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the truth about wu long tea

wu long, or oolong tea, has been around for a long time, but lately, there's been a growing buzz about the tea and its ability to help with weight loss. it's time to take a look at the facts and see what all the hype is about.

the study that set it all off was published in august of 2003 in the journal of medical investigation titled, "oolong tea increases energy metabolism in japanese females" [full article].

this study sought to follow up on an earlier (and lesser known) study involving 120 japanese women who consumed oolong tea for 6 weeks and saw a reduction in weight. in the current study, the intent was to compare the effects of oolong tea to green tea, the traditional choice of the japanese.

the study was conducted by the university of tokushima school of medicine along with several other japanese universities. it involved 11 japanese women who consumed either water, green matcha tea, or oolong tea after a meal. the results were interesting. oolong tea appeared to increase energy expenditure by 10%, green tea by 4%, and water not at all. this means that you burn more fat when you drink oolong or green tea after a meal.

the study also found that oolong tea has half the caffeine of green tea and half the levels of EGCG, green tea's cancer killing compound. the level of polymerized polyphenols was higher in oolong tea and is loosely associated with the weight loss results by the authors. all other polyphenol levels were identical between green and oolong tea. the differences between the two were seen as a result of the different processing performed on the teas.

it is amazing how quickly oolong tea has been marketed as a weight loss miracle. even more interesting is the fact that the name it has been marketed under is wu-long tea, one of many variations of the spelling of oolong tea. as if it was somehow unique from the oolongs we have all enjoyed for so long.

but hype aside, it does appear that there is yet another benefit to our favorite teas. it looks like we drink green tea for its cancer fighting ability (EGCG) and oolong, excuse me, wu long tea for its fat burning ability. of course, oolong tea is my favorite kind of tea with its wonderfully complex flavor profiles and variety. its my daily choice

More facts
There are three main types of tea made from the tea bush. These are black teas, which are fully oxidised before drying; green teas, which are unoxidised; and Oolongs, which are somewhere in the middle and combine the best qualities of both.

A good Oolong is both refreshing and delicious; the Oolong spectrum has a range of aromas and tastes quite distinct from anything you get with green or black tea - from the delicate, nearly-green Pouchong through rich and subtle mid-range Oolongs like Ti Kuan Yin and on to teas which border on black.

The average cup of Oolong has around half as much caffeine as a cup of black tea, and about half again as much as a cup of green tea.

Although they combine features of black and green teas, their flavour has little in common with either. Unless over-brewed, most Oolongs show almost no trace of bitterness, and generally have a stronger aroma than almost any green or black tea.

Like other tea, Oolong is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols. These help prevent cancer, keep the heart healthy and aid general well-being.