong tea always brings a pleasant experience with its earthy, fruity flavor that falls in between green tea and black tea; add to that its fragrant and tasty aroma that makes it a very inviting drink to have.
For over 400 years now, the Chinese have been drinking oolong tea for its medicinal health benefits and calming effect. It is rich in polyphenolic compounds and contains a full list of antioxidants: catechins, thearubigin & theaflavin.
Many studies support the popular notion that oolong tea improves many health conditions, including lowered risk of heart diseases, reduced cholesterol levels, strengthened immune system, obesity and skin treatments, stress reliever and strong bones formation.
Oolong tea keeps the heart in good shape due to a number of different functions. In 2010, a published report in the “Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health” presented that oolong tea lowered the risk of death from cardiovascular disease based on a study of about 1,000 participants who drank one to six cups of oolong tea per week. This study supports other findings that oolong tea maintains cholesterol at healthy levels by thinning excess common body fat found in the bloodstream and lessens the progression of atherosclerosis. Also, experts point to scientific evidence that say regular drinkers are 50-60% less likely to have hypertension.
Another well-known benefit of oolong tea is the anti-oxidant properties of the polyphenolic compound it contains, which scavenge free radicals in our body that are likely to cause harm and even develop to various cancer forms if left unmanaged. Regular drinking of 2 or more cups of oolong tea releases anti-oxidants that inhibits the growth of cancer and decreases the risk of developing ovarian cancer, stomach and skin cancer.
The same compound, polyphenol, is said to effectively control fat metabolism thus reducing obesity. A study reported at the 60th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Nutrition and Food Science presented a successful study using mice wherein despite being given high-fat and high-sugar diets, mice given polyphenol still exhibited reduced weight and body fat.
In some experiments, it has been found that oolong tea is a good skin treatment. Patients who presented eczema skin disorders observed significant improvements in less than a week of drinking 3 cups of oolong tea, thrice a day. In another study, patients with atopic dermatitis who drank 10g of oolong tea daily reported remarkable improvement of their skin condition after a month and total healing after six months.
Additionally, the Osaka Institute for Health Care Science in Japan conducted a stress level test on experimental mice that were made to ingest oolong tea and results revealed a great improvement in of about 10% to 18% in stress levels, with polyphenol believed to be the major stress buster.
Oolong tea also contains certain chemicals, theophylline and theobromine, which act similar to caffeine in promoting mental alertness and improving thinking skills.
Regular drinkers of oolong tea enjoy healthy teeth and bones because of its bacteria-prevention properties. Studies have shown that oolong tea blocks the action of streptococci, the bacteria that causes tooth decay. Its anti-oxidants promote healthy bone formation and structure of the human bod, as well.
Oolong tea is also a rich source of important vitamins and minerals such as calcium, manganese, carotin, copper, selenium, potassium and vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K, and folic acids.
The tons of health benefits that can be derived from oolong tea are more than enough reason to incorporate this warm and delicious drink in your regular beverage consumption. Consume in amounts ranging from 1-10 cups daily to enjoy all the health benefits of oolong tea and notice the remarkable improvement that your body will experience.
It is important to note that the above mentioned reports are only based on the reports of others with nothing encountered or being reported directly from us, however I can tell you that the Oolong we have here Oolong Tea will put a smile on your face J