Oolong tea offers a variety of incredible advantages including increasing metabolism, assisting with weight loss, regulating type 2 diabetes, averting cancer, enhancing heart, brain, bone, and dental wellbeing. Furthermore, it effectively treats inflammatory illnesses and raised cholesterol levels, while imparting essential antioxidants and promoting healthy skin.
Oolong Tea
The aroma and fruity taste of oolong tea provide a soothing effect, despite its caffeine content. Its health advantages are amplified by the merging characteristics of black and green tea. Among the many types of tea, oolong tea is widely recognized as one of the most advantageous.
Oolong tea has been in use in China for almost four centuries and is a partly fermented tea that is halted during the color-changing stage of the tea leaves. This results in a semi-green tea.
Oolong tea shares similarities with black and green teas in terms of its vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant content. When brewed, oolong tea provides a modest amount of calcium, magnesium, and potassium, as well as approximately 38mg of caffeine. For reference, green tea contains roughly 29mg of caffeine per cup.
Tea polyphenols, namely theaflavins, thearubigins, and EGCG, are among the significant antioxidants found in oolong tea, contributing to its various health advantages. Additionally, oolong tea includes L-theanine, an amino acid demonstrated to have favorable impacts on cognitive performance and relaxation.
Apart from caffeine, oolong tea is enriched with essential tea polyphenol antioxidants, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins.
Oolong Tea Nutrition Facts
Oolong tea is a naturally occurring source of antioxidants that is rich in vital minerals and vitamins including calcium, manganese, copper, carotin, selenium, potassium, and magnesium as evidenced by the USDA National Nutrient Database.
Moreover, niacinamide and other alkaloids that help detoxify are present in it. Its semi-fermented processing gives rise to various polyphenolic compounds, augmenting its health-promoting properties. Furthermore, Oolong tea is enriched with caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine (similar to caffeine) that have the potential to overexcite the nervous system if consumed in large quantities.
Health Benefits of Oolong Tea
Oolong tea offers numerous health benefits and therefore, it is commonly recommended to include it in a well-balanced diet. Take a look at some of the remarkable advantages of consuming oolong tea:
1. Helps in Weight Loss
The metabolism of fat in the body may be positively regulated and obesity reduced as a result of the presence of the polyphenolic compound discovered in oolong tea.
According to a study released in The Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine in 2009, individuals who were either overweight or obese and consumed four cups of oolong tea (four 2 gram tea bags) experienced weight loss. Approximately 22% of participants lost over 3 kg (between 6-7 lbs) of weight. Additionally, all participants displayed a noteworthy reduction in their overall cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Moreover, a study conducted on animals and published in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders demonstrated that the consumption of oolong tea can trigger specific enzymes and enhance the performance of adipose cells. Another research concluded that mice, who were subjected to a diet rich in fat and sugar along with polyphenol supplementation, exhibited a reduction in overall body weight and fat index.
Research indicates that the presence of caffeine is an effective element in promoting weight loss, and the tea’s polyphenols may further boost this effect. Additional studies are necessary to confirm the impact on individuals.
For a while, people believed that tea’s capacity to reduce body fat was entirely due to its antioxidant activity. Nevertheless, experts are now starting to propose that tea’s weight loss ability is predominantly powered by its ability to boost enzyme suppression and antioxidant interactions with the gut microbiome.
What’s intriguing is that oolong tea is actually the focus here. According to a recent study on animals, oolong extracts were found to assist in boosting fat oxidation, resulting in a direct reduction of body fat.
Nevertheless, there is only one limited and outdated study on human subjects that suggests its potential to enhance the energy expenditure in adults, referring to the amount of calories the body consumes while at rest, but not specifically regarding fat oxidation. Therefore, further investigations are essential to draw valid conclusions.
It is essential to understand that the association between weight loss and tea’s antioxidant properties, caffeine content, and appetite suppression abilities in studies does not imply that consuming a few cups of tea daily is the key to shedding pounds.
When it comes to weight loss, various factors like underlying conditions and behaviors have a significant impact and the amount of tea safe for consumption varies according to the individual. Oolong tea contains a mixture of polyphenols and caffeine which can enhance calorie burn and specific enzyme inhibition, potentially leading to weight loss.
2. Controls Type-2 Diabetes
Oolong tea serves as a medicinal drink in the management of type-2 diabetes and can be used alongside other medications for treatment. This tea has the potential to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels in the body, leading to a reduction in harmful fluctuations.
The study conducted by Dr. Beverly Clevidence, who heads the Food Components and Health Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, which is funded by the USDA, demonstrated that oolong tea can not only balance blood sugar levels when used with regular hyperglycemic drugs, but can also prevent sudden drops in almost all of the test subjects.
A study conducted in 2021 and a review conducted in 2019 indicate that regular tea consumption is associated with better blood sugar regulation and a decreased chance of developing type 2 diabetes. Nevertheless, compared to green or black tea, the beneficial effects of oolong tea have not been extensively studied.
Nevertheless, a previous study that was conducted on a smaller scale indicates that oolong tea could potentially provide a beneficial effect by reducing plasma glucose levels in individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
However, there are conflicting findings on whether oolong tea can prevent or alleviate symptoms of type 2 diabetes. In 2011, a study of roughly 5,000 Japanese men suggested that drinking oolong tea might be linked to the development of the disease.
Oolong tea’s polyphenol antioxidants have the potential to regulate blood sugar levels and reduce the chances of acquiring type 2 diabetes. Yet, the available evidence is inconclusive, and further investigation is necessary.
Nevertheless, further meticulously planned investigations will be required to establish a complete correlation.
3. Removes Harmful Free Radicals
In oolong tea, the presence of polyphenolic compound has antioxidant properties and therefore aids in eliminating free radicals from our system. Research published in the 2002 issue of the Nutrition journal suggests that the phenols in tea assist in neutralizing free radicals.
Regular intake of oolong tea can assist people in combating the adverse effects caused by free-flowing cells such as cancer, atherosclerosis, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, neurodegeneration, and diabetes.
4. Improves Mental Alertness
Oolong tea offers health advantages by enhancing mental sharpness. Consistent consumption of oolong tea, which contains caffeine, could enhance mental effectiveness and sustain alertness during the day. According to recent reviews, drinking tea can enhance brain function, memory, and potentially guard against age-related deterioration.
Tea contains a number of components that can potentially improve brain activity. The first among these is caffeine, which enhances the secretion of dopamine and norepinephrine, two neurotransmitters that are believed to enhance cognitive function, mood, and attention.
Additional investigation has revealed that theanine, which is an amino acid present in tea, could assist in enhancing focus and reducing anxiety. According to a review conducted in 2014, the consumption of tea containing both caffeine and theanine resulted in heightened alertness and improved attention during the initial 1 to 2 hours.
Although only limited research has focused on oolong tea, a 2008 study suggests that frequent consumption of tea is linked to a decreased risk of cognitive decline and impairment. This association was especially pronounced among people who regularly drink black and oolong tea.
In 2010, a smaller study found a connection between the regular consumption of green, black, or oolong tea and enhanced cognition, memory, executive function, and speed of processing information in elderly Chinese individuals. The caffeine, antioxidants, and theanine present in teas, such as oolong tea, may have positive effects on mood and brain function.
5. Anticancer Potential
Tea consumption has been widely associated with a decreased likelihood of developing skin cancer. Additionally, oolong tea’s polyphenolic compound aids in inducing apoptosis when cancerous cells form in the stomach.
In addition to its abilities to prevent certain cancers, this extract rich in polyphenols also functions as a tool for preventing the development of other types of cancer. The components work to inhibit the activation of cancerous cells, hinder the creation of N-nitroso compounds, and capture genotoxic agents before they can cause harm.
In addition, women who consume oolong tea have a lower likelihood of developing ovarian cancer. The National Cancer Institute has not determined the exact reason for tea’s cancer-preventing properties, but the presence of powerful antioxidant polyphenols in tea appears to have the potential to fight cancer.
6. Skin Care
Scientific experiments have shown that consuming 3 cups of oolong tea per day can be advantageous for individuals with eczema, and positive outcomes can be observed in less than a week. A study discovered that over 50% of the participants exhibited favorable and durable skin condition improvements after consuming oolong tea daily for six months.
Both black and green teas have been studied for their ability to help ease the symptoms of atopic dermatitis, otherwise known as eczema, and while results are promising, more research is needed to provide definitive results.
A study conducted in 2001 involved 118 people with severe eczema who consumed 33 ounces (1 liter) of oolong tea daily while continuing their regular treatment. The study aimed to test the efficacy of oolong tea in managing eczema.
Their conditions showed a “moderate to significant” improvement after a month, and signs of progress were noticeable within 1 to 2 weeks of the research. What’s remarkable is that the enhancement continued, and 54% of the participants still demonstrated improvement five months later.
It is important to take into account the age and extent of the research when evaluating the outcomes. The presence of polyphenol antioxidants in oolong tea could potentially alleviate eczema symptoms, with long-term benefits, however, additional investigations are required.
7. Atopic Dermatitis
While the active mechanism has not been precisely identified, it is widely believed that the anti-allergenic effects of oolong tea may be attributed to the presence of polyphenols. These compounds have potential to alleviate persistent skin problems, such as atopic dermatitis, by relieving irritation. Furthermore, consuming tea can reduce stress levels within the body, potentially providing relief for allergies.
8. Improves Bone Health
Oolong tea’s antioxidants safeguard teeth from decay and enhance bone structure, with numerous studies investigating its lasting impact on bone mineral density (BMD).
It was demonstrated that individuals who consumed black or oolong tea on a regular basis for over a decade experienced a lower probability of losing bone mineral density throughout that period. The hypothesis is that certain substances found in the tea encourage the preservation of minerals obtained from other foods that are ingested.
Heart health may also be improved by regularly consuming tea antioxidants. Numerous studies on habitual tea drinkers have demonstrated a decrease in cholesterol levels and blood pressure, as well as a lesser chance of developing heart disease.
In a large study from 2003, people who drank more than six cups of tea per day had a “significantly” lower rate of coronary heart disease than non-tea drinkers. Several studies have also investigated oolong tea specifically.
A research conducted on over 76,000 Japanese individuals found that males who consumed at least 8 ounces (240 mL) of oolong tea every day had a 61% reduced chance of developing heart disease. Additionally, a study carried out in China indicated that individuals who consumed 1 to 2 cups of green or oolong tea each day had “significant” reduction in their likelihood of experiencing a stroke.
It should be noted that oolong tea possesses caffeine content, which may potentially cause a slight increase in blood pressure or hypertension among certain individuals. Nevertheless, research on the relationship between caffeine and blood pressure has yielded mixed findings, indicating that more inquiry is necessary before any conclusive statements can be made.
In addition, the impact of hypertension is anticipated to be minimal because the caffeine concentration in an 8-ounce (240 mL) cup is approximately 25% of that found in an equal amount of coffee.
Additional research is required, but consuming Oolong tea may aid in lowering the likelihood of heart disease, stroke, and hypertension in certain individuals.
Side notes
Despite not being as famous or widely consumed as green or black tea, oolong tea is believed to hold many of the same health advantages. These benefits extend to the improvement of heart, brain, bone, and dental health. Plus, oolong tea may help reduce the possibility of developing type 2 diabetes, boost defenses against specific cancer types, and provide supportive assistance for weight loss goals.
For people who are sensitive to caffeine, it can be a great alternative as it contains a lower amount of caffeine per cup compared to coffee.
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