This Valentine’s, drinking oolong could be the best gift you give to yourself and the one you love. That’s assuming you put a premium on heart health.
On Valentine’s day, everyone seems to be looking for someone to cozy up with. As the day reminds us to celebrate all kinds of love, from romantic love to self-love, it can be stressful on your end. In that regard, you can consider it a strength test for your heart. Be warned: Heartbreak on the Day of Hearts could lead to severe and long-term damage to your heart.
The good news is that drinking oolong daily can be the most suitable strategy to strengthen your heart this Valentine’s Day. Not only will you enjoy its mesmerizing aroma and sweet taste, but more importantly, you’d have your fill of essential nutrients for heart health. And then some.
In this post, we’ll show you how a cuppa of oolong taken regularly can give you the protection you need to strengthen your heart and the hearts of those you hold dearest. Read on.
Anatomy of a Broken Heart
Every year, approximately 697,000 people die of heart disease in America, making it the #1 killer disease in the country. That sad story has been repeated in the United Kingdom, where about 66,000 people die of coronary heart disease (CHD) yearly.
Now, let’s break down the usual Valentine’s Day celebration that many of us cherish. We may not be aware of it, but there are things that we think are part and parcel of Heart’s Day but are harmful to your heart. Indeed, these negative factors could lead you to weaken your heart.
- Heart Break. A study from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) duly presented to the American Heart Association revealed that heartbreak could lead to takotsubo syndrome, aptly called “broken heart syndrome,” which means severe emotional stress could weaken the walls of the heart.
- Alcohol. Too much alcohol intake has been shown to lead to high blood failure and may cause death by heart failure or stroke. Excessive drinking is a significant factor in cardiomyopathy, weakening the heart’s muscles.
- Nicotine. It doesn’t matter if it comes from cigarettes, pipes, or cigars. Smoke harms your heart as much as your lungs. Nicotine can cause an uptick in heart rate, blood pressure, and blood flow to the heart; worse, it narrows the arteries.
- Overindulgence. There’s a strong tendency to overindulge food and drinks on holidays such as Valentine’s Day. Pace yourself, as doing so on holiday can lead to a heart attack/heart failure, especially for people with heart issues.
Indeed, virtue is in the middle. As much as you want to enjoy the love of your life on V-Day, being mindful of the effects of what you do is paramount.
5 Ways Oolong Tea Helps Build a Strong Heart
We all need a strong heart. If we look at the amount of work (as stated below), it’s without question. The heart is the lifeline of the body. By distributing blood throughout the body via the circulatory system, humans get the energy they need to move forward.
MOST HARDWORKING MUSCLE: The heart is the body's hardest-working muscle. Daily, the organ pumps out 2,500 gallons of blood at the very least. That’s 2 ounces or about 71 grams of blood per heartbeat. In a lifetime, a human heart beats over 3 billion times on average.
Fortunately, a regular habit of drinking oolong tea can be a big boost to heart health. Here’s how:
Triglycerides, a type of fat, are not only hard to spell, but they pose a danger to your body . In a way, they are lipids that provide the body with energy. But high triglycerides choke the pathway of blood as they contribute to the thickening of the artery walls.
In short, they are fat in the blood that hardens the artery . Think of them as pesky garbage that constricts that flow of blood. As a result, you increase your chances of stroke, heart attack, and heart disease, not to mention diabetes.
The good news is that oolong tea lowers the risk of triglycerides. Specifically, oolong contains polyphenols that activate a specific enzyme to break down triglycerides. Polyphenols are naturally occurring plant compounds packed with tons of antioxidants and phytonutrients. Indeed, thank God for oolong.
In one monumental study done in 2003 , people who had six cups of oolong tea daily had “massively” less risk of CHD or coronary heart disease.
Here’s another good guy that can be harmful to the body when in excess. Cholesterol is used by the body to build cells and produce hormones. However, excessive cholesterol can lead to heart disease.
When you have high cholesterol, you develop deposits in the blood vessels. As a result, blood flow is constricted, and if not reined in and the deposits fall off suddenly , it can cause stroke or heart attack.
Oolong comes to the rescue once again in this regard. Specifically, the tea drink harbors a powerful antioxidant called catechins, which can limit cholesterol absorption in your gut. Essentially, they counter the destructive work of free radicals in the body, giving you a stronger heart.
A study done in China involving 1651 patients from 2010 to 2011 revealed that those people who consume oolong regularly have lower cholesterol levels than those who don’t. They had 6.69% lower blood total cholesterol.
High blood sugar can seriously damage the blood vessels in your body. Plus, it can pose a severe risk to the controlling nerves of the heart and brain. Small wonder people with diabetes are most likely to suffer from heart disease.
Because of high blood sugar, people not only do they develop high blood pressure and high cholesterol, all contributing factors to an increased risk of stroke or heart attack.
Here is where oolong can be very helpful once again. Studies have shown that drinking oolong on a regular basis for 30 days can help reduce blood sugar. In this regard, it can aid in the treatment of type-2 diabetes.
A study approved by the ethical committee of Providence University involving ten men and ten women with type-2 diabetes revealed that those who regularly took oolong had decreased blood glucose. These changes were not observed in those that took only water over the same period.
Being overweight or obese has been directly linked to a slew of major illnesses. The top of the list is heart disease. Extra weight can lead to a spike in triglycerides and harmful cholesterol levels, and it can also lower cholesterol. Worse, being obese can lead to high blood pressure and diabetes.
It’s no surprise that people who are obese in their childhood are at risk of early death as an adult. In essence, they have a shorter life expectancy. The more extra weight studies revealed, the greater the chances of early death.
But this is another area where oolong can help a lot. Indeed, the partially-oxidized tea may have its greatest strength as a tool for weight loss. It might even trump the other members of the tea family, from black tea to green tea.
A study involving 102 obese/overweight people revealed that those who regularly drank oolong for six consecutive weeks did not just lose weight. Amazingly, they also lost a significant percentage of their body fat .
What’s more, another study found out that oolong boosts energy expenditure. Those who drank oolong tea burned calories faster than those who drank water by as much as 2.9%. Indeed, that’s a lot.
Being constantly under stress could lead you to heart trouble. As studies have shown, heart disease is a potential outcome of stress . That’s because chronic stress leads to high blood pressure, a significant risk for stroke, and high blood. Worse, people under stress are prone to overindulgence, smoking, and an inactive lifestyle — all contributing factors to heart disease.
That’s why more and more people succumb to heart disease on holidays such as Valentine’s Day and Christmas Day . It’s in those days that people tend to overindulge and under stress. And why heart attacks usually happen on Mondays .
You should sigh in relief when you take a cuppa of oolong—all true teas, from green to black to oolong, harbor significant amounts of L-theanine. Studies have pointed out that L-theanine and caffeine, both active components in oolong, can ease tension and promote calmness.
In short, oolong can help the body relax and lessen stress. Plus, L-theanine and caffeine work together to enhance the brain’s memory and ability to focus.
"L-theanine helps you relax by reducing the stimulation caused by caffeine. Studies have also found that L-theanine and caffeine support attention and memory and minimize distraction. In addition, a 2020 review of studies examining pure L-theanine concluded that 200 to 400 milligrams per day of L-theanine may help reduce stress and anxiety in people in stressful conditions."
A daily habit of drinking oolong can indeed go a long way in containing stress. Moreover, one study involving 30 participants reveals how GABA-fortified oolong tea reduces stress and improves heart rate variability (HRV).
Oolong FAQs to Better Heart Health
How much oolong should you drink to better heart health?
Drinking a cup or two of oolong daily should lead to better heart health. One study involving over 76,000 Japanese adults revealed those who drank at least 8 ounces (240 ml) or more of oolong daily lowered their heart disease risk by 61%.
What are the lifestyle changes you can make to lessen heart disease risk?
To reduce heart disease risk, (1) watch one’s diet, (2) aim for a healthy weight, (3) avoid tobacco and alcohol, (4) live an active lifestyle, and (5) take adequate rest. It’s best to track your progress daily to be closer to your heart-healthy goals.
Can I drink oolong if I’m pregnant?
Pregnant women should limit their oolong to three cups daily as the drink contains caffeine. Too much caffeine may lead to low birth weight and premature birth.
Where can we source the best oolong tea?
Taiwan’s high mountain oolong has been identified by consumers worldwide as the best oolong on the planet. The island’s many mountain ranges, foggy weather, and rich loam soil have made it perfect for cultivating the best Camella Sinensis cultivars.
Additionally, Taiwanese tea masters ensure processing is done as best as possible. They only pluck leaves by hand and never by machine. They don’t use insecticides or herbicides to grow the evergreen tea shrubs.
Wrapping Up
Drinking oolong regularly is a step closer to a healthy heart. Starting the habit this Valentine’s Day could be the greatest gift you can give to yourself and everyone you love. A cuppa of oolong a day certainly keeps the doctors away.