We previously wrote an earlier post that briefly mentioned this wonderful healing tea. Literally translated as “black dragon”, oolong tea is produced by oxidizing the tea leaves for a brief period after picking. Oolong tea is also known as brown tea, and is less fermented than brown tea. This tea is packed with vitamins and minerals such as calcium, copper, carotin, manganese, selenium and potassium Vitamin A,B,C,E,and K. It is also rich in antioxidants called polyphenals and flavanoids which reduce cell-damaging free radical activity and is credited for the primary reason of oolong tea’s effectiveness. Oolong tea also contains tannins, which is a type of polyphenal that may reduce inflammation.
According to a study conducted at the Shiga University of Medical Science in Japan , oolong tea is so effective because of the anti- allergenic properties of the polyphenals. The subjects of the study drank three 10ml servings of the tea 3 times a day after meals. After one month, 63% of the tested patients showed improvement, and the effect was noticed as early as 1 or two weeks of treatment. Another study of 100 patients showed that drinking a liter of oolong tea a day improved itching and inflammation.
Oolong tea is so promising because so many eczema sufferers testify to it’s effectiveness. There is one word of caution, however: caffeine. If you find that caffeine is an eczema trigger, try decaffeinated oolong tea, or you can decaffeinate it yourself. Steep a teabag for 45 seconds in hot water, then pour out the liquid. Add more hot water and steep normally. This process releases up to 80 percent of the caffeine and the tea’s aroma and flavor is maintained.
Happy tea drinking!
Eczema Remedy Spotlight