Green Tea vs. Oolong Tea Benefits

Comparing the Benefits of Tea Types
  Oolong tea is produced by allowing the tea leaves to oxidize for a short time after picking. Oxidation is the process which makes the leaves turn dark on exposure to oxygen.
  Oolong is semi-oxidized; black tea is fully oxidized; and green is un-oxidized.
  Fresh tea leaves are high in catechins. Processing the tea reduces these levels, so the more the tea is oxidized the lower the catechin levels. This means that white tea has the highest levels of catechins closely followed by green tea.
  Catechins are the media darling of green tea promoters and usually receive the most coverage when discussing the health benefits of tea. There is one point, however, which is often overlooked: As the levels of catechins decrease during oxidation, the levels of theaflavins and thearubigins increase.
  These two substances are found in higher concentrations in oolong and black tea than in green tea and have anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. A 2001 Chinese study indicated that the antioxidant properties of green tea and black tea are equal.
  So it appears that oxidation does not eliminate the health properties of tea, but simply reduces one type of antioxidant while increasing other health-promoting compounds.

Making a Case for Oolong Tea
  It is safe to say that all tea is good for you. Oolong in particular has been getting a lot of attention in medical literature. Consider the following
    ★ Diabetes - Oolong tea may be an effective adjunct to oral hypoglycemic agents in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
    ★ Eczema - Japanese researchers reported that patients with a form of eczema improved after drinking a liter of oolong tea daily.
    ★ Allergies - Two catechin derivatives (C-1 and C-2) with potent antiallergic activity were isolated from Taiwanese oolong tea.
    ★ Bacterial infections - Oolong tea polyphenols strongly inhibited the enzyme activities of some types of streptococci.
    ★ Cavities - Oolong tea polyphenolic compounds could be useful for controlling dental caries.
    ★ Obesity - Consumption of oolong tea stimulates both EE and fat oxidation in normal weight men.
    ★ Cancer - Oolong tea extract has a chemopreventive action against hepatocarcinogenesis.

· Wu-Long Tea ... Oolong Tea
· White Tea Benefits
· Black Tea: An Overview
· Health Benefits of Green Tea
· Pu-erh Tea
· Wu Yi Tea
· Rooibos Tea