Oolong tea is a semigreen, semiblack fermented tea that originated in China over 400 years ago. Oolong tea is rich in many vitamins and minerals, and contains an abundant amount of antioxidants. Although oolong tea is often overlooked, it has numerous health benefits. It is suggested that oolong tea can increase metabolism, prevent tooth decay, and be an effective natural treatment for Type 2 diabetes.
Metabolism
For centuries, oolong tea has been considered a natural metabolic booster. According to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, consuming oolong tea daily has the potential to increase the body's metabolic rate by 3 percent to 4 percent. The Linus Pauling Institute also reported that significant weight loss occurred after a 12-week study on obese males who consumed oolong tea with green tea extract. Another study that was published in The Journal of Medical Investigation also showed a significant increase in energy expenditure after consuming oolong tea. This study was done by The University of Tokushima School of Medicine in Tokushima, Japan. Researchers concluded that oolong tea's "polymerized polyphenols" have the potential to increase the metabolic rate by at least 10 percent.
Tooth Decay
Oolong tea has long been thought of as a natural way to prevent tooth decay. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, "oolong tea extracts have been found to inhibit the growth and acid production of the cavity-producing bacteria streptococci." It also claimed that a study done in the U.K. proved that those who drank oolong tea regularly had significantly fewer cavities than those who did not consume the tea.
Type 2 Diabetes
Oolong tea may prove to be an effective Type 2 diabetes treatment. A study done by
Shigeru Yamamoto, Ph.D., and other doctors from the Department of Nutrition for the School of Medicine at the University of Tokushima in Japan, showed that participants who consumed oolong tea daily had much lower concentrations of glucose. The doctors concluded from this study that "oolong tea may be an effective adjunct to oral hypoglycemic agents in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes."
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