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Wu-Long Tea - Oolong Tea Oolong is a traditional Chinese type of tea somewhere in between green and black in oxidation, ranging from 10% to 70% oxidation. In Chinese tea culture, semi-oxidized oolong teas are collectively grouped as qingcha, literally: blue-green tea. It has a taste more akin to green tea than to black tea: it lacks the aromatic, sweet aroma of black tea but it does not have the stridently grassy vegetal notes that typify green tea. The best Oolong has a nuanced flavor profile. It is commonly brewed to be strong and bitter, yet leaving a faintly sweet aftertaste. Oolong tea leaves are often processed and rolled into long curly leaves or into ball-like form similar to gunpowder tea. It is commonly served in Chinese restaurants, to accompany dim sum and other Chinese food. The word oolong means "black dragon" in Chinese; various legends describe the origin of this curious name. In one legend, the owner of a tea plantation was scared away from his drying tea leaves by the appearance of a black serpent; when he cautiously returned several days later, the leaves had been oxidized by the sun and gave a delightful brew. Another tale tells of a man named Wu Liang (later corrupted to Wu Long, or Oolong) who discovered oolong tea by accident when he was distracted by a deer after a hard day's tea-picking, and by the time he remembered about the tea it had already started to oxidise[3]. Others say that the tea is called "oolong" because the leaves look like little black dragons that wake when hot water is poured on them.
The Differences between the Three Types of Teas Teas contain a number of ingredients that have an influence on the human body. The quantities and percentages of these ingredients differ widely depending on the extent of fermentation. As can be seen from the table below, green tea contains a wealth of one ingredient called catechin while black tea contains a lot of theaflavin. Oolong tea contains a large quantity of polyphenol. According to research, it has become clear that polyphenol is the ingredient that generates the delicious flavor unique to oolong tea and also promotes beauty and health. What Is Polyphenol? In terms of chemistry, substances that have more than two phenol-based hydroxyl groups within a single molecule are generally called polyphenol, and there are many such substances. Thus, polyphenol is a general term for phenolic hydroxyl compounds and no single substance called polyphenol exists. Polyphenol has a wide variety of chemical substances with different effects and most varieties of polyphenol that are highly topical these days are the group of substances that have been known as tannin for a long time. Polyphenol Holds the Secret to the Power of Tea Tea contains a large amount of polyphenols. It has become clear that the health promotion benefit of tea is the effect of polyphenols, namely tannin. The Unique Characteristics of Polyphenols Contained in Tea Compared with those contained in other plants, the polyphenols found in tea leaves consist of many different kinds of small polyphenols, which are assumed to give it its unique effects. Oolong Tea Polyphenols Made in the semi-fermented process, oolong tea includes a wide variety of polyphenolic compounds and these different nutrients are probably integrated to bring great benefits to our bodies. For example, they are effective in reducing triglyceride and removing free radicals. Polyphenols have depth and breadth, and there still remains much more that we must find out about them.
Free radicals are substances that have become oxidized in the body. They are generated within the body in order to protect it from exogenous harmful factors. However, they are also formed when we are exposed to ultra-violet rays and stress, take in chemical food additives, smoke of tobacco, or when we are involved in too much exercise. It has also become clear that as we get older, the amount of free radicals within the body increases naturally. Free radicals damage the skin The skin is constantly exposed to free radicals that are formed by many different external factors. If no countermeasures are taken against free radicals, melanin pigmentation become dark spots, lipids that should keep the skin fresh turn into lipid peroxide, and the aging of the skin accelerates. Women in particular fear the negative effects of free radicals. SOD controls the effects of free radicals The human body's system is equipped with a natural mechanism to control the effects of free radicals and minimize their damage. This is an enzyme called SOD (superoxide dismutase). If this enzyme functions fully, it removes the free radicals that are formed within the body. But SOD is stored within the body and cannot be supplemented like other kinds of nutrition, such as vitamins. In order to strengthen SOD, we need to enhance its function by using something else. Polyphenol, which is found in oolong tea, plays an important role in this regard. The benefit of polyphenol in oolong tea has been confirmed by clinical trials. Polyphenol in oolong tea offers two functions (as does SOD), one of which is to enhance the function of enzymes and the other is to remove free radicals. In clinical trials, we asked people to drink oolong tea that was produced by infusing two packs of the tea in boiling water twice a day for three months, and we then measured any changes in the function of SOD before and after the intake of oolong tea. The results can be summarized as follows: 1. Continuous intake of oolong tea is effective in enhancing the effect of SOD within the body. 2. It is very effective in delaying the appearance of signs of aging, such as dark spots and wrinkles, by strengthening the effect of copper-zinc-SOD, which acts favorably within the cutaneous cells of the skin. 3. Oolong tea is also highly effective in improving both spleen energy-weak and kidney energy-weak symptoms as diagnosed in Chinese herbalism.
In China, tea has historically been used as a medicine. Many studies have been carried out up to the present day about the effects of tea. It has been known for some time that tea helps to control obesity and this is common knowledge in China. A Chinese classical pharmaceutical book called the Bencao Shiyi (The Compendium of Materia Medica) states, "Drinking tea for a long time will make one live long to stay in good shape without becoming too fat and too heavy." Obesity means excessive accumulation of fat within the system In modern medical science, obesity does not simply mean being overweight. Obesity is defined as an "excess accumulation of fat in the human body," indicating that "the amount of fat within the body has increased beyond its normal range." As shown in the chart, the normal range of fat against weight is 15-20% for a man and 20-25% for a woman. A man will be diagnosed as being obese if he has a fat-to-weight ratio of 25% or more, and for a woman, if she has a ratio of 30% or more. Excess triglyceride accumulates inside fat cells Why does obesity occur? The mechanism of obesity is like this. Among other food items taken into your body through meals every day, sugar and fat are synthesized into triglyceride in the liver and the small intestine, which are then carried in the bloodstream into various other tissues in the body. More triglyceride than any other kind of fat is contained in the human body and it is used as a source of energy for life support and physical activities. Excess amounts of triglyceride will be deposited within fat cells. This is the mechanism of fat metabolism in which an excess accumulation of triglyceride in the body causes obesity. Oolong tea enhances the function of fat metabolism Polyphenol in oolong tea is effective in controlling obesity. Specifically speaking, it activates the enzyme that is responsible for dissolving triglyceride. It has been confirmed that the continuous intake of oolong tea contributes to enhancing the function of fat metabolism and to controlling obesity Laboratory experiments demonstrate that oolong tea helps to prevent obesity Experiments using laboratory animals were conducted to verify the effect of oolong tea on the prevention of obesity. Rats were used in the experiments. They were divided into three groups: one was a control group that was given normal feed and water; another was given high calorie feed containing extra fat and water; while the third group was given the same kind of high-calorie feed but with oolong tea as a drink. All the rats weighed the same before the experiments but weighed differently six weeks later according to their groups. The two groups of high calorie-fed rats gained more weight than the control group of rats fed with the normal feed, and no weight difference was observed between the two groups of high-calorie fed rats. But when the fat cells of the two groups of rats were compared, the quantity of the visceral fat and that of the subcutaneous fat of the group of rats that was given oolong tea was smaller than that of the other group. It was also proven that even when rats were given fatty food, if they were also given oolong tea, they were prevented from becoming obese without any effect on their growth. Clinical Test on Obese People A clinical test was carried out on 75 people between 22 and 68 years old who were obese merely because of overeating and/or lack of physical exercise. They were asked to consume a drink made by infusing two packs of oolong tea in water, once in the morning and once in the afternoon for six weeks. They were also asked to refrain from receiving any dietary treatment or taking any exercise. Thickness of subcutaneous fat decreased Echography sensors were placed at a spot 3 cm to the right of the naval of each of the subjects to measure the thickness of their subcutaneous fat. Compared with readings before the test, the thickness of subcutaneous fat decreased by about 4 mm on average after completion of the test program. As for triglycerides, the serum triglyceride level in some people who had a level higher than the standard before the test clearly fell after the test. It was also confirmed that the serum total cholesterol level in some people who had a level higher than the standard before the test clearly dropped and improved. In addition, 67% of those who participated in the test lost weight. Through the animal and clinical tests, it was confirmed that the continuous intake of oolong tea promotes the function of fat metabolism and contributes to controlling obesity. Oolong Tea Prevents Tooth Decay and Atopic Dermatitis. According to the Department of Dentistry, Osaka University, consuming polyphenol found in oolong tea contributes to the reduction of tooth decay significantly and is effective in preventing the occurrence of such decay. The Department of Dermatology, Shiga University of Medical Science carried out research into its effect on atopic dermatitis and discovered that 64% of sufferers of atopic dermatitis reported an improvement in their skin condition. This indicates that oolong tea is very effective regarding atopic dermatitis.
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| Green Tea |
Oolong Tea - Wu-Long Tea |
Black Tea |
|
| Caffeine |
*** |
*** |
*** |
| Tannin |
**** |
**** |
**** |
| Catechin |
**** |
** |
* |
| Polyphenol |
* |
**** |
*** |
| Teaflavin Tearubigin |
* |
** |
**** |
