Wu Long Tea

The claims are unfounded. (Wu lung and oolong are just variants on the transliteration of the same Chinese ideogram.)

As for weight loss, there is zero reliable scientific evidence to support the claim. That said, anyone who switches from coffee with cream or tea with sugar and milk to any whole leaf tea will be making a small and positive contribution to weight control. A cup of tea is maybe 1-2 carbs, 0 fats and 0 sodium. There are several hundred oolong available on line; it's a wonderful type of tea with many variants in style and flavor.

Here goes: Wu-long IS oolong (for all intents and purposes. The stuff being marketted as "Wu-long for Weight Loss" tends to be really poor quality oolong sprayed with artificial flavours to appeal (or hoodwink) the American market that tends to jump on a "quick-fix" bandwagon and loves artificially flavoured anything. ALL tea supports metabolic balance. Pu-erh studies have held up favorably to all the cholesterol and fat metabolism questions. Green tea is full of polyphenols (all tea has polyphenols) and tea, in general, has an amino acid (L-theanine)that helps with emotional well- being. A cup of tea at the end of a meal does have positive metabolic qualities. Tell her to buy a decent quality oolong or pu-erh (discover a type she really enjoys), brew it properly, and have a cup or a small pot. Tea, like anything, needs to be appreciated in moderation. There are a few drawbacks to having too much of a good thing. (see the archives). Happy sipping! Shen, N.D.

BTW, just checked out the link: there is no real description of the quality of the tea and this vendor hass yet to mentioned on this list. That would be a sign for me since vendors are really grilled by the pros here as to ethics, fairness and quality. Shen

For fun, I went and talked to the online help folks that represent the company. As predicted, they weren't able to supply any information on the tea, when I asked what sort of Oolong it was, they took about 10 minutes, got another representative on the line, and the sum total of the info they had was 'it's from China'. According to the website there's nothing added, but according to their customer service they do add cinnamon at least. So, the company itself verifies in part what other posters here have said.

I like making people who represent something semi-bogus squirm a bit, so I enjoyed my conversation quite a lot.

This is really a shame. All over the web and all over eBay, people are selling this stuff and often for outrageous prices. I'm glad you questioned this vendor. God knows what's in all that stuff! I've seen it advertised with innumerable flavours. Cinnamon, btw, is often used in Chinese medicine as a warming spice and tends to stimulate the bowels. Maybe that's the "fast loss" component. Shen

I don't care what they put in it, nothing's going to make a person lose almost 5 pounds a week in any kind of healthy manner.

I drink more than three cups of da hong pao oolong tea a day these days...heh, it's not really making a difference for me. Other than tasting good. Which is all I ask of it. :)

Melinda

Ditto - all is does for me is make me run to the lav a few times more than normal ;-)) - but I feel great !

It's the same thing, yes.

This page basically tells nothing about the tea. Most "slimming teas" have something added to them to make them into a mild laxative, and are not pure tea. I can't see anything on this site saying that this is anything other than pure tea, though.

That said, tea CAN be an effective weight loss aid. Caffeine perks you up and gives you energy. The tea keeps you feeling full when you have not eaten. Tea is quiet and contemplative and gives you something to keep in your hand that isn't a doughnut.

--scott

Thanks! We have Oolong tea. It isnt loose leaf though. It comes in bags. I suppose to be a purist we should go loos leaf, right? What about stevia being used as a sweetner? Rob

The only scientific evidence I've seen supporting the weight loss claim from tea is the mild diuretic effect. Just in the couple past of years have I come to appreciate the fact that there is a tea for every food which helps the moderation. Probably the water volume curbs appetite more than the tea. I think in general people don't appreciate a glass of water and how much better it tastes with tea. I consume about three liters a day which means I don't have time for gongfu. As I always say if it keeps me alive another day longer for another 3 liters it didn't cost me anything extra except what I would have spent anyway. I think the pollution argument is the same for any food supply. I don't understand why Joe Camel is less cool than Coke teaching the world to sing.

Jim

I dunno. Try it in bags and see. If you don't like it, try loose leaf.

Sweeteners are bad, and hide the taste of the tea. If you think you need a sweetener, something is wrong (most often the tea is too tannic).

--scott

Try it. Take a control group drinking sugary sodas, and a test group drinking oolong tea, and I bet a dollar that you see a difference between the two groups.

--scott

Sure, I'd bet there would be a difference too, but you're either masking or leaving out quite a few variables in such an experiment. First of all, sodas have hundreds of calories, tea doesn't (or has very few, anyway). Also, tea and sodas have dramatically different amounts of other ingredients, which could also effect weight loss/ gain.

A better experiment would be to have one group drink tea and one group drink water. This way, only one variable is changed: the ingredients (besides water) that one drinks in tea. I seriously doubt you will see much difference in weight loss between the groups, assuming they have similar lifestyles, exercise routines, diets, etc.

Geez.....................oolong in bags! Uck! Buy some good oolong. It goes very far and is not a major investment. You can get several infusions from a good tea that will hold flavour. Don't use stevia unless you absolutely have to - it's a very powerful taste that will overwhelm the delicacy and complexities of a good oolong. Look at it as an investment in your well-being, emotionally and physically. And, yes - there are innumerable studies of tea as a health benefit. Do an NIH search or Medline or JAMA or Lancet......... it is full of bioflavanoids and lingams. 2% of a tea leaf is embodied with L-theanine. There are benefits alone from the fact that it is alkaline. Soda pop is not. Pop is full of phosphates that destroy bone stability and waste minerals. Personally, I have lost weight since tea became the primary beverage in my life. One thing I do know for sure is that I slow down. I relish the entire ritual of tea-making, sipping, and actually being aware of what's in my mouth. That awareness alone enhances the experience of eating and drinking and supports a more conscious attitude toward your body's well-being. I would also check out all the pu-erh studies done in China that show real effects of pu-erh on cholesterol and saturated fats. Be well. Shen

With regard to the health benefits, sure, I think tea is extremely healthy, and I also think drinking tea inspires one to be healthier in other ways. My real question is whether tea, independent of lifestyle changes, causes weight loss. Now that you mention it, I do remember reading something about pu-erh and lipid metabolism, but aside from that I don't know of any studies that have proven tea to be an effective weight loss supplement. If there are such studies I'd be interested in seeing them, because this really does seem to be a big topic right now (hence, Oprah).

With regard to the health benefits, sure, I think tea is extremely healthy, and I also think drinking tea inspires one to be healthier in other ways. My real question is whether tea, independent of lifestyle changes, causes weight loss. Now that you mention it, I do remember reading something about pu-erh and lipid metabolism, but aside from that I don't know of any studies that have proven tea to be an effective weight loss supplement. If there are such studies I'd be interested in seeing them, because this really does seem to be a big topic right now (hence, Oprah).

Yes, that's the point. By drinking tea, you're NOT drinking soda and eating doughnuts. It gives you something to put in your mouth and hold in your hand and think about. The tea itself isn't necessarily causing any weight loss, but being more serene might.

--scott

Ah, I see what you mean now. I originally thought you were saying the tea causes weight loss (the way the company linked above claims oolong is the "World's Most Powerful Fat Burner") independent of other factors, but now that I look back at the earlier posts I realize that's not what you meant.

-Brent

Ah, I see what you mean now. I originally thought you were saying the tea causes weight loss (the way the company linked above claims oolong is the "World's Most Powerful Fat Burner") independent of other factors, but now that I look back at the earlier posts I realize that's not what you meant.

-Brent