Oolong tea, also known as wu long, is harvested from the Camellia sinensis plant. Oolong tea is partially oxidized and falls between green and black teas with regard to color, flavor and antioxidant and polyphenol levels. Oolong is known to have an earthy flavor. Well-known oolongs include Formosa and China, according to "Vegetarian Times." Oolong tea confers a variety of health benefits, including obesity and skin treatments and cardiovascular disease risk reduction. Be sure to consult a qualified medical practitioner prior to using oolong tea as a health treatment.
Obesity Treatment
In a 2006 study reported at the 60th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Nutrition and Food Science, a polyphenol derived from oolong tea demonstrated an anti-obesity effect in experiments with mice. Mice given the polyphenol along with a high-fat and high-sugar diet showed a decrease in weight and body fat, according to "Medical News Today."
Cardiovascular Benefits
A 2010 study from the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan, and published in the "Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health," found that oolong tea lowered the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Approximately 1,000 participants, age 40 to 79 years, were studied; of those who drank one to six cups of oolong tea per week, the risk reduction for cardiovascular disease was 38 percent among men and 22 percent among women.
Dermatitis Treatment
A 2001 study published in the "Archives of Dermatology" found that oolong tea is good for the skin. Patients with recurring skin problems, also known as atopic dermatitis, were instructed to drink 10 g of oolong tea per day. After one month of treatment, 63 percent of the participants showed improvement. After six months, positive results were still observed in 54 percent of the participants. The therapeutic effects of oolong tea may be the result of the polyphenols' antiallergenic properties, according to lead researcher Masami Uehara, MD.
References
- Acupuncture Today: Tea Brewing Tips
- Archives of Dermatology: A Trial of Oolong Tea in the Management of Recalcitrant Atopic Dermatitis
- Medical News Today: Suntory Finds That Oolong Tea-derived Polymerized Polyphenol Has Anti-obesity Effect
- Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health: Coffee, green tea, black tea and oolong tea consumption and risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease in Japanese men and women
- Vegetarian Times: What's Brewing?
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