Oolong Tea and Its Health Benefits

If you’ve been hearing a lot of talk about oolong tea lately, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about. Is oolong tea black tea? And what makes it so special? We’re here to answer all your questions and more! Let’s take a look at everything there is to know about this unique and flavorful beverage.

What is Oolong Tea?

This tea belongs to its own unique category.  Oolong tea is actually Chinese tea. It has got a long but exciting history with it.

Depending on the path that the tea makers choose in processing the tea, oolong may eventually wind up with much more like qualities of black tea or maybe more green tea characteristics. Now it is also created from the Camellia sinensis plant’s leaves. And we know that this plant is also used to make green and black tea. So the distinction that separates oolong tea from other teas lies in the way the tea is prepared. Green, black, and oolong teas are usually manufactured by the oxidation process. Now you will probably be thinking of what is oxidation and how it is related to making teas. Do not worry, I will tell you all about it.

So what Role Does Oxidation Play in Making Teas?

Now Oxidation is a chemical process that starts when the leaves are exposed to air and is responsible for the color and flavor of other varieties of tea. Oolong tea is made when leaves are wilted in the sun and slightly damaged to induce partial oxidation. Whereas black tea is made when leaves are thoroughly crushed to maximize oxidation. But green tea is made from fresh tea leaves that have not been oxidized.

What Nutrients Are Present in Oolong tea?

Oolong tea, like black and green teas, also provides a variety of nutrients. These nutrients may include many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Other than that, you can also find small levels of calcium, magnesium, and potassium in a cup of brewed oolong tea. It also has roughly 38 mg of caffeine in it. A cup of green tea, on the other hand, has roughly 29mg of caffeine.

Besides that, there are some of the key antioxidants found in oolong tea.  They are also known as tea polyphenols. Many of oolong tea’s health advantages are attributed to them.

Oolong tea also includes L-theanine, an amino acid that has been found to improve relaxation and cognitive efficiency in the human body.

Health Benefits of Oolong Tea

It Will Aid in Weight Loss

For a good reason, oolong tea is one of the most popular weight-loss drinks. According to the study, oolong tea may aid in the reduction of high-fat diet-induced weight gain, hepatic lipids, and white adipose tissue weights. It may also be beneficial in the prevention of obesity. In fact, it may even benefit without any added effort or hard exercise. In a Chinese study of overweight and obese patients, 70 percent of people lost 1 kg in only 6 weeks of daily oolong tea consumption. Furthermore, nearly one-quarter of individuals, which was 22%, lost up to 3 kg. In addition, research has also shown that drinking full-strength oolong tea can increase energy expenditure and fat oxidation by 12%.

It Helps in Lowering Blood Pressure

Several types of research on habitual tea users have found that they had lower cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as a lower risk of heart disease. One thing to keep in mind is that oolong tea includes caffeine, which may modestly increase blood pressure, or hypertension, in certain people. However, studies looking at the relationship between hypertension and caffeine have yielded inconclusive findings. So further study is required before any firm conclusions can be drawn.

It May Help in Controlling Obesity

Tea intake and weight reduction have long been linked. And several studies have found a link between tea’s bioactive components and weight loss or obesity prevention.

While it was once thought that tea’s antioxidant activity was solely responsible for its ability to reduce body fat. But researchers are now suggesting that tea’s ability to enhance enzyme inhibition, and antioxidant interactions with the gut microbiota, in particular, maybe what is driving weight loss and preventing obesity.

Surprisingly, it also has got something to do with oolong tea as well. In recent animal research, extracts from oolong tea were found to aid improve fat oxidation, implying that they helped reduce body fat directly.

It May Help in Improving Brain Function

Tea drinking may assist sustain brain function and memory, as well as maybe guard against age-related deterioration, according to recent studies. In fact, several components of tea have been shown to improve brain function. Caffeine, for example, can boost the release of norepinephrine and dopamine. These two brain messengers are thought to improve mood, attention, and cognitive function.

It Can Also Help Protecting Against Certain Cancers

Scientists believe that the antioxidants found in black, green, and oolong teas may aid in the prevention of cell mutations that can lead to cancer in the body. Tea polyphenols may also slow the division of cancer cells. Many studies have been conducted over the years to investigate the link between tea consumption and a lower risk of certain cancers, such as lung, esophageal, pancreatic, and liver, and kills cancer cells.

Is Oolong Tea Black Tea?

No, oolong tea is not black tea. In fact, black tea and oolong tea come from different plants entirely—black teas are made from Camellia sinensis var Assamica while oolongs are made from Camellia sinensis var Sinensis. Oolongs have the same origin as green and white teas but differ in how they are processed. While green and white teas are unoxidized, oolongs undergo a partial oxidation process that gives them their unique flavor profile.

Recipe for Oolong Tea

Brewing oolong is a simple process. All you need is loose-leaf tea, filtered water, and a teapot or infuser for steeping. Here’s the method:

1. Bring 1 cup of filtered water to a boil.
2. Put 1 teaspoon of loose-leaf oolong tea in your teapot or infuser (you can adjust the amount depending on how strong you like it).
3. Pour the boiling water over the leaves and steep for 3-5 minutes, depending on how strong you want it to be.
4. Strain into a cup and enjoy!

Safety and Side Effects of Oolong Tea

Oolong tea has indeed been in the market for generations. And it is regarded to be rather safe. Nonetheless, it does contain caffeine. Caffeine can cause anxiety, headaches, sleeplessness, irregular pulse, and, in rare circumstances, high blood pressure if ingested in excess.

Furthermore, taking too many polyphenol antioxidants may cause them to function as pro-oxidants, which is harmful to your health. Taking polyphenol supplements may cause excessive ingestion, but merely drinking tea is unlikely to cause this.

It is also likely that the flavonoids in tea disrupt iron tissue homeostasis, making iron absorption more difficult. But further research is needed to determine the quantity of flavonoid intake and the particular processes at play.

FAQs

Q. What Does Oolong Tea Taste Like?

A. Oolong tea is often described as having an earthy and woody flavor, with some varieties of oolong also having floral or fruity notes. It is slightly sweet and can be quite robust depending on how it is brewed.

Q. How Much Caffeine is in Oolong Tea?

A. Oolong tea contains caffeine, but not as much as coffee does—it is estimated to have approximately one-third to one-half the amount of caffeine found in a cup of coffee (about 25-50 mg). Therefore, you can get the benefits of a caffeinated beverage without any jitters or crashes associated with other caffeinated drinks like coffee or energy drinks.

Q. Is Oolong Tea Black Tea?

A. No, oolong is not black tea. Oolongs are made from the same plant (Camellia sinensis var Sinensis) as green and white teas but are partially oxidized which gives them a unique flavor profile that is both rich and delicate.

Q. What is the difference between black tea and oolong tea?

A. The main difference is that oolong is partially oxidized and black tea is fully oxidized. This makes a big difference in flavor—black tea is bolder, more robust, and has a higher caffeine content than oolong. Oolong is pleasantly earthy with subtle floral or fruity notes depending on the variety, and it contains significantly less caffeine than black tea.

We hope this guide to oolong tea has answered all your questions. With its unique flavor profile and multiple health benefits, it is definitely worth giving a try! Whether you’re looking for an energizing morning pick-me-up or a relaxing evening cup of tea, oolong is the perfect beverage choice. So why not start brewing some today? Enjoy!

Conclusion

Oolong tea has been enjoyed for centuries for its unique flavor profile and numerous health benefits. Whether you’re looking for an energizing pick-me-up or just want to enjoy something delicious without worrying about the health implications of your beverage choice – oolong might be exactly what you need! So if you’ve ever wondered “what is oolong tea?” now you know – it’s a great way to both nourish your body and satisfy your taste buds!

Sources

• https://www.academia.edu/download/44975899/Antioxidative_Activities_of_Oolong_Tea20160421-7519-4z63mc.pdf
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213453015000555
• https://jech.bmj.com/content/jech/65/3/230.full.pdf?cited-by=yesl65/3/230&related-urls=yesl65/3/230