Oolong tea is a traditional Chinese tea made with high-grade tea leaves and is an excellent drink for losing weight. It has been dubbed as the wonder tea of weight loss and the “diet tea” because all variants of Oolong Tea possess this weight-loss property. According to pharmacologists this type of tea contains polyphenols, a kind of chemical that acts as an antioxidant protecting the body against free radicals and prevents tissue damage.
Polyphenols can block and deactivate substances that support the growth of cancers. All teas have polyphenols thus it is not exclusive to Oolong tea alone although the Oolong variety does have high concentrates of this chemical which stimulates and activates the enzymes that are responsible for melting fats in the body.
Variants of Oolong Tea
Often considered the most complicated type of tea because of its many variants and a range of antioxidants, the home of Oolong tea is in the Fujian province in China, although there are also varieties of found in Japan. In Chinese it has been called ‘Yu Xiang Hui Wei’ meaning ‘fantastic tastes forever’ because it goes through several processes to attain the flavor and aroma it is popular for. The grown tea consists of different kinds of leaves that have also different flavors and aromas thus there are several variants that are produced.
The name Oolong, meaning “black dragon” in Chinese, came about because of the shape of its tea leaves which are long and dark and they look like black dragons when prepared. The different kinds of oolong leaves are also processed differently either by roasting, drying or light fermentation while some are better when aged. Some of the most famous and high grade oolong varieties are:
- Tie Guan Yin is the most popular of all Oolong and means Iron Goddess of Mercy. One of the distinctive features of Tie Guan Yin tea is its red and purple buds or flowers. It is made from tender and high-grade tea leaves.
- Shui Xian is a popular Oolong in most Chinese restaurants because of its refreshing floral taste. Shu Xian tea has higher minerals than other Oolong types.
- Wu Yi Tea is reddish brown in color because it is aged for at least 10 years. It tastes like plum fruit but it has a smooth, soft and mellow after taste.
- Da Hong Pao is considered the “King of Tea” because it was said to have existed way back in the 18th century. It has a full bodied taste with a sweet after taste that lingers in the mouth for a few minutes.
- Dan Cong is one of the oldest Chinese teas, about 900 years old, and has been labeled as the tea imitator because of its ability to imitate the flavor and scents of some fruits and flowers. It has a peachy aromatic flavor even before it is brewed and tastes and smells like the longan fruit.
With the many varieties of Oolong tea, they have one common denominator: that is they all are excellent for weight loss, promotes health care and contain potent antioxidants. Oolong tea has been proven to increase metabolism, increase energy, blocks the absorption of accumulated fats, burns body fat and relieves the body of excess water.
These weight loss abilities of Oolong tea was proven when a clinical test was done on 75 obese participants aged 22 to 68 who overate and/or did not do any exercise. The thickness of their subcutaneous fat was measured at the beginning of the test. For six weeks they were asked to consume two packs of Oolong tea twice a day. The participants were also asked not to take any diet medications or to do any physical exercises. After six weeks, when the thickness of their subcutaneous fat was measured, the average decrease was around four millimeters.
With all its health benefits and extensive weight loss abilities, Oolong tea in any variant is truly the wonder tea of weight loss.
Source by Maggie Rahn