Hangzhou Green-Rock Tea Co., Ltd.

For years, studies in China and Japan have shown that the folklore about tea does contain some truth -- it does promote longer life. Japanese smokers have only half the lung cancer rate as American smokers. In areas of Japan where the most tea is drunk, the rate of stomach cancer is the lowest. In a study of 6,000 Japanese women, those who drank 5 cups or more of green tea per day cut their risk of strokes by 50 percent. "Drinking tea with meals in Japan and China," says a cancer researcher at the University of British Columbia, "is thought to be a major reason for low cancer rates in these countries."
Long-term consumption of black tea -- the kind that most Americans and Europeans drink -- and of other foods such as apples containing chemicals called flavonoids was associated with a much lower risk of stroke in a study of 552 Dutch men. Flavonoids are natural vitaminlike compounds. They make blood cells called platelets less prone to clotting, and act as antioxidants, countering the artery-damaging potential of highly reactive free radical chemicals.
In the study, men with a high flavonoid intake had a 73 percent lower risk of stroke during 15 years of follow-up, compared with men with a low intake of flavonoids. The men in the study got about 70 percent of their flavonoids from drinking black tea.
Men who drank more than 4.7 cups of tea a day had a 69 percent reduced risk of stroke compared with men who drank less than 2.6 cups a day, said the researchers of the National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection in Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
Tea also helps prevent tooth decay in several ways. It contains a solid dose of fluoride and works better than the antibiotic tetracycline. According to researchers at the Tokyo Dental College, it fights the kinds of bacteria in the mouth that cause gum disease and the eventual loss of the teeth. It also kills the greatest cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth, Streptococcus mutans.
In addition, researchers in Australia announced that a cup of tea could be the next weapon in the fight against skin cancer. A study by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization revealed that mice made to sip black tea suffered 54 percent fewer cancers than those that drank water. Both sets of test animals were exposed to levels of ultraviolet rays that an average Australian receives.
Earlier studies on black tea have shown that it can be effective against some forms of cancer and may even prevent heart and liver disease. Properties in green and black tea called antioxidants are thought to be active agents against skin cancer. In the past 10 to 15 years, a growing body of research has shown that foods and vitamins with a strong anti-oxidant effect may reduce the risk of many diseases, including cancer and aging.
Human trials using black tea as a preventative against skin cancer began in Australia in 1997.
 

Oolong Tea Health Benefits #1:
Act as antioxidants.
Free radicals are linked to many signs of aging, including wrinkles, dark spots and certain diseases, even cancers.
They are everywhere - in the air we breathe, the food we eat and even the sunlight.
Tea contains antioxidants that mop up the free radicals before they can hurt us.
A 2003 study conducted by Kenichi Yanagimoto compares green tea, oolong tea and black tea for their antioxidant activities.
He found green tea to be the most potent antioxidant, followed by oolong tea, then black tea.
Green tea blocked oxidation by almost 100% over 40 days.
Oolong tea blocked oxidation by 50% over 15 days.
Black tea showed only slight antioxidant activities.

Oolong Tea Health Benefits #2:
Promote weight loss.
Oolong tea has a reputation for weight loss, and rightly so.
Scientific studies have found that it does so by increasing metabolism, burning fat and blocking dietary fat absorption.
There is a lot of hype about what it can do, with some vendors claiming that it can help lose 2 pounds of weight a week.
Wulong Tea Weight Loss - Better Than Green Tea?

Oolong Tea Health Benefits #3:
Promote heart health.
Oolong tea is good for the heart in several ways.
A 2007 American study found that it reduces blood concentrations of triglycerides (the most common form of fat that exists in the body) by a whopping 80% compared to rats on normal diet.
Another 2001 Japanese study found that it reduces cholesterol after 1 month of regular drinking.
A 2004 Japanese study conducted by Osaka City University found that oolong tea increases plasma adiponectin levels.
Low levels of plasma adiponectin are associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease (CAD).
The study concluded that oolong tea may have beneficial effects on the progression of atherosclerosis in patients with CAD.

 

Oolong Tea Health Benefits #4:
Treat skin disorders.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) skin disease, or eczema, causes the skin to become red, flaky and itchy.
Mild forms of eczema can be treated. But many people suffer from what is called the recalcitrant AD, which does not respond to conventional treatment.
Green tea has been known to be anti-allergic. Perhaps drinking oolong tea can help?
A 2001 study conducted by Uehara from Shiga University found that drinking oolong tea is good for recalcitrant AD.
118 patients participated in the study. They maintained their dermatological treatment, but also drank 1 litre of oolong tea (made from 10 grams of leaves) a day.
Beneficial effects were observed after 1 or 2 weeks.
63% of the patients showed marked to moderate improvements after 1 month.

Oolong Tea Health Benefits #5:
Complement diabetes treatment.
A 2003 Taiwanese study found that drinking oolong tea is helpful to diabetes patients.
20 patients participated in the study.
They suffered from type 2 diabetes and took the prescribed hyperglycemic drugs.
They drank either water or 1.5 litres of oolong tea daily for 30 days.
The scientists found that those who drank oolong tea experienced reductions in plasma glucose and fructosamine concentrations by 30% and 20% respectively.
Those who drank water experienced no changes.
The scientists concluded that oolong tea complements oral agents in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Oolong Tea Health Benefits #6:
Reduce high blood pressure.
A 2004 study by Yang found that drinking green and oolong tea for at least a year reduces high blood pressure.
Regular drinkers are 46% less likely to develop high blood pressure if they drink one-half to two-half cups a day.
They are 65% less likely to develop high blood pressure if they drink more than 2 cups a day.
Oolong Tea Health Benefits #7:
Inhibit bacteria. Prevent tooth decay.
A 1993 study conducted by Nakahara found that oolong tea inhibits the enzyme activities of bacteria streptococci.
The bacteria has been known to cause dental plaque to form on teeth, which can lead to dental caries.
Nakahara examined green tea, oolong tea and black tea in his study. He concluded that oolong tea extract "exhibits the most prominent inhibitory action among various tea extracts".

 

Pu-erh tea (pronounced "POO-air"), from Yunnan province in China, has long been considered a special delicacy and an indispensable part of daily health care. Many give this remarkable tea credit for restoring and maintaining good health. Generations of Chinese have drunk this tea after rich meals to "cut the grease." In the 1970’s Chinese doctors in Kunming reported clinical experiments in which drinking pu-erh was shown to lower cholesterol levels in the blood stream. French researchers at St. Antoine Hospital in Paris duplicated these results and found that three cups of pu-erh a day for a month brought lipids down 25 percent in 20 hyperlipidemia patients, while those on other teas showed no change. These tests showed pu-erh performed at least as well as clofibrate, the most advanced medicine for the purpose, without the drug’s side effects. It has since been shown to help reduce body weight by increasing the metabolism. Many report that drinking it after meals relieves any overstuffed feelings and aids digestion. The Chinese claim that pu-erh also can lower blood alcohol after drinking, prevent dysentery, and stimulate secretions from the spleen and other organs.
 

Research has shown that green tea may contain cancer-fighting agents, and certain herbal teas claim to combat or soothe many maladies.
Herbal teas, called tisanes, technically are not teas at all, but infusions of various herbs, flowers and spices instead of Camellia sinensis leaves. Many herbal teas use catchy names and packaging to enhance their appeal. Among them are: Allergy Season Tea by The Yogi Tea Co., Herbal Throat Tea by Celestial Seasonings, Steady Stomach by Herbal Comfort, and PMS Tea by Traditional Medicinals. As with anything, herbal teas should be consumed in moderation.