Oolong/Wu-long Tea is one of the best teas around. This article will tour you through everything you need to know about Oolong Tea. Questions that are in bold are frequently asked and allow you to navigate easier. Have Fun!
Where Can One Find Oolong Tea?
Wulong tea or oolong tea is not a new entry into the teas- its history dates back to so many centuries and it is believed that the tea probably originated from the Chinese Fujian province, however, it is now produced from Taiwan, China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and India because of the mountainous terrain that suits its cultivation as well as the geographical position.
Oolong tea can be produced by oxidizing or fermenting the tea leaves for a while after picked; when the leaves become tanned. However, having said so, it is not black tea where the leaves are left for complete oxidation and the leaves are real black. Oolong tea can be taken as a semi-oxidized product. Oxidation or processing of leaves after picking reduces the high catechin quantities present in the fresh leaves. Also oolong tea follows the same path as that of a black tea and initial two steps include withering and rolling; however, sometimes shaking is preferred to rolling to remove or cut the outer edge of leaf. When it comes to oxidation time, it can be exactly half relative to black tea. The veins of leaves become clear and the edges also become reddish brown leaving the center still green, it is now that the oxidation process is ceased by firing and the leaves are then heated at high temperatures to keep them for long.
Are oolong and the white teas one and the same?
By properties as well as by processing they are not same. White tea is the lightest in nature among all others and it is made so by hand plucking young and immature leaves and buds that still have the hairs. These are immediately steam-dried and preserved without any fermentation or oxidation to inactivate the enzyme polyphenol oxidase. If brewed well they are never bitter and also emanate sweet aroma with gentle taste. They have very high concentrations of catechins as the leaves are preserved the way they are picked.
Health Benefits Of Oolong Tea Consumption
The important health benefits of this wulong tea relative to the green and black teas is that it is enriched in polyphenols, the antioxidants that can neutralize the free radicals and keep several health ailments at bay including aging.
It has greater quantities of thearubigin as well as theaflavins whose quantities are more as the tea leaves are oxidized. These biocompunds are found to be anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, as well as anti-carcinogenic. Oolong tea can be used as an adjunct in diabetes treatment. Eczema seems to shy away in those that consumed a liter of oolong tea on daily basis. The tea is harsh against streptococci. The polyphenols help in keeping dental caries at bay. The tea consumption increases energy expenditure and burns fat faster owing to increasing metabolic rate.
Does oolong tea has anything to offer to people undergoing weight loss treatment?
Obesity is a very serious concern of our modern day living and people are always trying to look for a quick-fix solution for the same; and a recent trend is consuming wulong tea. You may have a doubt whether it is a fad or does it have any scientific basis.
A study correlating oolong tea to weight loss seen light in the year 2003. The researchers of University of Tokushima School of Medicine in Japan along with some other schools established that oolong tea increased the burning of calories or energy expenditure by about 10 per cent and metabolic rate increased by 4 per cent among women that consumed another green tea.
In another study conducted in 2006 in Japan oolong tea was found to lower the absorption of fat taken in a meal. The stool of people that took the tea was found to contain undigested fats. Additionally, oolong tea reduced the cholesterol levels in those people that took oolong tea on regular basis. Having said so, oolong tea cannot be a weight loss plan per se; it can only be integrated into a strategic weight loss regimen.
It’s not the bicompounds aforementioned above that make wulong stand out it also has substantial amounts of caffeine, manganese and fluoride which are as good. So drink oolong to stay hale and healthy for long.
