Scientific studies have examined the relationship between coffee consumption and an array of medical conditions. Findings are contradictory as to whether coffee has any specific health benefits, and results are similarly conflicting regarding negative effects of coffee consumption.

Coffee appears to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, cirrhosis of the liver, and gout, but it increases the risk of acid reflux and associated diseases. Some health effects of coffee are due to its caffeine content, as the benefits are only observed in those who drink caffeinated coffee, while others appear to be due to other components. For example, the antioxidants in coffee prevent free radicals from causing cell damage.

Coffee’s negative health effects are mostly due to its caffeine content. Research suggests that drinking caffeinated coffee can cause a temporary increase in the stiffening of arterial walls. Excess coffee consumption may lead to a magnesium deficiency or hypomagnesaemia, and may be a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Some studies suggest that it may have a mixed effect on short-term memory, by improving it when the information to be recalled is related to the current train of thought, but making it more difficult to recall unrelated information.  About 10% of people with a moderate daily intake (235 mg per day) reported increased depression and anxiety when caffeine was withdrawn, and about 15% of the general population report having stopped caffeine use completely, citing concern about health and unpleasant side effects.   Nevertheless, the mainstream view of medical experts is that drinking three 8-ounce (236 ml) cups of coffee per day (considered average or moderate consumption) does not have significant health risks for adults.

An American scientist Yaser Dorri has suggested that the smell of coffee can restore appetite and refresh olfactory receptors. He suggests that people can regain their appetite after cooking by smelling coffee beans, and that this method might also be used for research animals.

Coffee enemas may have properties which may help cancer patients.

Coffee berries, which contain the coffee bean, are produced by several species of small evergreen bush of the genus Coffea. The two most commonly grown species are Coffea canephora (also known as Coffea robusta) and Coffea arabica. These are cultivated in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Once ripe, coffee berries are picked, processed, and dried. The seeds are then roasted, undergoing several physical and chemical changes. They are roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavor. They are then ground and brewed to create coffee. Coffee can be prepared and presented by a variety of methods.

Coffee has played an important role in many societies throughout modern history. In Africa and Yemen, it was used in religious ceremonies. As a result, the Ethiopian Church banned its consumption until the reign of Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia. It was banned in Ottoman Turkey in the 17th century for political reasons, and was associated with rebellious political activities in Europe.

Coffee is an important export commodity. In 2004, coffee was the top agricultural export for 12 countries, and in 2005, it was the world’s seventh largest legal agricultural export by value.

Some controversy is associated with coffee cultivation and its impact on the environment. Many studies have examined the relationship between coffee consumption and certain medical conditions; whether the effects of coffee are positive or negative is still disputed

What is wu-long tea?
You’ve probably heard of black tea, green tea, and white tea. They all come from the same plant, but the color refers to the level of fermentation or processing of the leaves. There is a fourth class of tea called oolong tea, and that is all that wu-long tea is. It’s just another spelling for oolong. It is extremely common and isn’t rare, and it isn’t limited to certain sellers. Ok, so what exactly is oolong tea? This refers to a classification or level of fermentation. Green teas are not fermented, while black teas are fermented. Oolong teas are semi-fermented, meaning they are allowed to slightly ferment, then they are processed to stop the fermentation. As a result, you have something between a green and a black tea.

Is it slimming?
We’ve all heard the warnings about “slimming” teas. This usually refers to a different product. Most slimming teas contain laxatives such as senna, or diuretics. They can be extremely dangerous and should be avoided. Sellers of pure wu-long tea advertise it as a slimming tea because they claim it can help you lose weight by burning more calories. If you decide to purchase a tea that includes the word “slimming” in the description, make sure you read the label very carefully. If it contains any ingredients other than plain tea, you may get sick.

We recently reported that the claims of green tea for weight loss were a bit exaggerated. The studies show that if you drink 4 cups of green tea every single day, you can lose up to 8 pounds over the course of a year. The sellers of wu-long tea claim their tea burns more calories than green tea. The studies we reviewed showed that oolong burned more, less, or the same amount of calories as green tea. The results varied quite a bit, so it appears to be based on the individual. You should always focus on a healthy diet and exercise program for weight loss. It’s guaranteed. If you want to add something to your routine that should be safe, a natural and pure tea is definitely a better option than other weight loss products. Who knows, it might even help! The weight loss results may vary, but tea contains plenty of anti-oxidants to help reduce your risks of cancer and other diseases. Drink it hot or serve over ice with a little mint and Splenda for a calorie-free Southern style treat!

The Oprah Connection
If you google wu-long tea, you’ll find loads of tea merchants claiming Oprah endorses their products. Not quite. Oprah and other celebrities have mentioned drinking tea, both green and oolong varieties. This doesn’t mean they have ever purchased Wu-Long for Life or other brands. Ignore the claims. Oprah won’t mind.

What should you look for? So, you are willing to search for this rare and delicate tea just in case it might work for you. Luckily, it’s not rare at all and can be purchased from any tea shop and most supermarkets. You can order the wu-long slimming tea that is heavily advertised online, but it is rather costly at $70 per 60 tea bags. Another consideration is the variety of oolong that you purchase. Oolong (wu-long) refers to the level of fermentation of the tea plant. There are many varieties of tea plants that have unique flavors. You may want to try several to find one you are happy with. We love Adagio.com and they offer an oolong sampler pack that lets you try several varieties of high-quality oolong teas.

Abdul G Dulloo, Claudette Duret, Dorothée Rohrer, Lucien Girardier, Nouri Mensi, Marc Fathi, Philippe Chantre and Jacques Vandermander ¹ From the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva; Geneva University Hospital; and Laboratoires Arkopharma, Nice, France.

Background: Current interest in the role of functional foods in weight control has focused on plant ingredients capable of interfering with the sympathoadrenal system.

Objective: We investigated whether a green tea extract, by virtue of its high content of caffeine and catechin polyphenols, could increase 24-h energy expenditure (EE) and fat oxidation in humans.

Design: Twenty-four–hour EE, the respiratory quotient (RQ), and the urinary excretion of nitrogen and catecholamines were measured in a respiratory chamber in 10 healthy men. On 3 separate occasions, subjects were randomly assigned among 3 treatments: green tea extract (50 mg caffeine and 90 mg epigallocatechin gallate), caffeine (50 mg), and placebo, which they ingested at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Results: Relative to placebo, treatment with the green tea extract resulted in a significant increase in 24-h EE (4%; P < 0.01) and a significant decrease in 24-h RQ (from 0.88 to 0.85; P < 0.001) without any change in urinary nitrogen. Twenty-four–hour urinary norepinephrine excretion was higher during treatment with the green tea extract than with the placebo (40%, P < 0.05). Treatment with caffeine in amounts equivalent to those found in the green tea extract had no effect on EE and RQ nor on urinary nitrogen or catecholamines.

Conclusions: Green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat oxidation beyond that explained by its caffeine content per se. The green tea extract may play a role in the control of body composition via sympathetic activation of thermogenesis, fat oxidation, or both.

The three main varieties of the camellia sinensis tea plant are the India, or Assam, the China and the hybrid. India tea is large-leafed and grows well in lower altitudes, while China tea is small-leafed and grows well in higher altitudes. Hybrid tea mixes quantities of both China and India teas. The four main types of tea derived from India, China and hybrid teas are oolong, green, black and white.

White tea is the rarest and least processed tea. Its taste can be very grassy at times. Processing tea usually involves oxidation, or fermentation. The oxidation occurs when enzymes in the tea plant are either bruised, broken or crushed so that the enzymes are exposed to air. White tea is not oxidized at all, but just left to dry as is. This air drying process is called withering.

White tea gets its name from its silver-colored dried buds with their white, thread-like growths. White tea has the least amount of caffeine and the highest amount of antioxidants of the four main types of tea. Silver Needle is a type of white tea with a delicately sweet flavor.

Black tea is the most popular tea worldwide, but it does not have as many antioxidants as the other types of teas and it contains the most caffeine. Black tea is fully oxidized. The leaves are rolled to break up the surface so that the leaves are open to air. When the leaves are fully oxidized they turn completely black, hence the name black tea. Keemun black tea is said to have a chocolate-like flavor. Darjeeling and Ceylon are other examples of black tea.

Green tea is closer to white tea than black tea as it is non-oxidized. The difference between white and green tea is that green tea uses rolled leaves and not the buds. The grassy taste of green tea is very similar to that of white tea and green tea is low in caffeine and high in antioxidants compared to black tea. Jin Xian Te Jian and Hojicha are types of green tea.

Oolong tea is often considered the most difficult tea to process as oolong leaves are only partially oxidized. The leaves cannot be broken or crushed, as full oxidation would occur, so they must only be bruised. Bruising tea for oolong usually occurs by throwing the leaves in baskets so only the edges of the leaves are opened to air. Oolongs can be more like black teas or more like green teas in their fermentation. Pouchong and Formosa are two kinds of oolong tea.

Decaffeinated black teas are popular in Western cultures. The United States has approved both the use of carbon dioxide and ethyl acetate in the process of removing caffeine from black tea. The American Medical Association (AMA) has stated that up to seven cups of black tea a day is not an excessive amount of caffeine consumption for most adults.

Herbal teas, though not actually from the tea plant, are often very flavorful. Herbal teas can be made from many different flowers and herbs. Herbal tea varieties such as peppermint, peach, strawberry and lemongrass are popular tea alternatives.

Dr. Perricone: Absolutely.

Oprah: Now really. How could that — what is the big deal about this?

Dr Perricone: Coffee has organic acids that raise your blood sugar, raise insulin. Insulin puts a lock on body fat. When you switch over to green tea, you get your caffeine, you’re all set, but you will drop your insulin levels and body fat will fall very rapidly. So 10 pounds in six weeks, I will guarantee it.

Oprah: I’m gonna do that. OK. That is so good! Whoo! That is great.”

China enjoyed tea for centuries before it was introduced to the outside world through trade. It is believed that the Turkish Empire got its first taste of this wonderful commodity from a barter trade. Tea also made its way to Europe via the Portuguese outpost in Macau. And, most people know that tea came to America with the early British settlers. Now in the 21st Century, tea is enjoyed even in the most remote corners of the world.

Excerpt taken from planet-tea.com

Excerpt taken from planet-tea.com