The Amazing Health Benefits of Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is one of several teas that started out as medicine and became a day to day drink. Lots of people drink tea for the taste alone, finding if both tasteful and relaxing. Chinese people swear by tea, believing it to have the properties that make for a long and healthy life.
It is interesting to note that while people all over the world enjoy many different types and flavors of tea, all of these teas are made from the very same plant. This plant is called the Camellia sinensis and originated in China. The thing that makes all teas taste and look different, although they are from this same plant, is the production method involved in making the teas. Green tea is produced without fermentation of the leaf, black tea is produced by fully fermenting the leaf and oolong tea is produced by fermenting the tea to a certain extent.
Oolong tea is made by first picking the leaves in the morning in units of one bud and three leaves. They are then put out to lie in the sun before being taken inside and being dried out to begin the fermenting process. The most important thing when making oolong tea is knowing when to stop the fermenting process. The best time is when the leaves have turned so that 70% of them are green and 30% of them are red. After the fermenting process, they are shaken or rubbed together in order to expose the juice which generates the aroma and flavor of oolong tea. After this, they are fired with charcoal in order to stop the fermenting process. The leaves are left to cool before being fired in woks and cooked quickly, ultimately ending with crisp leaves. This process can take anywhere from 12 to 36 hours.
Oolong tea is said to promote health and beauty while tasting delicious. The reason for this is the fact that oolong tea contains a lot of polyphenol. Along with polyphenol there are many vitamins and minerals found as well. However, the polyphenol in Oolong tea is the most powerful in promoting health because it is able to remove what is known as "free radicals" from our bodies.
What are "free radicals"? They are substances that have become oxidized in the body. Free radicals basically try to keep harmful factors out of our bodies. These harmful factors can be damage occurring from staying out in the sun too long, stress, and chemical additives found in many foods we eat, or when we chew tobacco or smoke.
Oolong tea not only is healthy for us by helping to rid our bodies of these free radicals, but it also helps generate an enzyme known as SOD or superoxide dismutase. SOD is stored in our bodies and cannot be supplemented in order to function like other nutrients such as vitamins. However, polyphenol can help this enzyme function fully, ridding our bodies of the free radicals and helping to stop our skin from aging as fast or developing arteriosclerosis.
Oolong tea is also effective in improving kidney function such as helping the kidneys use glucose, which in turn helps the kidneys produce the insulin diabetics so desperately need in order to live. Research has shown that Chinese, who drink a lot of Oolong tea have lower heart disease rates than any other ethnic group. This also includes prostate cancer as well. There is significant evidence that tea may also help breast cancer treatment and helping to dissolve triglycerides which are fatty deposits in the body. This can result in loss of weight.
Weight loss with Oolong tea resulted when it was shown that this tea raises a person's metabolism, which of course, speeds up the burning of fat so that more calories are burned as well. Oolong tea uses the fatty deposits as fuel for energy, thus not only helping take weight off, but helping to reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension.
Oolong tea also contains caffeine, so not only does it work to aid the body in preventing or helping many diseases and allowing people to lose weight, it also helps build up your energy so that you can incorporate an exercise program to assist in the losing of weight and staying fit. Caffeine also helps your brain to function better. In fact, a study showed that people who drank at least two cups of tea each day were less likely to become a victim of Alzheimer's disease.
If reading what Oolong tea can do to help you stay healthy isn't enough to make you drink it, then maybe the taste will convince you. There are many flavors to choose from: ginger peach, plum, jasmine or orange blossom to name a few. There's no doubt that you will be able to find at least one flavor that you like so why not give it a try? Your health may improve, along with your skin and mind, or you could begin to lose weight. At the very least, you could find a warm, tasty liquid to add to your daily regimen. It might help you out and it definitely won't hurt, so give it a chance. You might not only find something you love to drink but save your health in the process.
Surely nice article. I have read it carefully and benefited from it so much. Thanks. I also like tea, but I like Oolong Tea better. I suggest you to write more about oolong tea and that will surely attract more visitors.
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