No rational person needs to be convinced that a nice hot, steamy mug of tea is always a good idea, regardless of the situation. There’s nothing that can’t be solved with a nice tea.
That’s a scientific fact. Fact. I have years of independent self-funded studies to back it up.
You know as well as I do that the problem with choosing the right tea isn’t a case of worrying that it’s bad for you – but that there’s so many different fresh, healthy, beneficial types of tea around that you don’t know where to start.
Well, I do. Oolong tea. Start here, where we’ll run through the top 11 benefits of a nice oolong IV drip.
What is oolong tea?
Hey, that’s a good question – thanks for asking it. Gold star for you.
In the grand arena of tea, oolongs are regarded as the most complex and time consuming teas to produce due to the level of interaction that goes into cultivating and processing the leaves.
Where some white and green teas need very little attention before being packaged and sold, oolong tea cries out for love and devotion non-stop.
The time-consuming part is basically down to the fact that oolong teas are oxidized for much longer than most other tea types. Note: most other teas. They’re technically only ‘semi’ oxidized, so they don’t qualify as a black tea which are “oxidized AF”, if you’ll pardon my abbreviations.
That being said, oolong teas can be oxidized to a level of anywhere between around 8% and 80% – which gives a huge scope for different flavors, textures and benefits, but we’ll be taking a rough overview of the entire oolong clan today.
“Like green and black tea, oolong is brewed from leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. While green tea is unfermented and black tea fully fermented, oolong finds the sweet spot in the middle during the fermentation process of Camellia sinensis leaves.”
As you may or may not be aware, a large part of tea production is shaping/manipulating the leaves before halting the oxidization process by applying heat. Oolong teas are given the full spa treatment: rolled, folded, shaped and contorted several times, rather than the customary once or twice.
This constant rolling and reshaping of the leaves is what creates the vast majority of different categories.
Once the leaf has its desired shape, it’s heated to inhibit the enzyme which allows for oxidization but then we have yet another additional step, setting oolongs apart from the crowd: many oolong strains are then roasted again to add to the flavor, color and aroma of the final product (this is what gives some types a nuttier, grainy or darker ‘feel’ and color).
So, rest assured, this is a complex tea-beast; it deserves our adulation and respect, especially given the many health benefits it brings to the table teapot…
What are the Benefits of Oolong Tea?
For a tea that only makes up 2 perfect of the world’s tea intake, oolong tea is packing a serious roster of health benefits. Like what? Let’s find out….
Weight management
The number one benefit associated with oolong teas is their ability to aid in weight loss efforts. This is predominantly due to the polyphenol compounds found in most strains of the tea, which can control and promote a healthy metabolism during the few hours after ingestion.
And it doesn’t stop there – one study found that oolong tea can be effective for treating obesity as well as protecting against fatty liver disease caused by a high fat diet.
Now, obviously, as with anything with a healthy nutritional make-up, this fat-busting side of the tea isn’t going to be enough to shift significant weight all by itself – sorry, I know. I wish it was too. Think of it more as a warm little catalyst, part of an overall weight-loss regime!
Lowers cholesterol
In a similar vein (yes, yes, pun intended – I’m a cardiovascular stand-up in my spare time), the polyphenol content in oolong tea, owing to the fact that the leaves are at least semi-oxidized, is thought to provide a kick start to the enzyme lipase, which has been known to assist in fat dissolution throughout the body.
A direct result of dissolving body fat is a lowering of harmful cholesterol, which in turn can lead to a whole host of cardiovascular issues in later life.
Again, though, it’s important that oolong tea isn’t seen as a sole savior in the battle against high cholesterol – enjoy oolong tea responsibly! This has been your publicly funded medical warning. Thanks, God bless.
It can help with blood sugar stability
Some apocryphal tea blogs out there are guilty of hyperbole when it comes to this step. It’s very important to note that a simple habit of oolong tea-drinking will not ‘treat’ diabetes or in any way, shape or form offer an alternative to firmly established medication.
However, due to the antioxidant count (polyphenols MVP once again) and the high nutrient/vitamin count that stems from the original tea leaf itself, it can be very helpful when metabolizing sugar and stabilizing levels – something that’s particularly beneficial to diabetes sufferers or those at high risk.
Forms a barrier against free radicals
The threats from free radicals, in abundance, are myriad: cancers, cardiovascular issues, risk of stroke, arthritis and other bone complications, diabetes etc. etc. the list goes on.
Now, don’t be alarmed by that list. Free radicals whizzing around the body are really more of a contributory factor in a lot of these listed conditions rather than the sole cause of worry.
But that said; it can’t hurt to limit your exposure to things that can harm the body, no matter how small-scale or unlikely that may be.
As ever, antioxidants can play a pivotal role in removing and inhibiting free radicals in the body and you ought to know the chorus by this point: which tea is rife with antioxidants? Oolong tea!
Yeah, it’s not the catchiest song. I’m working on it. Got some studio time booked for next week.
Increases mental alertness
Now, manage your expectations with this one: you’re not going to be able to sip a delicious cup of oolong tea and suddenly unravel the mysteries of the cosmos. That’s not how it works. Trust me. Unless there’s just no hope for my dense brain…
However, numerous studies have shown that a regular, small intake of caffeine can contribute to overall mental alertness – I’m sure you don’t need me to explain the global coffee addiction that snakes its way through early morning commutes.
Oolong tea is a particularly good source for it, though as it tends to be caffeine rich without overdoing it, whilst packing a nice nutritious punch to go with it.
Also, did I mention the polyphen- wait, where are you going?
It helps keep your dinner down
A running trend throughout much of the herbal tea market is that particular blends, strains and infusions help with digestion and some of the ailments and conditions that come along with it.
However, oolong tea has long been held up as a fantastic salve against gastrointestinal complaints and now looks down on many other teas from its deserving pedestal.
The tea helps to reduce inflammation down throughout the digestive tract and has been known to provide some relief for those suffering from acid reflux, ulcer issues, gastritis and similar complaints.
The predominantly earthy, mild flavor of most oolong teas helps the stomach ‘relax’ when ingested and the bonus points of having some antiseptic qualities doesn’t hurt either (can help to battle harmful bacteria hiding in the stomach/gut).
For an extra little boost, try adding some lime or lemon juice to your oolong tea. Although it sounds counterproductive, citric acids are actually well known for easing off stomach aches.
Protects against (certain) cancers
Our old friends, the Polyphenols, are back at it again. I mentioned earlier that the high antioxidant count can help to eradicate free radicals which, in turn, partly contribute to cancerous cells mutating in the body.
Now, it’s not just oolong teas which have this particular benefit: black tea especially, as well as green teas, can also help to prevent certain mutations from taking place, due to the oxidization process that takes place with the raw leaves.
The interesting thing to note, though, is that studies only show some results with particular cancers: lung, esophageal, pancreatic, liver and colorectal cancers for the most part – as well as some oral cancers, which seems like a strange slice of common sense amongst all the medical wizardry.
Teas, of all kinds, seem to have a negligible effect over breast, ovarian and bladder cancers.
Now, again, the usual stipulations apply; simply downing mug after mug of oolong tea is not going to be a cast-iron guarantee of cancerous protection – but there’s ample reason to think that it could play a small role in lowering your overall chances.
It promotes healthier skin
I left one facet of cancer to the side in the previous step; I hope it doesn’t mind… skin cancers.
Oolong tea is one of the most highly praised teas for its benefits over skin health. This applies to both regular skin and sufferers of conditions such as eczema – one particular study showed that eczema patients had marked improvements while drinking three cups of oolong per day.
In fact, the benefit is so prominent that some experts are beginning further research into this area. The belief is that oolong tea might actually have an anti-allergen property to it, helping with all manner of reactions as well as eczema and skin ailments. This is still in its infancy, though…
Wouldn’t recommend it for hay fever… Nothing worse than sneezing into a boiling mug.
The improvements in skin health and protection against some cancers have seen oolong tea touted as an anti-aging treatment to boot. It just keeps getting better, huh?
Stronger teeth and bones
This is a double-whammy. First, let’s note oolong tea’s effects and benefits over dental health. Oolong teas and green teas tend to fight for first place in this competition, as both are fantastic at protecting dental work from particularly harmful acids produced by some oral bacteria.
This means that a healthy abundance of these teas can actively aide in the war against tooth decay, plaque build-up, cavities and further dental issues that set in, quietly, without us noticing.
That’s not all, though. Studies have shown that regular oolong/black tea drinkers have significantly fewer bone complications such as arthritis, osteoporosis and a healthy bone mineral density.
A lot of this is down to the antioxidant/Polyphenol element (I know, I know – but when something’s this good, you have to shout it from the rooftops) – but oolong tea usually contains a significant amount of calcium and magnesium, carried over from the original leaf itself.
It’s thought that the tea can actually help with the bone mineral density so much that it assists us with retaining certain minerals and nutrients from other foods: a kind of case and point about ingesting the tea as part of a healthy lifestyle for the best results.
Alleviates stress
As tea enthusiasts, we all know that one of the constant benefits talked about is the stress relief/calming effect of basically every tea under the sun, most notably the vast variety of herbal infusions that are readily available today.
This stress relieving effect is kind of an umbrella benefit – one that incorporates different elements discussed above: the antioxidant presence, the mental alertness, the blood sugar regularity and so forth. These all form the basis of a stable, healthy mood devoid of stressful flux.
But one of the biggest stress relieving properties is a simple one… There’s really nothing better to unwind with than a steaming hot, soothing cup of tea.
In fact, in many lists of stress relieving teas, you’ll often find a notable mention of simple hot water (maybe with a spritz of lemon) and this is purely down to the tranquil effect of a nice warm drink.
And also water’s good for us or something.
It tastes great!
Maybe this should have been number one… Why do we need the rest? Oolong teas are delicious!
So, there we are. It’s fair to say that oolong tea has very much earned its reputation as one of the most packed, beneficial, healthy and complex teas on the market. Now, get yourself oolong to the store and stock up.
I will make that same pun until my dying day. Watch me.