Wu Yi tea, a type of oolong tea grown in China's Wu Yi Mountains, may accelerate weight loss. Legend has it that a member of the Tang Dynasty emperor's family was cured of an illness by drinking Wu Yi tea. Daily consumption of Wu Yi tea could help you lose 1/2 lb. per week, depending on the amount and strength of the brew of the tea, according to the "Los Angeles Times."
Properties of Wu Yi Tea
Climate and soil conditions affect the taste of tea, but the properties of the four natural teas --- white, green, oolong and black --- depend on how long the tea remains on the vine before picking. White tea, picked before chlorophyll turns the buds green, is believed to contain the most antioxidants. Oolong tea contains slightly fewer antioxidants than green tea, the most scientifically studied of the four, and less caffeine than black tea. Wu Yi oolong tea, however, contains 6.8 mg of caffeine, putting it below both green and black tea for caffeine content.
Catechins and Weight Loss
Wu Yi tea contains catechins proven effective in weight loss in 15 scientific studies, according to Craig Coleman, associate professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Connecticut. According to Coleman's research, you would need to drink about 3 cups of Wu Yi tea daily to achieve noticeable weight loss. In a study reported in February 2009 in the "Journal of Nutrition," tea catechins helped people lose 5.4 lbs. in 12 weeks. The most successful participants in the study, led by private researcher Kevin Maki, drank the equivalent of 5 cups of Wu Yi tea every day while also following a reduced calorie diet.
Polyphenols in Wu Yi Tea
Wu Yi tea also contains polyphenols. Although all teas contain polyphenols, the type in oolong tea provides the highest success in weight loss, according to Guo Xirong, winner of the Soong Ching Ling Foundation Pediatrics Award for obesity research. Guo says the polyphenols in oolong tea activate an enzyme called lipase. Lipase dissolves fat in your body. Guo's assertion was supported by the results of a Japanese study in which nine out of 12 participants who drank 4 cups of oolong tea for a month lost fat in their waists and eight lost fat in their upper arms. The study was led by Masatoshi Nakoma, a researcher at Aichi Medical University, and presented in October 2001 at the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity.
Additional Health Benefits
You may enjoy additional benefits from drinking Wu Yi tea. Drinking 4 cups of oolong tea daily can lower your cholesterol level, according to London's "Daily Mail." Oolong tea drinkers in Nakoma's study also lowered their cholesterol. One woman's cholesterol dropped 49 points -- from 206 to 157 -- and her low-density lipoproteins -- the bad cholesterol -- shrunk from 137 to 98. Oolong tea drinkers also realized an increase in their levels of adiponectin, a hormone that may protect you against diabetes and heart disease.
Importance of Diet
If you are serious about losing weight, the makers of Wu Yi tea say that oolong tea should be a supplement and not a replacement to a calorie-restricted diet. A diet recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture reduces calories by 500 per day and allows you to eat a balanced variety of foods, including three servings of vegetables, three servings of fruit, two to three servings of dairy, 5 oz. of protein and six servings of grains.
References
- Official Wu Yi Tea
- Mayo Clinic: Caffeine Content in Coffee, Tea, Soda and More
- "The Washington Post"; Give Green Tea a Try, but Get a Handle on the Perfect Brew for You; Robert L. Wolke; April 25 2007
- USDA: Flavonoid Composition of Tea
- USDA: Brewing Up the Latest Tea Research
- "Los Angeles Times"; Slim Chance Green Tea Can Burn Fat Off; Chris Woolston; Aug. 16, 2010
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