Oolong Schmoolong?

I have been hearing a lot about oolong tea lately, and I am here to find out if it’s really all it’s cracked up to be. First of all, I have to say that the only tea that I drink is black tea with milk and sugar. I have tried other teas like green tea and chamomile, and I just don’t like them compared to my comforting cup of goodness. So I wasn’t too pumped about the idea of cheating on my black tea, but for the sake of this blog, I am willing to venture out. Since finding out about oolong tea, I have started drinking a cup a day (this will be my second week). I have to say it’s quite good, and I don’t even have to doctor it up with milk and sugar.

I did some research on oolong and here is what I found:

Are oolong, wu long, wulong, and wulung all the same tea? Yes they are. Due to some translation differences you may see each of these names, but oolong is the name most commonly used.

What are the health benefits?
· In my research, I have found that oolong tea contains antioxidants which inhibit free radicals that can cause cancer
· It helps you lose weight by speeding up your metabolism and blocking fat absorption
· A 2001 Japanese study found that participants lowered their cholesterol after drinking oolong tea for one month
· Another study done in 2004 found that drinking both oolong and green tea can lower high blood pressure
· Oolong tea inhibits bacteria which can cause tooth decay

What is the downside?
· Tea does contain caffeine (although far less than coke)
· Too much tea can cause yellow teeth - I would imagine you would have to drink tea like you breathe to get your pearly whites a shade of school bus yellow. But to prevent this scenario from happening you could brush your teeth after you drink your tea, or you could use a teeth whitening kit if you notice any discoloring

Bottom line, drinking oolong tea can do a lot for your health, it tastes good, and it’s relaxing! My tea kettle is whistling. I gotta go!