Saturday, February 28, 2009

Is Oolong the Secret Behind Youthful Skin?

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?

There are other secrets of Asian women that help them maintain their youthful appearance such as diet and less exposure to environmental toxins. They live cleaner lives, generally speaking.

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.

Black tea is highly fermented (crushed and oxidized). Green tea is not fermented. White tea is green tea that is picked earlier. Oolong has a unique background and it is semi-fermented.

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.

A few days later, Wu Liang returned and found that his tea leaves had darkened (oxidized) in the sun. Not wanting to waste the leaves, he prepared them for tea regardless of the oxidation that had taken place. To his amazement, the tea tasted much better than the grassy, green tea he previously made.

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.

At the heart of aging lie free radicals. We are exposed to free radicals on a daily basis through UV rays and all of the chemicals and pollutants previously mentioned. Free radical molecules damage our skin (and all tissue) at the cellular level.

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.

The antioxidants in oolong tea can fight free radicals by stopping the oxidation process that takes place when free radicals steal the electron from healthy molecules in our bodies. Antioxidants are also imperative for repairing the damage already incurred and regenerating cells. Drinking oolong tea on a daily basis can improve you skin health. Healthy skin is beautiful skin!

Moderately priced and wonderful in flavor, oolong tea is one of the best! - 15683

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