Milk oolong tea (oolong): useful and harmful properties

Tea drinking traditions are common in every family; they determine the cultural values ​​of the nation and country. There are over a thousand brewing recipes that include not only brewing principles, but also a variety of formulations. The benefits and harms of milk oolong tea are the subject of controversy among many tea growers around the world.

What is this tea and how is it produced

This variety is an incompletely fermented tea leaf, which is an intermediate link between green and black teas. Oolong is believed to combine all the best properties green tea and useful qualities of black.

Fermentation technology of raw materials for tea has its own meaning and characteristics. Fermentation is the process of processing enzymes contained in raw materials. Under their influence, as well as under the influence of microorganisms produced during fermentation, the fermentation reaction begins. In this way, such popular drinks as ivan tea, puerh, cocoa are obtained.

The homeland of the variety is the southern and part of the northern provinces of China. The Chinese tea drinking culture began using this drink about 300 to 400 years ago. The best varieties are harvested in the Chinese highlands, and they are especially useful, as they have valuable properties, thanks to the mountainous clean air.

The varieties in their natural form are the ancestors of the dairy variety. The first description of milk oolong tea dates back to 1980. The type of fermentation determined the further existence, which brought popularity.

Connoisseurs claim that tea tastes like milk, which gives it a special aroma. In European countries, the name of milk tea sounds like "oooolong": nutritionists and experts around the world talk about the benefits of this variety.

The production of oolong has its own characteristics, the manufacturing technology endows it with valuable properties that benefit from the use:

1. The collection is carried out in adult bushes: full mature leaves, young shoots or buds are removed.
2. Drying leaves in the sun takes about an hour.
3. The dried raw materials are placed in baskets, laid in a thick layer and put in the shade - this is the beginning of the fermentation process.
4. Every hour the leaves are gently mixed, trying to maintain structure.
5. The degree of readiness is determined by specially trained people who interrupt the process and dry the leaves at a temperature of - 250 - 300 ° C.

The peculiarity of the technology is that natural fermentation is interrupted by artificial means. Drying at high temperature stops it completely. The degree of fermentation can fluctuate between 20 and 60%. Typically, milk oolongs result in a fermentation rate of about 40-50% at the output.

Milk flavor is added to oolong in one of the following ways:

1. Treatment of bushes with a solution of cane sugar with a milky flavor.
2. Adding milk whey to the finished raw material before packaging and storage.

The last method is traditional.

Vitamin and mineral composition of oolong tea

The mechanism of preparation according to the type of incomplete fermentation endows this type of milk tea with useful properties, which completely depend on what substances are preserved in the composition.

Experts say that the number of useful chemical compounds in oolongs reaches 400. The most basic are recognized:

• essential oils;
• polyphenols;
• caffeine;
• B vitamins;
• vitamins C;
• tocopherols;
• calciferols;
• microelements and macronutrients.

Benefits of Milk Oolong Tea

The benefits and harms of white or milk oolong tea depend on the properties of its constituents.

Essential oils, due to the properties of their chemical structure, are able to supply oxygen at the level of cells, they have the beneficial property of reducing the viscosity of the blood, increasing the speed of blood flow in the human body

Polyphenols are compounds that have the beneficial properties of protecting cells from free radicals, which is a sign of the antioxidant effect of milk tea.

The benefits of caffeine consumption are in the activation of heart activity, excitation of the nervous system, but these same properties can have possible harm if taken excessively.

Vitamins of group B are necessary for the body, as they affect metabolic processes, are responsible for the condition of hair, nails, skin. The lack of these elements leads to the development of anemias of various kinds.

Ascorbic acid is beneficial in the building of connective and bone tissue in the human body.

Tocopherols and calciferols are participants in the hydrocarbon chain, without them the metabolic process at the cellular level is impossible.

Micronutrient compounds also contribute to the health benefits of milk oolong tea. It contains elements of calcium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, magnesium.

The health benefits of milk green oolong tea are characterized by several properties:

• fortifying (tea increases the body's resistance, increases the immune defense);
• regenerating (promotes cell renewal);
• normalizing digestion (good for the intestines, cleanses it of toxins);
• reducing the risk of developing cancer (due to its ability to activate cell regeneration, it helps to eliminate the rudiments of harmful cell division).

Can pregnant and lactating women drink oolong tea?

Pregnant women and new mothers often worry about whether a product or drink might harm their baby. In the case of milk oolong tea, this concern is justified because it contains some caffeine, which means it has a tonic effect. Weakly fermented oolongs contain less caffeine than highly fermented varieties.

Doctors recommend that pregnant and lactating women be careful about everything they consume. The daily dose of milk tea for them is determined by 1 - 2 cups. If tea does not have a stimulating effect on the body, then you can slightly increase the amount of drink.

Is oolong tea good for children?

The introduction of adult drinks into the children's diet should be agreed with the pediatrician: they can be harmful to children's health.

If there are no special contraindications, then milk tea is offered to children from 2 years old in a weakly brewed form. It will not harm the body, but it can affect the quality of sleep, so it is better for children to drink oolong in the morning.

Slimming Milk Oolong Tea

This variety is in demand among those who strive for harmony. According to reviews, the use of 4 cups a day helps to get rid of a few extra pounds. The reason for this beneficial effect is hidden in the stimulation of metabolic processes in the body with milk tea.

Benefits of ginseng oolong tea

The product has its own beneficial properties.The production of this milk tea includes a stage of harvesting the second component - ginseng, the root extract of which is added to the dried oolong leaves. Tea is doused in dry herbal powder, where the ginseng root becomes the main useful component, then fermentation is stopped in the traditional way and raw materials are sent for packaging and storage.

Ginseng benefits the body as it has unique healing properties. Tea with ginseng tones, strengthens the immune system, promotes blood flow and increases the elasticity of blood vessels.

How to brew milk oolong

The drink has the specificity of brewing, which differs from the usual European one. Boiled water should be cooled down to 90 ° C. The tea is washed, poured over with hot water, tightly closed with a lid in a suitable container.

Connoisseurs of tradition recommend brewing oolongs in glass teapots to observe the process of opening the leaves. This is a mesmerizing sight.

How to drink milk oolong

Oolong people prefer to drink after meals, in no case washed down with sweets or desserts. This method is more beneficial for the reception. This tea can be a separate element of any meal, its useful end. By launching metabolic processes, oolong is beneficial to the body by helping to digest food.

Oolong is not recommended to drink before bedtime, as it has tonic properties, this can be harmful to those who suffer from nervous disorders.

To improve lactation

Breastfeeding mothers are advised to consume oolong-based drinks to improve lactation. More water is added to such tea, thereby minimizing the harm from the ingestion of caffeine. Warm, tasty drink with added cinnamon helps milk flow.

The benefits of oolong for mother's milk are in the additional saturation of nutrients

With gastritis

Diseases that are associated with digestion cause a lot of inconvenience. Foods and drinks that are included in the diet must be guaranteed to be beneficial and not harmful. Oolongs are drunk for indigestion, they are also indicated for gastritis.

Tea is drunk on an empty stomach, you can drink them up to 4 times a day without harming yourself.

With cholecystitis

Cholecystitis is characterized by the fact that the body has a violation of the outflow of bile. This is due to inflammatory processes in the gallbladder, which significantly affect health and harm all body systems.

Oolong tea is recommended to drink 1 - 2 times a day, before meals, which leads to the activation of the stomach and liver.

With pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is one of the types of inflammation of the pancreas. In the acute course of the disease, milk oolong tea can become a provocateur of pain, so it is better to refuse taking it.

In the chronic course of the disease, it is recommended to drink 1 cup a day, while the brew should be the fifth or sixth. This method will not do any harm.

With diabetes

For diabetes mellitus, oolong milk tea is recommended to be consumed without added sweeteners: thus, it can have significant benefits in reducing blood sugar.

The use of oolong tea in home cosmetology

The beneficial properties of milk oolong are actively exploited in the preparation of care products in home cosmetology.

For the face, masks are made based on brewed leaves and honey.

The hair is rinsed with a decoction of tea: this gives it shine.With regular use, hair loss can be stopped.

Rubbing your face with ice cubes made from tea daily can help relieve acne. The properties of tea prevent the spread of inflammation and remove the main lesions.

Tea lotions eliminate eye redness. The benefits lie in the prevention of dryness and burning around the eyes, this is due to the content of antioxidants in the tea leaves.

The harm of milk oolong and contraindications

Drinking in moderation is not harmful.

A careful reception is indicated for cholelithiasis.

The tonic properties of the drink can cause a sleepless night, so the last drink should be a few hours before bedtime.

How to choose the right oolong tea

The choice of tea variety depends on individual preferences: preference for low-fermented tea is for lovers of a less pronounced color of the drink. Highly fermented varieties have a dark green tint. The smell of tea depends on whether it is flavored or not.

The main difference between a drink and a counterfeit, which is available upon external examination, is its weight. Real milk oolong tea should be heavy. This is due to the fact that its leaves are curled and have more weight than conventional varieties.

Storing milk oolong tea

A special feature of oolongs is their economy of spending. Multiple leaves can be used to brew one portion, and the brew can be repeated.

They prefer to store such tea in glass jars with a tightly closed lid.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of milk oolong tea depend on the method of collection, on the conditions of its storage, the amount of consumption. When brewed correctly, the drink will give pleasure and benefit the body's systems. This is one of the elite varieties of tea, which has become popular due to its taste and useful properties.

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