Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is, together with green, white and black tea, a variety of tea obtained from the Camelia Sinensis plant. The Oolong tea, called by Chinese people Wulong or blue tea, is a semi-fermented tea, indeed, the fermentation process is stopped with different mechanisms such as shaking the leaves in boxes. This tea is between black and green tea: it has the healthful properties of the green tea but the sweet taste of black tea. According to a scientific study performed by the University Chung-Hsing of Taiwan, oolong tea can be helpful against some carcinogenic substances. This type of tea has antioxidants, useful to counteract the aging processes and the action of the free radicals, mineral salts such as calcium, potassium, selenium and copper, and vitamins such as vitamin A, B, C, E and K. Thanks to caffeine and catechins, that are a type of antioxidants, oolong tea helps lose weight. Moreover, a study of 2001 published on the Journal JAMA Dermatology and carried out by a group of Japanese researchers, has demonstrated that oolong tea brings benefits in the treatment of eczema: drinking three cups of tea a day should be able to improve the skin in a couple of weeks. Oolong tea is also helpful in order to protect teeth and bones, to prevent osteoporosis and to control blood sugar. For what concerns preparation the water temperature should be around 80-95°C and the infusion time 5 minutes. Once the water reaches the temperature, remove it from heat and pour the tea: a teaspoon of tea leaves each cup plus another teaspoon for the teapot. Do not add milk or sugar in order to preserve all the benefits of the drink, but if you don’t like it you can sweeten with a little honey.