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10 Body and Mind Benefits of Drinking Oolong Tea Daily
Oolong tea helps reduce the risks of many chronic conditions such as heart disease, inflammatory issues, and high cholesterol levels. Oolong tea also provides a great source of vital antioxidants, which help keep free radicals from damaging the body while also providing a boost to bone and dental health. Oolong tea possesses a fruity, tasty flavor and powerful aroma to make it appealing to many tea-drinkers. It also contains caffeine much like other types of tea. Oolong tea also contains vital nutrients our bodies need to function properly. Some of these vital nutrients include calcium, carotin, copper, manganese, potassium and selenium. Oolong tea is also packed with many vitamins including vitamins A, B, C, E, & K. Even better is that oolong tea contains detoxifying alkaloids such as folic acid and niacin amide. Oolong tea contains other agents called theophylline and theobromine which also stimulate the nervous system upon consumption.
Oolong tea is a product made from the leaves, buds, and stems of the Camilla Sinensis plant. This plant is also used to make green tea and black tea. Oolong tea is simply left to ferment only partially, while black tea is left to fully ferment, and green tea does not ferment at all.
People swear by oolong tea to help sharpen thinking skills and improve mental alertness. Others use it to prevent cancers, treat tooth decay, ward off osteoporosis, stave off heart attacks, reduce risks of obesity, lower cholesterol, avoid diabetes, and to help treat skin conditions like eczema.
10 Health Benefits Of Oolong Tea
1. Oolong Tea Helps Combat Free Radicals
Skin lipids are essential for vibrant skin. The free radicals found in certain foods can accelerate the aging process by converting skin lipids to lipid peroxides.
Oolong tea helps combat those free radicals by using the polyphenols in the tea to neutralize those damaging free radicals otherwise left to harm and wreck the body. (1)
The result of letting free radicals run rampant in the body is that they can harm and promote cancer cell growth. Some of these symptoms include dark splotches on the skin and altered skin pigmentations. Oolong tea helps avoid these problems, thereby slowing the effects of harmful free radicals on our bodies.
2. Oolong Tea Helps Improve Hair Health
The antioxidants present in oolong tea help the human body process DHT properly, which helps protect against hair loss. (2) Making a tea rinse with oolong tea leaves to use on hair can protect against further hair loss.
The tea rinse made of oolong tea is generally mild and pleasant in nature, and is a great alternative to harsh hair products that may be a cause for hair fall. Moreover, you can make the hair mask as potent as you want, to ensure that you aren’t causing further damage to the hair follicle.
3. Oolong Tea Helps Boost Your Metabolism Rate To Promote Weight Loss
Oolong tea helps the body burn fat faster by boosting the rate of your body’s metabolism for up to 2 hours after it is consumed. Oolong tea contains a polyphenol that block enzymes that build fat and can help you shed weight so long as you don’t load drinks with additional calories. (3) Moreover, tea has a mild diuretic effect, which can help the user shed excess water weight from stress or electrolyte imbalances.
If you must have a sweetener with your tea, opt for Stevia. Stevia is a natural sweetener extracted from the Stevia plant. It is considered a zero calorie alternative to sugar without causing a significant rise in blood sugar.
4. Oolong Tea Can Be Used a Digestive Aid
Oolong tea can be used as a digestive aid. The tea has the ability to act as an alkalizing agent to the digestive tract helping to reduce inflammation for individuals. (4) Tea is also a mild antiseptic that can help clear bad bacteria from your gut. It’s calm, soothing flavor can provide relief to upset stomachs, especially when consumed warm.
5. Oolong Tea May Be a Natural Form of Treatment for Skin Conditions and/or Allergies
Oolong tea has been proven to help treat certain skin conditions such as eczema which often occurs in conjunction with other allergy symptoms. (5)
Oolong tea helps combat the “free radicals” in the body that help cause those reactions by repressing their ability to function properly. Oolong tea can also use its antioxidants to help promote more vibrant, youthful looking skin.
6. Oolong Tea Helps Stabilize Blood Sugar Levels
For individuals diagnosed with Type II diabetes and have elevated blood glucose levels, oolong tea can help provide some relief. Studies show that oolong tea may be able to bring blood glucose levels down to a healthy range. (6) The antioxidants in oolong tea are also helpful, as the polyphenols do wonders to help metabolize the body’s sugar.
7. Oolong Tea Promotes Bone Health and Helps Prevent Osteoporosis
Oolong tea can help protect your bones from osteoporosis and prevent existing damage from worsening. (7) Drinking oolong tea consistently makes one less likely to lose bone mineral density over time due to aging and other factors. It has also been discovered that oolong contains magnesium and calcium in it’s leaves.
8. Oolong Tea Can Help Boost Energy Levels
Oolong tea does contain a small amount of caffeine, so be careful not to overdo it as excessive consumption of caffeine may cause negative side effects.
Around 2 cups of strong oolong tea contains around 150 mg of caffeine. (8) It has roughly the same amount of caffeine as a strong cup of brewed coffee. Oolong tea is a far better alternative to sugary coffee drinks or blended beverages because it is calorie-free and doesn’t contain any fillers or sugars, making it an ideal pre workout booster for those who are trying to lose weight.
9. Oolong Tea Helps Reduce Your Risk of Developing Cardiovascular Disease
Oolong tea was used in a study at Kyoto University, and it was confirmed that drinking 1 to 6 cups of oolong tea each week had a 22% decreased risk of cardiovascular disease in females, and a 38% decrease for males. (9) Oolong tea also helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
10. Oolong Tea Aids in Stress Management
The same study in Kyoto University found that consumption of oolong tea can help reduce one’s stress levels by 18%. Oolong tea contains polyphenols that help calm edge nerves. On top of that, oolong tea contains L-theanine which keeps the mind relaxed and free from stress. (10)
Conclusion
Oolong tea provides many benefits in the body through all the nutrients present in the tea. All of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients provide the body with detoxifying agents. Oolong tea also provides a plethora of antioxidants that helps the body contain free radicals that otherwise can latch to and destroy cells within the body. Moreover, oolong tea has a small amount of caffeine that helps give individuals a small energy boost without all the extra sugars and sweeteners one would find in soda or energy drinks.
Oolong tea also provides people with many other benefits including a lowered risk of heart disease, lowered blood pressure and cholesterol readings. Oolong tea helps fight against the aging process as well by using its polyphenols to contain damaging free radicals.
It benefits overall skin health, and improves conditions like eczema. Oolong tea also helps promote faster digestion, which can help aid in weight loss.
With all the benefits listed, two cups of oolong tea each day is ideal for optimum health. It is recommended that you should consume a cup of oolong tea upon rising in the morning, and one in the early afternoon. Avoid piling on the sugar and the artificial sweeteners in your tea. Instead, small amounts of raw honey or Stevia can be used to sweeten without compromising the many health benefits of oolong tea.