Green tea has been celebrated as a super-slimming sip for a long time, with studies showing it can rev metabolic process and turn off fat storage. But did you know that there are also many oolong tea benefits benefits for weight loss?
Wanting to gain a deeper knowledge of green tea's effects, geneticist Sharon Moalem, PhD, author of The DNA Restart (Buy on Amazon, $16.79), traveled to Japan to satisfy with the world's leading tea researchers. What he found shocked him: “None of them were drinking green tea extract,” he explained. While that tea has great effects in lab trials, he discovered that the amount needed to provide the benefits often causes digestive distress. So, what were the scientists drinking? “Oolong tea,” says Dr. Moalem. “When I asked them why, i was told that it's easier around the stomach and richer in polyphenols.”
Research implies that oolong tea benefits can speed slimming as effectively or better than green tea extract. Oolong tea's unique mixture of polyphenols prods cells to lose calories more efficiently, asserts Moalem. In fact, Japanese researchers discovered that just one cup of oolong boosts metabolism by 20 % for two hours – nearly double the amount as three strong cups of green tea extract. Better still: Oolong promotes the burning of belly fat. In one study, oolong sippers lost 2 times more midsection fat compared to those who skipped the brew.
Oolong tea doesn't just melt fat fast – it helps maintain it for life. “Oolong blocks the discharge of the enzymes that break down fats to allow them to be stored,” says Moalem. “Instead, the fats go through you, undigested. While you absorb less fat, the body burns its way to obtain stored fat for energy.” Researchers found that drinking eight ounces of oolong with a meal cut fat absorption by 50 percent.
Oolong tea benefits for weight loss are just the start. “Once you start drinking oolong, you'll have the difference instantly,” promises Moalem. Research has shown that oolong dials down hunger by 36 percent for approximately 24 hours, plus lowers LDL “bad” cholesterol by 29 percent. Catechins unique to oolong are also shown to feed beneficial gut bugs, improving digestion and curbing blue moods by 20 percent. Indeed, the ladies that FIRST spoke to are convinced that sipping oolong increased their energy, eased aches, and curbed belly bloat.
To get the advantages of oolong tea benefits, Moalem recommends sipping 2 to 4 mugs daily. He notes that the tea offers the most potent dose of slimming polyphenols when it's prepared by pouring six ounces of boiling water over each tea bag (or 3/4 teaspoon of loose tea), then allowed to steep for a full two minutes. This process allows the tightly balled tea leaves to uncurl and release their antioxidants. “The best oolong tea bags will appear almost empty before they're wet. If they're packed too tightly, the leaves can't expand,” Dr. Moalem notes. One we like is Buddha Teas Organic Oolong (Buy on Amazon, $9.99), which comes loosely packed and it has a pleasing floral flavor. Tip: Though oolong could be pricier than green or black varieties, the leaves could be re-brewed as much as 5 times – just add Ten seconds onto the steeping here we are at each additional cycle
