The Wu-Yi Diet is a weight loss plan that is centered around drinking Wu-Yi tea, a type of tea that has been popular in the Asian culture for centuries. Proponents of the diet claim that, with moderate dietary changes and exercise, consuming Wu-Yi tea daily will help boost your metabolism and increase the rate that your body burns fat. Although the diet has many positive aspects, Wu-Yi tea is not regulated by the FDA and the claims of its supporters are not backed up by solid scientific evidence.
Wu-Yi Tea
Wu-Yi tea is also known as oolong tea, a type of tea grown primarily in the Wu-Yi mountain range located in the Chinese province of Fujian. The tea is similar in taste to green tea and similar in aroma to black tea. Wu-Yi tea is considered a semi-fermented tea, making it less fermented than black tea, but more so than green tea. Sensational.com reports that some manufacturers of the tea claim that it has been used as a weight loss aid and obesity cure in Asian countries like China and Japan for over 400 years.
Wu-Yi Diet Background
According to the Diets in Review site, supporters of the Wu-Yi Diet claim that the tea contains large concentrations of polymerized polyphenols, compounds that stimulate the activity of enzymes essential in the metabolism of fat. In addition to promoting the breakdown of fat molecules for energy, Wu-Yi tea is also said to act as an overall metabolic rate booster, which, proponents say, will cause you to burn carbohydrates as fuel before they can be stored as fat tissue.
Wu-Yi Diet Guidelines
While on the Wu-Yi Diet, you are to eat a "sensible," balanced diet, make time for regular, moderate exercise and drink Wu-Yi twice every day. The exercise plan recommended is approximately 30 minutes of an aerobic exercise like bicycle riding, swimming or brisk walking three times weekly. You should also drink at least eight glasses of water daily and avoid eating anything after 7:30 at night.
Advantages
Wu-Yi tea does not contain any fat, carbohydrates or calories and contains less caffeine than coffee, so, for many dieters, drinking large amounts of the tea can be a beneficial way of weaning themselves off of sweetened or more highly caffeinated beverages. The tea is also healthy: the polyphenols and catechin compounds it contains act as antioxidants in the body, protecting cells from the damaging effects of free radicals and possibly decreasing the risk of developing conditions like cancer or heart disease. The diet as a whole encourages balanced, low-fat eating habits and regular exercise: both of these are lifestyle choices that medical professionals agree are significant contributors to long-term, sustainable weight loss.
Disadvantages
Wu-Yi tea use has not been scientifically connected to a greater propensity for weight loss. In fact, any weight loss users experience while on the Wu-Yi Diet may be due instead to the healthy diet and regular exercise that the plan emphasizes. Additionally, Wu-Yi tea is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, so any tea of this name that you purchase will not have been checked for purity, safety or effectiveness. The Diet Spotlight site also reports that a number of dieters who tried the plan found that they couldn't continue on it because they disliked the taste of the tea.
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