Oolong tea falls somewhere between a green tea and a black tea. Oolong tea is one of the most consumed teas out there. It is plucked from Camellia Sinensis, which is the same plant where the green tea and black tea come from. Oolong tea can be considered a mix of black and green tea with all the benefits of both these teas. The fermentation process is what separates oolong tea from the rest of the teas, green tea is not fermented, black tea is fully fermented and oolong tea is semi-fermented. Oolong tea is known as the traditional Chinese tea as its origins tie it to China.
There are many health benefits attributed to drinking wuyi oolong tea, ranging from feelings of well-being to near magical cures. For the average Westerner, much of this interest is focused on ancient claims related to weight loss and more modern claims of cancer-prevention due to tea’s anti-oxidant properties. Wuyi oolong tea is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols, which include theaflavins, thearubigins and Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)
A number of companies have gone to great lengths in recent years to market oolong teas (under the names Wulong or Wu-Long) as weight loss teas. Oolong Tea benefits includes easing atopic dermatitis, fighting off free radicals, supporting a healthy heart, fighting obesity, preventing cancer, preventing diabetes, reducing inflammation and supporting a health cognitive function. Other benefits includes supporting bone density, relieving stress and preventing hair loss.
Wuyi Oolong Tea Health Benefits
1. Clear Skin
A chronic skin condition with inflamed itchy skin and hay fever, atopic dermatitis can be eased through the consumption of oolong tea. A chronic skin condition with inflamed itchy skin and hay fever, atopic dermatitis can be eased through the consumption of oolong tea. Oolong tea is able to suppress those allergic reactions because it combats free radicals, which is a healing property of an antioxidant. Also, the antioxidants found in oolong are essential for vibrant, youthful skin. Drinking oolong can greatly slow down the aging process, so it’s a great anti-aging tool.
2. Heart Health
The caffeine and antioxidants in oolong tea also improve metabolism, and this directly benefits the heart. Oolong tea has the benefits of green tea and then some more. The abundance of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals in this teas help reduce the excessive cholesterol in the body, preventing any heart diseases. The tea helps stop the spread of atherosclerosis, which is the main cause of heart disease. Regular consumption of oolong tea helps with your blood, enhancing it and enriching it with oxygen. Oolong tea extracts help prevent cell deaths in muscle tissues to facilitate a stronger heart.
3. Lowers Cholesterol
Chinese researchers found that people who drank at least 10 ounces of oolong tea a week had a lower risk of high cholesterol. People who had been consuming oolong tea for the longest time were found to have the lowest levels of cholesterol. Studies show that oolong dials down lowers LDL “bad” cholesterol by 29 percent in 24 hours.
4. Boosts Metabolism
Oolong tea helps you burn fat faster by raising your metabolism for up to two hours after drinking it. Oolong also contains polyphenols that are able to block enzymes that build fat. Metabolism is a term that describes all the chemical reactions in your body. These chemical reactions keep your body alive and functioning. However, the word metabolism is often used interchangeably with metabolic rate, or the number of calories you burn. The higher it is, the more calories you burn and the easier it is to lose weight and keep it off. Having a high metabolism can also give you energy and make you feel better.
5. Healthy Hair
Due to its high level of antioxidants, oolong tea can prevent hair loss if you make a tea rinse out of the leaves. Not only that, but your hair will be thicker and shinier. Oolong softens and adds lustre to your hair. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals to keep hair healthy and strong. Some say that flooding the hair with antioxidants prevents hair loss, since certain ones, like wuyi oolong tea and vitamins, are thought to promote hair growth and prevent the follicle from shrinking.
6. Stabilizes Blood Sugar
Researchers found that a diet rich in plant antioxidants (called polyphenols) lowered blood sugar. When you have type 2 diabetes, your blood glucose levels are elevated. Studies have shown that those suffering from diabetes could benefit from drinking oolong which, in studies, has decreased blood glucose to a healthy level. The antioxidants in oolong, which comes from polyphenols, does wonders for metabolizing sugar.
7. Oral Health
Wuyi oolong tea health benefits protect teeth from acid produced by certain bacteria. The production of acid and the growth of bacteria are both inhibited by oolong tea, which means it is effective in preventing tooth decay and build-up plaque.
8. Strong Bones
Wuyi oolong tea health benefits can protect your bones and prevent osteoporosis. Those who consistently drink oolong tea are less likely to lose their bone mineral density, helping retain minerals from healthy foods consumed. It has been discovered that oolong contains magnesium and calcium in its leaves. Calcium is a mineral that helps bones stay strong. Our bodies continually remove small amounts of calcium from our bones and replace it with new calcium, a bone “remodeling” process. If the body removes more calcium from bones than it replaces, they slowly become weaker and more prone to breaking.
9. Improve Brain Function And Mental Performance
While the stimulants in tea can keep you awake, they can also make your brain function better. The main stimulant, caffeine, is present in tea at enough of a dose to provide a lift for most people without causing the increased anxiety and “jitters” associated with too much coffee.
10. Burn Fat
Clinical studies suggest that wuyi oolong tea may boost your metabolism and help you burn fat. Wuyi oolong tea can also help you lose weight and lower your risk of becoming overweight or obese. Much of this effect is likely due to caffeine, but other compounds in tea may also contribute to this effect. By helping you selectively burn the fat you have stored in your body for energy, wuyi oolong tea may help you feel fuller and maintain a more steady energy level, resulting in less hunger cravings and less calories consumed.
11. Boost Your Physical Performance
Wuyi oolong tea health benefits also seems to boost physical performance, increase exercise endurance, and decrease reaction time, and there are many, many such studies showing these effects from caffeine, although other ingredients in wuyi oolong tea may aid this effect. Caffeine, and wuyi oolong tea’s, ability to mobilize fatty acids in fat tissue to make them more easily available for use as energy also seems to aid physical performance. In one study, caffeine was shown to significantly increase physical performance (exercise endurance and exertion). The antioxidants in wuyi oolong tea may also help prevent tissue damage during physical exertion as well.
12. Prevent Infection And Illness
Since some of the bioactive compounds in wuyi oolong tea are anti-viral and anti-bacterial, in much the same way as wuyi oolong tea can kill bacteria in your mouth, it can also inhibit bacteria and viruses in your bloodstream and throughout the rest of your body. Similarly, wuyi oolong tea tea may inhibit viral and bacterial infection via your nasal passages. All this means that wuyi oolong tea tea may help prevent colds and the flu, and furthermore seems to be able to alleviate the symptoms of colds and the flu once you are sick.
13. Live Longer
Wuyi oolong tea health benefits can lead to a higher quality life and a reduced risk of dying from any cause. Of course, since wuyi oolong tea tea drinkers are at a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and various cancers over a given period of time, it makes sense that wuyi oolong tea could help you live longer.
Feel better, lose weight, lower your risk of chronic diseases, and be healthier by making wuyi oolong tea a regular part of your life! Oolong tea may not be as well known as green or black tea, but it has similar health benefits. These include benefits for heart, brain, bone and dental health. At the end of the day, oolong tea is an incredibly healthy and tasty addition to your lifestyle. Give it a try — you won’t be disappointed.