REMEMBER: These Are 7 Incredible Benefits of Oolong Tea You Have to Know About! Pay SPECIAL Attention to Benefit #6! AWESOME Photos Included!
Are you drinking oolong tea? If not, then you should be as it is very beneficial for your health. This traditional Chinese beverage is produced in a unique way.
First, the plant is withered under the sun. Then, the leaves go through an oxidation process before twisting and curling up into its unique shape. However, this unique production process isn’t the only thing interesting about this tea.
It also offers numerous health benefits. In this article, I am going to show you seven incredible health benefits of oolong to inspire you to enjoy a cup today.
Benefit #1 – Helps with Diabetes
Suffering with type 2 diabetes? Drinking this tea may help keep your glucose levels under control. The American Diabetes Association conducted a study on the Antihyperglycemic effect of oolong tea (OT) in patients with type 2 diabetes.
During the study, 20 patients drank either 1,500 ml of OT or water for 30 days.
The results showed that this hot beverage lowered glucose levels significantly and can aid in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, researchers are still unsure of why this happens, but they suspect it may be due to its polyphenols content.
Related research study:
“Oolong tea may be an effective adjunct to oral hypoglycemic agents in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.”
– Hosoda, K., et al. (2003). “Antihyperglycemic Effect of Oolong Tea in Type 2 Diabetes“, in Diabetes Care, Vol. 26(6).
Benefit #2 – Good for Obesity Prevention & Weight Management
Managing a healthy weight is no easy task, but drinking oolong tea may make the process a little bit easier. According to this study from the NCBI, this drink prevented obesity in mice who were fed a high-fat diet.
What’s the key ingredient? Caffeine.
Researchers concluded that you can use this hot beverage as an effective treatment for obesity and fatty liver in those who consume a high-fat diet.
Related research study:
“Caffeine was found to enhance lipolysis through acting on lipid droplets but not on HSL. The results suggest that oolong tea may be an effective crude drug for the treatment of obesity and fatty liver caused by a high-fat diet.”
– Han, L. K., et al. (1999). “Anti-obesity action of oolong tea“, in International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, Vol. 23(1).
Benefit #3 – Helps to Prevent & Fight Cancer
Oolong may be your biggest ally in the prevention of and fight against cancer. One study showed that when stomach cancer cells were exposed to the polyphenols in this tea, their growth was slowed.
In fact, the exposure led to cell death only in cancerous cells.
What gives this hot beverage its cancer-fighting superpowers? Researchers believe it’s the catechins and polyphenols that help avoid this disease. It may also activate detoxification enzymes that prevent tumor development.
Related research study:
“The exposure of human stomach cancer KATO III cells to oolong tea polyphenol extact [OTPE] containing oolong tea polyphenol trimer [OTP trimer] as a main component, led to both growth inhibition and the induction of apoptosis.”
– Hibasami, H., et al. (2000). “Oolong tea polyphenol extract induces apoptosis in human stomach cancer cells“, in Anticancer Research, Vol. 20(6B).
Benefit #4 – Promotes Good Cardiovascular Health & Blood Pressure
Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States? Taking steps to keep your heart healthy is the key to avoiding any cardiovascular issues. Drinking this tea may be a good start to improving your heart rate and lower your blood pressure.
Research shows that the caffeine in oolong, as well as coffee, and other teas (green and black), reduce the risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease.
It also helps by lowering your LDL cholesterol levels.
Studies also show that drinking oolong or green tea on a regular basis can reduce the risk of high blood pressure. One research looked at the tea drinking habits of 1,500 people in Taiwan.
Those who have 1/2 a cup per day reduced their risk of high blood pressure by 46%. Those who were avid drinkers of two or more cups per day reduced their risk by 65%!
Related research study:
“Consumption of coffee, green tea and oolong tea and total caffeine intake was associated with a reduced risk of mortality from CVD [cardio-vascular disease].”
– Mineharu, Y., et al. (2011). “Coffee, green tea, black tea and oolong tea consumption and risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease in Japanese men and women“, in Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Vol. 65(3).
Benefit #5 – Helps You Improve Dermatitis & Eczema
What if having a hot beverage could improve your eczema and dermatitis? According to one study, oolong tea might just help you to do that.
In the study, 118 patients were asked to continue their dermatological treatment and drink OT. Each participant was given precise instructions on how much plant and water to brew and for how long.
The results?
After one month, 63% saw a significant improvement in their skin condition. The tea’s beneficial effects were first observed after just one to two weeks of treatment. Even after six months, a good response was still seen in 54% of the patients.
Want to achieve the same results?
Here’s what each participant was instructed to do:
– Each drink consisted of 10g of oolong and 1000ml of boiling water.
– It was steeped for five minutes.
– The amount was divided into three servings; each one was drunk after the main meal.
If you want to have the best results, then drink this each day.
Related research study:
“After 1 month of treatment 74 (63%) of the 118 patients showed markedto moderate improvement of their condition. The beneficial effect was firstnoticed after 1 or 2 weeks of treatment. A good response to treatment wasstill observed in 64 patients (54%) at 6 months.”
– Uehara, M., et al. (2001). “A trial of oolong tea in the management of recalcitrant atopic dermatitis“, in Archives of Dermatology, Vol. 137(1).
Benefit #6 – Promotes Health of Gums & Teeth
Want a new way to improve the health of your gums and teeth? Just have a cup of oolong tea. One study examined the effects of its extract on 35 participants between the ages of 18 and 39.
Each was instructed to refrain from performing their usual oral hygiene routine for four days, but to rinse with the extract after each meal and before going to bed.
The study found that this reduced plaque deposits significantly.
Plaque buildup can eventually lead to gum disease and tooth decay. Drinking this hot beverage daily can help prevent plaque deposits and keep your mouth clean and healthy!
Related research study:
“OTE [oolong tea extract] was found to significantly inhibit plaque deposition in volunteers, although mouthrinsing with OTE solution had no significant effect on the number of mutans streptococci in unstimulated whole saliva.”
– Ooshima, T., et al. (1994). “Reduction of dental plaque deposition in humans by oolong tea extract“, in Caries Research, Vol. 28(3).
Benefit #7 – Strong Antioxidant That Fights Against Free Radicals
Free radicals damage and destroy cells, leading to rapid aging and diseases. Antioxidants fight this nasty stuff to keep you young and healthy.
According to this research, the high levels of antioxidants in roasted oolong can help prevent and destroy free radicals. The polyphenolic compound within it is what destroys these quite effectively.
Related research study:
“These results suggest that roasted tea is beneficial to health, in humans, because of its high antioxidant activity.”
– Satoh, E., et al. (2005). “Comparison of the antioxidant activity of roasted tea with green, oolong, and black teas“, in International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, Vol. 56(8).
Expert Opinion of Dr. Oz
Click on the Image Above to Watch the Video
You already know all those benefits of oolong tea, but what does Dr. Oz have to say about it? According to him, it can help you get rid of belly fat.
On his official website, there is a segment of his show where he talks about its weight loss benefits as well as other, including white and green teas. He stated that this tea, in particular, can help you lose a dress size – even if you don’t exercise.
But here’s the thing!
You can’t drink it with dairy or soy milk as both of these lower its antioxidant levels. Dr. Oz recommends having four cups to see the best results.
Contraindications, Warnings & Dangers You Need to Know About
Luckily, very few risks are associated with this drink. Its caffeine content is the biggest concern!
If you have five or more cups per day, you may put yourself at risk of:
– Heart palpitations, rapid heartbeat, nervousness, insomnia, abdominal pain, headaches, tremors, increased urine flow, nausea, and vomiting.
Also, you need to be cautious if:
- You’re pregnant. Limit yourself to no more than three cups of this tea per day as the caffeine can cause low birth weight and premature birth.
- You have an iron deficiency. Drinking oolong may interfere with your body’s ability to absorb iron.
- You take blood-thinning medications or supplements that slow down blood clotting.
Keep in mind: What is more, this and other caffeinated teas may worsen anxiety disorders, bleeding disorders, diarrhea, and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).
While these are risks and side effects you should be concerned about, most people can enjoy up to four cups per day and experience nothing but benefits. If you’re looking to improve your health and get your weight under control, drinking oolong tea every day is a great place to start.
