Is Oolong the Secret Behind Youthful Skin? Share
Feb 28th, 2009 by Caitlin Ryan
Asian women tend to have beautiful, flawless skin for many years. Aging seems to be on hold in many Asian regions. How do they achieve this? Would you not love to know about their many secrets such as oolong tea?
Asian women tend to live cleaner lives. They consume better diets and are generally exposed to less environmental toxins. These are few of the reasons behind their gorgeous, youthful skin.
We should all strive for a better diet full of fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean proteins; however, we cannot do much to escape environmental toxins from industrial facilities, car exhaust and chemicals. This is where oolong tea can help fight the damage, prevent premature aging and improve the youthful appearance of your skin!
All tea is from a plant called Camellia Sinensis. The difference among different teas is due to when the leaves are harvested and the fermentation process that they undergo afterwards.
Fermenting is the oxidation process that turns the leaves a darker shade. Whether tealeaves are fermented or not and for what length of time lends to the different flavors, aromas and coloring of the tea. Black tea is fermented the most whereas green tea is not fermented at all. Oolong tea is in between and has an interesting background.
A man named Wu Liang is behind oolong tea. He was picking tea leaves to make green tea when he a deer came out from the trees. He left the tealeaves to hunt the deer.
The harvested leaves sat in the sun for a few days before Wu Liang returned to find them partially oxidized (fermented). He could not waste the tealeaves, so he prepared them anyway and found them to have a wonderful flavor. The tea was called oolong and is now very popular.
Among the most beneficial teas in fighting aging is oolong, green and white teas. Oolong tea has the nicest flavor. The antioxidants or phytochemicals in oolong tea are what give it remarkable age-fighting powers.
This is because of the role antioxidants play in fighting free radicals. At the root of premature aging, free radicals affect our health and appearance at the cellular level. Chemicals, pollutants, UV rays and a host of other environmental factors produce free radicals in our bodies.
They destroy cellular membranes and alter genetic material. As we age, it becomes more and more difficult to fight free radicals and repair the damage. As well, we stop regenerating cells as much as we did when we were younger.
Not only does this process affect our overall health, but it also damages our skin. We wind up with wrinkles and sagging skin. Our skin becomes more fragile.
As mentioned oolong tea contains strong antioxidants. When free radicals damage cells, the process is called oxidation. ANTIoxidants fight this process. They can also repair the damage done AND they are important components of cellular regeneration. This is why drinking oolong tea regularly can improve the health of your skin and restores a more vibrant, healthy appearance to your skin!
Moderately priced and wonderful in flavor, oolong tea is one of the best!
