What Is The Wu Yi Source Diet?

The Wu Yi diet consists of drinking a weight loss tea with a special ingredient that comes from the Wuyi Mountains of the Fujian Province in China. The tea producers say it will help you metabolize fat and raise your resting metabolic rate for additional fat burn. Always consult a doctor before trying a new diet tea.

Identification

The active ingredient in this tea is oolong tea, according to the Diet Spotlight website. Oolong tea is a semi-fermented variety of green tea, which comes from the Camellia sinesis plant. Wu Yi tea is prepared using an "orthodox" old world method in which only the plant's leaf bud and top two leaves are picked by hand, claims product information.

Significance

Tea producers don't give you much guidance besides the recommendation that you drink the Wu Yi tea "regularly." If you do this in combination with dieting and exercising, product information claims you will have "really great weight loss results." However, the experts at the Diet Spotlight website say you can find other green tea products for a cheaper price at stores and on the Internet. Diet Spotlight experts also note that the company that sells this tea over the Internet has received negative customer reviews regarding over-billing and poor customer service.

Function

Product information identifies polyphenols as the tea's active ingredient. These are powerful antioxidants, according to University of Maryland Medical Center. Though product information says Wu Yi has the "highest concentration of polyphenol," the experts at the medical center say that green tea made from unfermented leaves is actually the tea variety from the Camellia sinesis plant with the highest concentration.

Product information credits the tea's polyphenols with stimulating breakdown of fat when the tea is consumed regularly. According to UMMC, the tea's polyphenols, more specifically the catechins, are responsible for any fat-burning effect it has. Some clinical studies on green tea extract do suggest it can boost metabolism and help you burn fat, according to UMMC. However, there's not enough reliable data to prove whether green tea preparations can help you lose weight, according to the National Centers for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Product information also claims that the tea works by activating triglycerides in your body and identifies triglycerides as enzymes that dissolve fat. However, triglycerides are actually the chemical form in which most fat exists in your body. They are present in your blood plasma. They come from fats eaten in foods. They also may be made in your body from other sources like carbohydrates. Calories that you consume that your body doesn't immediately use are converted to triglycerides. These are transported to your fat cells for storage. Your hormones regulate release of triglycerides from your fat tissue so they can be used by your body for energy between meals, according to the American Heart Association.

Theories/Speculation

Tea producers also say the theanine in Wu Yi tea will boost your immune responses when fighting infection. Theanine may have immunologic attributes, notes Drugs.com, but limited information from clinical studies is available to support this claim. Tea producers also say you'll be more focused and alert due to drinking Wu Yi tea. There is evidence that green tea preparations can improve your mental alertness, according to NCCAM. This is most likely due to the tea's caffeine content.

Considerations

Wu Yi can have side effects. Mild effects may include heartburn or gastric irritation, say George T. Grossberg and Barry Fox in "The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide." Other side effects caused by the tea's caffeine include increased urination, insomnia, restlessness or nervousness. The tea's caffeine also may worsen or even trigger several health conditions. These include anxiety disorders, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, osteoporosis, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, gastroesophigal reflux disease and bleeding disorders, according to Grossberg and Fox. Drinking this tea with certain medications like aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can raise your risk for bruising or bleeding. If you drink extremely large amounts you may develop caffeine poisoning. Seek medical attention if you vomit or have abdominal spasms.