Oolong tea is the broadest and the most diverse tea category that you could spend years researching and tasting, yet never know fully. The flavour landscape can be spicy, woody, floral, fruity, sweet, dry, herby, and nutty, but the flavour realm isn’t the only thing that draws us to this tea type. It also has a myriad of positive health benefits.
I’ve pulled the information for this blog from solid research and studies published by journals. That being said, I’m not your primary doctor, so the claims I make in this article may not be completely applicable to you. If you have any questions or concerns about the effects of oolong tea on your well being, please consult your regular doctor.
With the medical disclaimer aside, it’s time for me to share five ways that oolong tea promotes healthy living.
Aids In The Reduction of Body Fat
How does Oolong tea burn fat? Oolong tea burns fat by suppressing your appetite for a short time due to the caffeine content in the oolong tea leaves from 40 to 80 mg per cup. The caffeine may reduce feelings of hunger and desire to eat for a brief time.
When you are not eating, your body uses its internal energy stores to compensate for lack of energy. And excessive internal energy storage is exactly what makes people look fat because we usually eat way more than our body needs to function well.
Coming back to our question. Does oolong tea help with weight loss? The answer is yes, but it depends. We think that the best way to lose weight is by drinking oolong tea without sweeteners, improving your daily diet and staying active. And watch out for the amount of caffeine you consume daily as Oolong tea does have caffeine in the leaves.
There is no difference in caffeine in oolong tea vs green tea as both teas are made from the same plant and so these tea types contain the exact same amount of caffeine in it. Check out more on caffeine in loose leaf tea.
Lowers Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease
All tea types have positive effects on cardiovascular health, and oolong tea is no different. These positive effects arrive in the form of well-regulated blood pressure, reduced risk of hypertension, and the maintenance of blood and lymphatic vessels.
These benefits are derived from the anti-oxidant properties of tea polyphenols, as well as the high level of manganese in darker oolong teas.
Anti-Cancer Properties
A 2000 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consumption of oolong tea can be associated with the minor protection against certain cancers, thanks to the preventative and restorative effects of theaflavins, a powerful antioxidant in tea. Among the list of protected organs are the lungs, esophagus, pancreas, liver, breasts, and colon.
Also according to the study, regular consumption of tea has been recorded to reduce the rate of growth in cancerous tumors.
Calm
Alertness
and Focus
Oolong tea contains both caffeine and the protein L-Theanine. Caffeine is a powerful stimulant that can elevate the alertness of your senses, but can also cause anxiety and jitters. L-Theanine is a soothing protein known to settle the nerves, calm anxieties, and foster deep concentration.
When you combine these two powerful chemicals in oolong tea, you find yourself with a drink that causes you to be alert and focused, yet calm and collected, which is perfect for studying, manual labor, and - really - just about anything you can think of.
Slows Skin Aging
Usually, free radicals (molecules with an unpaired electron that violently steal electrons from other molecules) wreak havoc on your skin’s ability to stay elastic and wrinkle-free. The many antioxidants in oolong tea, however, are capable of giving up extra electrons to pacify the free radicals, which prevents further damage to your skin.
Not only will you look better over years and years of tea consuming, but the skin inside your body will function more effectively. Your blood and lymphatic vessels, for example, won’t be subject to as much free radical damage, which helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Don’t understand me wrong - oolong tea is not a miracle drug, nor is any other type of tea. It is, however, a natural and delicious way to contribute to a healthy lifestyle. It won’t save you from any of the ailments we’ve discussed alone, but it’ll work along a healthy diet and exercise to keep you living to your fullest ability.
If you’d like to explore the wide flavor landscapes of oolong tea and find out if you could build it into your regular health-motivated routine, I invite you to check out our loose leaf tea subscription. If you wonder how to make oolong tea taste better, then check out our blog post on how to steep any premium loose tea.
Connecting you to tea that you’ll love and that will contribute towards a healthy lifestyle is what we find joy in. If we can help you find the best oolong tea online for your lifestyle and preferences, let us know.
Happy brewing!
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