Bad news for all dedicated tea lovers, like myself. Those, who like drinking black or oolong tea on a regular basis should be careful and limit the consumption of these types of tea to 3-4 small cups a day. A group of Japanese specialists at Toyama Institute of Health in Toyama Prefecture studied chemical content of the most popular tea beverages (which are considered to have a great number of absolutely unique health benefits and therapeutic properties), and came to quite disappointing conclusions. Read the rest of this entry »

Oolong tea found its place on European and American markets quite recently, however, it was known for centuries by famous tea masters in China and Japan as a great source of health and a very delicious and refreshing beverage with strong specific aroma. In modern times, oolong tea is earning its fame in our countries for its low caffeine content and its excellent properties to stimulate fat burning processes in our body. Moreover, oolong tea is claimed to combine the best qualities of both black and green teas. Is this true?

Oolong tea first was produced in China in the epoch of the Ming Dynasty – about 400 years ago. The specifics of oolong tea production is processing tea leaves right after picking. First, newly picked tea leaves are placed to rest under the sun, then they are being bruised and shaken on the air in order to fasten oxidation, and then they are left to dry. About 2 hours later, the leaves are being roasted, a little fermented and possibly scented with various fragrances. As a result we receive a therapeutic tea with beautiful flavor.

You can find a great variety of modern oolong teas, starting from lightly-fermented leaves and ending with dark semi-fermented leaves, starting from dark Floral Ti Kuan Yin and ending with delicate Tung Ding Jade Oolong. A great deal of oolong teas available in today’s market are enriched with various aromas and flavors, including jasmine, orchid, vanilla, almond, grapefruit, peach, orange and other fruits.

Oolong tea is claimed to have a lot of therapeutic properties for your health, however, not all popular myths about the benefits of this tea are scientifically proven. There is a great interest of scientists and medical researchers to this popular herbal remedy, and below you can see a summary of the most recent scientific findings connected with the effects of oolong tea on people’s health.

• The researches leaded by Dr. K. Yanagimoto from the University of California demonstrated that oolong tea is an excellent antioxidant, that is why it can assist in fighting with such diseases as arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, skin cancer and many other problems connected with aging. Oolong tea can increase antioxidant level in your body in a natural way.
• There was a great deal of studies on the effects of oolong tea on fat burning and weight loss. Experts from the University of Tokushima School of Medicine (Japan) proved that regular oolong tea consumption can stimulate fat burning process, and specialists from the Suntory Research Center in Japan found that drinking oolong tea can help lowering the fattening effects of the carbohydrates we receive with food.
• A research of the specialists from the Department of Nutrition, University of Tokushima and the Suntory Research Center resulted in finding scientific evidences that oolong tea can increase metabolic rate in men and energy metabolism in women.
• The researches which took place in Aichi Medical University proved that drinking oolong tea can help in lowering our LDL (bad) cholesterol level, and polyphenols, containing in oolong tea, have positive effects on our arteries and must be considered a good support for the function of our cardiovascular system.
• Also, Japanese scientists reported that drinking 3-4 cups of oolong tea a day can assist in fighting with eczema.
• Another group of Japanese scientists from Shiga University of Medical Science discovered that regular drinking oolong tea can help to get rid of skin problems and improve skin color in short periods of time.
• Experts from the Department of Dentistry at Osaka University claim that oolong tea is very effective for strengthening our teeth enamel and preventing tooth decay.
• Finally, a study publicized in 2004 in the scientific periodical Antioxidants & Redox Signaling found that regular consumption of oolong tea can result in stronger immune system and improved abilities of our body to resist various inflammatory diseases, including cold and flu.