Oolong tea: Why it's good for you

Sunday, October 20, 2013 by: Yanjun
Tags: oolong tea, Chinese herbal medicine, health benefits

(NaturalNews) Oolong tea is a tea that is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. The word "oolong" is Chinese and roughly translates to "black dragon." Oolong tea is also a remarkably healthy brand of tea. There are many different kinds of oolong tea, ranging from fruity to earthy. It doesn't have quite the same nutritional value of white or green tea, as the fermentation process of preparing oolong tea can lessen its overall nutritional value.

Be that as it may, oolong tea is still a delicious choice that has plenty of health benefits.

Energy Boosting

There are small amounts of caffeine present in oolong tea. Since it isn't loaded with sugar and other unhealthy ingredients, this makes oolong tea a preferable beverage over energy drinks (or even coffee) if you need a quick energy boost. Oolong tea also won't "over-energize" you the way coffee and energy drinks do, so there is no actual "crash."

Preventative Against Cancer

There are antioxidants in oolong tea. Antioxidants are known for helping to prevent cancer, because they lessen radical damage to DNA and cells, which causes cancer. Steeping the oolong tea in hotter water will help get the maximum amount of antioxidants out of the tea.

Healthy for Skin

Back to antioxidants: the antioxidants in oolong tea are useful in helping remove toxins that cause ugly blemishes and discolorations from the skin. Oolong tea also helps protect the skin from sun damage caused by powerful UV rays.

Bone Health

Studies show that drinking oolong tea for extended periods of time can help increase the mineral density in bones. This also helps prevent osteoporosis. As mentioned, this can only happen over long periods of time, so there won't be instant results. However, living a healthy lifestyle and drinking oolong tea over time will help, as the bones start to weaken with age.

Helps With Weight Loss

Studies show that the polyphenols in oolong tea can help with losing weight. Oolong tea is also known to aid in increasing the metabolism, which helps the body burn fat much more effectively. Both of these factors makes oolong tea an excellent choice for those that are on a diet and trying to lose weight.

Reduces Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

There was a study at Kyoto University, in Japan, that confirmed that drinking oolong tea reduced the possibility of cardiovascular disease. The study showed evidence that drinking one to six cups of oolong tea, each week, resulted in a 22% cardiovascular disease risk reduction in females and a 38% risk reduction in males. Oolong tea is known for lowering blood pressure and helping to lower cholesterol.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.organicfacts.net

http://www.oolong-tea.org

About the author:
Sofiya has written articles on most health-related topics, including traditional medicine, alternative and naturopathic and natural treatments,health insurance, wellness, medical marijuana, diets and fitness.