Oolong tea is one of the four tea varieties available and contains bioactive chemicals that can influence your metabolism. Metabolic rate is typically associated with body weight and described as the amount of energy your body uses on daily basis. The higher your metabolism is, the more energy your body burns. Consult with your doctor about the safeness and effectiveness of oolong tea before you begin or increase your consumption.
Catechins
Oolong tea contains potent flavonoids, also called antioxidants or polyphenols, that can affect your metabolism. Catechin is a type of polyphenol found in all four tea varieties but the amount of catechin differs between the teas depending on the processing method. Catechins help raise your body's metabolic rate, or the amount of energy your body burns. A study published in the "Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine" in 2009 showed consuming 8 g of oolong tea every day helped reduce body weight up to 6 lbs. in only six weeks. When consumed consistently, oolong tea can help burn body fat and decrease your body weight.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a natural appetite suppressant, diuretic, stimulant and a metabolic booster. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, oolong tea contains around 9 to 50 mg of caffeine in an 8-oz. serving. Caffeine stimulates thermogenesis, or production of heat, that raises your metabolic rate and increases calorie burn. Caffeine can also reduce your calorie intake by suppressing your appetite for a short period of time. Although caffeine boosts your metabolism, more research is needed to support claims that long-term caffeine consumption can aid in weight loss.
Safeness
Tea is considered as a safe beverage and can be consumed in relatively high amounts, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. However, since oolong tea contains caffeine, you should limit your intake if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. High caffeine consumption can lead to miscarriage and low birth weight. Consuming oolong tea may also increase your risk of developing abnormally low blood potassium levels, or hypokalemia, especially in the elderly. Hypokalemia is a serious health condition that can be fatal.
Oolong Tea vs. Other teas
Oolong is a tea variant derived from the Camellia sinensis plant, of which black, green and white teas are also made of. The difference between these tea varieties is in the processing method. Oolong, also known as wulong, is made by bruising the tea leaves to release some of the polyphenol oxidase's. This oxidation process makes oolong tea slightly lower in the catechin content than green and white teas, but higher than that of black tea.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute Oregon State University; Tea; Jane Higdon, et al.; January 2005
- "Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine"; Beneficial Effects of Oolong Tea Consumption on Diet-Induced Overweight and Obese Subjects; R.R He, et al.; 2009
- MayoClinic.com: Does Caffeine Help with Weight Loss?; Katherine Zeratsky; May 2011
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