Oolong Tea Health Benefits, Uses And Its Side Effects

Oolong tea is separate category of tea that doesn’t come under black or green tea. Yet oolong tea can have the characteristics of either black or green tea depending on the oxidization and processing of the tea leaf.

A black tea is fully oxidized while green tea is barely oxidized and the oxidation level in oolong can range between 8% to 80%. Camellia Sinensis Plant is the source of oolong tea as well as the black and green tea. The oolong tea leaves are traditionally rolled, twisted or curled into tight balls or thin strand.

Oolong tea is a natural anti-oxidant that has rich amount of important minerals such as calcium, manganese, copper, selenium and potassium. Oolong tea does have caffeine but with almost zero calories and no fat, it is a blessing for obese and people on diet.

Oolong tea also contains slight amounts of vitamin A,B,C,E and K. Folic acid, niacinamide and other detoxifying alkaloids are also present in trace amounts.

Mentioned below are the best health benefits of drinking oolong tea. Start drinking oolong tea to deal with common skin problems such as skin rash, irritation, and itchiness. Powerful antioxidants and minerals of herbal oolong tea used for a face mask. We also discuss the side effects of oolong tea and cultivation details also.

Only China and Taiwan uses oolong tea as a daily beverage while most of its consumption globally is only because of the medicinal value it has. Type 2 diabetic patient are given oolong tea as additional medicine on top of the prescribed drugs. It is also used as a remedy for eczema especially atopic dermatitis.

It also finds importance in treating osteoporosis, tooth decay, cardiovascular diseases and reducing stress.

The presence of caffeine is the only point of concern when it comes to its side effects. Different people have different level of caffeine tolerance but still high level of caffeine consumption can expose you to various health issues. It may range from mild to serious headaches, nervousness, sleep problem, irritability, diarrhea, vomiting, heartbeat fluctuation, heartburn, dizziness, tremor, ringing in the ears, convulsions and confusions.

The origin of oolong tea is a conflicting one. Majority of the people claims it to be Chinese while some claim it to be originated from Taiwan.

The only difference between the oolong tea of both the countries is that the Chinese oolong is oxidized more leaning towards the characteristics of black tea, while the oolong tea from Taiwan is less oxidized leaning towards green tea in characteristics. Whatever the reason for differences be, there is no denying the fact that it belonged to that mountain region of China and Taiwan. Hence it is cultivated in high mountainous regions over rocky terrain in cool temperatures.

However, oolong tea is now being cultivated in different parts of the world as well. India, sri lanka, new Zealand, japan and Thailand are some countries producing oolong teas. The cultivation process also varies from place to place. Some are grown in remote mist-covered mountains, while others in temperate bamboo-forested foothills. Some are being harvested in spring while some in winters.