Data from Japan show drinking oolong tea may help your body burn fat, independent of the effects of caffeine. Around the world, tea is one of the most popular beverages, second only to water. In popularity, 84 percent of tea consumed is black; 15 percent is green; and the remaining 1 percent is split between oolong, white, and dark teas. (1)
Oolong in the Evening Burns Fat at Night
A recently published study from a team of researchers at the University of Tsukuba in Japan found that drinking oolong tea can help your body burn fat, even while you’re sleeping. (3) The study took place over 14 days and engaged 12 non-obese men who drank either oolong tea, caffeine, or a placebo at breakfast and lunch each day.On Day 14, 24-hour measurements were recorded. The researchers found that drinking caffeine or oolong tea raised fat burning by approximately 20 percent without any effect on energy expenditure. (4)
The researchers also found drinking two cups of oolong tea per day did not interfere with the participants’ sleep habits. Past research has demonstrated caffeine at greater than 100 milligrams (mg) can increase energy expenditure, but in the present study the amount of caffeine ingested did not increase energy expenditure.
This suggested to the researchers that the participants became tolerant over the two weeks of routine caffeine ingestion. While the researchers did measure fat burning, they noted two weeks was not a long enough duration to assess the effects this intervention could have on body composition. “Like all teas, oolong contains caffeine, which impacts energy metabolism by increasing our heart rate,” wrote the study authors. (6)
They note that studies suggest drinking tea could increase fat breakdown, independent of caffeine’s effect.
“We therefore wanted to examine the effects of oolong consumption versus caffeine alone on energy and fat metabolism among a group of healthy volunteers.”
“The stimulatory effects of oolong tea on fat breakdown during sleep could have real clinical relevance for controlling body weight. However, we need to determine whether the effects we observed in the 2-week study translate into actual body fat loss over a prolonged period,” they write.
Green, Black or Oolong?
Although the health benefits of green tea are well covered, black tea is the most commonly consumed tea in the United States. As the health benefits of oolong tea are not as well publicized, one team of researchers set out to assess how well a group of dental students understood the benefits of oolong tea. (7)All black, green, oolong, and dark and white teas are all made from the leaves of the same tree, an evergreen named Camellia sinensis. (8) Of course, people make teas from other herbs and plants, but technically speaking those are more accurately called “tisanes.” The difference in the taste and color of actual tea happens when the leaves are processed. But, no matter which type of tea it is, or whether it’s caffeinated or decaf, it’s only 24 hours from the time tea leaves are picked until they’re packed.(9)
Before processing starts, the tea leaves are graded and sorted. The most common method of processing tea leaves is the orthodox method during which the leaves go through four stages, including withering, rolling, oxidation, and drying.
It’s in the oxidation stage that the color, taste, and strength of the tea is determined. The leaves are laid out and left at 26 degrees Celsius (78.8 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 to 120 minutes. During this time, oxidation occurs, which changes the color of the leaves.
Oolong Shifts Salivary and Gut Microbiota
In addition to raising fat metabolism, oolong tea also has an impact on your oral and gut microbiota. One study, published in the journal Nutrients, evaluated the oral microbiota of three healthy adults who drank 1 liter (33 ounces) of tea daily for eight weeks. (11) Before the intervention, during the treatment, and after the study, the participants’ salivary microbiota were sampled, sequenced, and analyzed.“[O]olong tea consumption reduced salivary bacterial diversity and the population of some oral disease related bacteria, such as Streptococcus sp., Prevotella nanceiensis, Fusobacterium periodonticum, Alloprevotella rava, and Prevotella elaninogenica,” the authors wrote. (12)
One study published in Food Research International demonstrated the compounds commonly found in oolong tea, including epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), (-)-gallocatechin gallate (GCG) and epigallocatechin‐3‐(3”‐O‐methyl) gallate (EGCg3”Me),(13) modulated bacterial growth in the intestines. (14) They inhibited the growth of harmful bacteria and helped beneficial bacteria to proliferate.
A second study evaluated the effect tea had on gut microbiota in light of the known anti-obesity properties. (15) The results of this animal model suggested drinking tea substantially increases the diversity and structure of gut microbiota, which may have an impact on fat burning.
More Health Benefits Associated With Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is also rich in antioxidants—beneficial compounds that help reduce the effects of free radicals and reactive oxygen species. (17) This plays a role in the development of various diseases, including diabetes, stroke, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis.One study evaluated the effect of oolong tea on bone mineral density in 476 postmenopausal women. (18) They were questioned about their lifestyle, types of tea they drink, demographic features, and health status.
When researchers compared the tea drinkers against the non-tea drinkers, they found those drinking oolong tea had higher bone mineral density. It was significantly higher in those who drank one to five cups of tea per day but did not go up for those drinking more than five cups per day.
In a review of the literature, researchers identified an increase in insulin activity. (20) This occurred with black, green, and oolong teas with an increase in insulin activity of at least 15-fold in laboratory fat cell assays. Oolong tea also reduced plasma glucose and is believed to be an effective adjunctive treatment of Type 2 diabetes.
EGCG Helps Improve Zinc Absorption
During flu season and the COVID-19 pandemic, it bears remembering that the epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)—a unique plant compound found in green, black, and oolong tea—can help improve absorption of zinc. Zinc is an essential mineral and a cofactor for nearly 3,000 proteins in the body. (23)In addition to this, zinc is crucial for healthy immune functioning. Zinc deficiency has been shown to impair your immune function(24) as it modulates cell mediated immunity and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and antioxidant. (25)
Although there’s no cure for viral infections, your body uses a process to fight viruses that includes zinc. Zinc has also demonstrated the ability to reduce the length of a cold by an average of 33 percent. (26)
The hydroxychloroquine acts as an ionophore, driving zinc into the cells where it can impair the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA virus. (28) Beyond immune health, zinc has an impact on wound healing, age-related macular degeneration, sense of smell and taste, (29), and blood sugar balance. (30)
EGCG is a major polyphenol component found in tea and has demonstrated the ability to act as a zinc ionophore, transporting zinc across the cell membrane. (31) A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry used a lab model to demonstrate EGCG and quercetin (a flavonol present in many fruits and vegetables ) could rapidly increase levels of zinc in cells in the laboratory. (32)
Get the Most From Your Tea
While drinking oolong tea is healthy, using tea bags adds a level of toxins you don’t want. Tea bags may be more convenient, but many are made with heat resistant polypropylene that prevents the bag from breaking apart in hot water and releases minute pieces of plastic in each drink. (33)- Use fresh, pure filtered water. Do not use distilled water as it will give your tea a flat flavor.
- In general, the tea should be steeped between 180 degrees and 200 degrees Fahrenheit for one to three minutes.
- Oolong teas can be used multiple times. With each cup, the leaves open a little more, which releases more flavor. You may be able to get up to five uses out of a high-quality tea.
- Oolong tea tastes best after steeping for a short time, so it’s a good idea to taste it after the recommended time before deciding to steep it longer.
- Cover the tea while it steeps to keep all the heat in the vessel and try drinking it without any additives, such as milk or sugar, to improve the health benefits and appreciate the handcrafted flavor of the tea.
- 1 Tea Association of the U.S., Tea Fact Sheet 2019-2020
- 2 Tea Association, State of the U.S. Tea Industry, 2019
- 3, 5 Nutrients, 2020;12(12)
- 4 Study Finds, January 8, 2021
- 6 University of Tsukuba, December 23, 2020
- 7 PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt and Egyptology, 2020;17(7)
- 8 Tea Association, Tea Fact Sheet 2019-2020
- 9 Twinnings, How Tea Is Made
- 10 Teatulia, What Is Oolong Tea, Origins
- 11, 12 Nutrients, 2020;12(4)
- 13 Food Science and Nutrition, 2019;7(8)
- 14 Food Research International, 2013;54(2)
- 15 Food and Function, 2016;7:4869
- 16 Journal of Food Science and Technology, 2018;55(1)
- 17 International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2007;8(12)
- 18 Archives of Osteoporosis, 2020;15(49)
- 19 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2008;88(1)
- 20 Food Science and Human Wellness, 2015;4(4)
- 21 Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2011;65(3)
- 22 Stroke, 2009;40(7)
- 23 Biometals, 2011;24(3)
- 24 NIH Zinc Fact Sheet, Zinc Deficiency
- 25 Advances in Nutrition, 2013;4(2)
- 26 JRSM Open, 2017;8(5):20542704
- 27 American College of Rheumatology, Hydroxychloroquine
- 28 PLOS|One, 2014;9(10)
- 29 NIH Zinc Fact Sheet, Zinc Deficiency Zinc
- 30 DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015; 23(1)
- 31 Royal Society of Chemistry, 2018;8
- 32 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2014;62(32)
- 33 Washington Post, September 27, 2019
- 34 Golden Moon Tea, Did You Know Tea Bags Contain Toxic Material?
- 35 Teatulia, What is Oolong Tea?