Oolong tea, made from withered Camellia sinensis leaves that have been allowed to partially oxidize, is intermediate in processing and flavor between green tea and black tea. Oolong tea offers comparable health benefits to green and black teas. Oolong tea is naturally low in calories and rich in healthy antioxidants. It contains some caffeine and high levels of fluoride.
Nutritional Content
Oolong tea does not contain significant amounts of calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins or minerals. Sweetening your oolong tea with 1 tbsp. of sugar will add 35 calories and 1 g of carbohydrates. Adding 1 tbsp. of honey will contribute 60 calories and 17 g of carbohydrates to your diet.
Benefits
Oolong tea contains antioxidant compounds called flavonoids. Flavonoids help reduce the risk of certain cancers, stroke and heart attack. Other compounds in tea support the immune system and promote healthy bones and teeth. Drinking tea may reduce the risk of developing kidney stones. According to the USDA, drinking oolong tea may increase insulin activity 15 times over its normal response.
Caffeine
The amount of caffeine in oolong tea depends on several factors, including location of the leaves on the plant, growing conditions and the season when the tea was harvested. Expect oolong tea to contain a significant amount of caffeine unless the tea is decaffeinated or the manufacturer explicitly states the tea is low in caffeine. The average amount of caffeine per 8 oz. cup of oolong tea is 30 mg. However, this amount may range from 12 to 55 mg of caffeine. On average, this is more caffeine than you would find in a cup of green tea, but less caffeine than the average cup of black tea or coffee contains. Decaffeinated tea has about 2 mg of caffeine per 8 oz. serving.
Fluoride
Tea leaves and tea naturally contain fluoride. Tea is a significant source of dietary fluoride, with some tea exceeding the FDA regulation standard for the amount of fluoride in beverages. There are documented cases in which fluoride levels in tea were 10 times the FDA standard. Tea brewed using fluoridated water can be expected to contain a higher level of fluoride than tea brewed with unfluoridated water. The EPA advises children under the age of 9 to avoid drinking water exceeding their recommended standard of 2 mg of fluoride per liter of water, because higher levels of fluoride could put kids at risk for developing dental fluorosis.
Member Comments