Oolong-Cha

As I live with the walking evidences everyday, e.g. slim and beautiful skinned women and even men, healthy oldies (heck, my manager who is past his 60 is still active in the business and even monkey-business and his menopause-d wife is even healthier than my mother who haven't reached that stage yet), I couldn't help but believe that their tea-drinking habit is the key to their health and beauty secret.

I hardly see the Japanese drink plain water, they usually quench their thirst or pair their meals with a cup of green tea or the brown-colored Oolong tea. It's even easier to find an Oolong tea container than a normal water jug or "pitsel" from the hundred yen shop. Green tea is popular around the world but Oolong is the household tea here. They serve it in restaurants, fast foods for free. Even in anime, you see the characters drinking a glass of brown water. These are what triggered my curiosity with Oolong-cha.

The taste is kinda weird but I'd love to give this tea a chance in our daily diet. I was about to buy a pack but because it's not as cheap as the green tea because it always comes in at least 30 bags (no trial pack). I figured I had to research about more about its health benefits and see if it's worth it.

And this is what I found:

Weight Loss

• Scientists from Japan's University of Tokushima School of Medicine found that people who regularly consumed oolong tea experienced more than twice the calorie-burning results compared to those who drank green tea.

• A study published in the Journal of Medical Investigation found that women who consumed wu-long tea directly after a meal increased energy expenditure by 10%. This compared to an energy expenditure of 4% for green tea drinkers and 0 for water drinkers.

• Researchers at the Suntory Research Center in Osaka, Japan found that drinking wu long tea 15 minutes before eating foods high in carbohydrates curbed rises in insulin, thus reducing some of the fattening effects of carbohydrate intake.

Better Skin Condition

• Researchers from Japan's Shiga University of Medical Science found that drinking wu long each day helps to clear up skin problems within one month.

• Dr. Kenichi Yanagimoto and colleagues from the University of California found that people who drank wu long tea on a daily basis experienced a fifty-percent reduction in free radicals within 15 days.

  Free radicals are damaging substances in the body that contribute to signs of aging, including wrinkles and dark spots that are caused by ultra-violet rays, chemical food additives, pollution and stress.

Healthy Teeth

• A study by the Department of Dentistry at Japan's Osaka University showed that regular consumption of oolong tea strengthens teeth and helps prevent tooth decay by inhibiting the build-up of plaque.

Stronger Immune System

• According to a study published in Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, test subjects who consumed wu long were found to have stronger immune systems and a reduced risk for infections.

I guess I have to start filling my pink Oolong jug not just with water but with a bag of this promising tea.