Researchers led by the University of Tsukuba found that drinking two cups of oolong tea a day can stimulate fat breakdown while you sleep

Tsukuba, Japan – Does losing weight while you sleep sound too good to be true? According to a study by the University of Tsukuba, it seems that drinking oolong tea might help you do just that.

While all tea comes from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, the degree of oxidation, a chemical reaction that turns tea leaves black, defines its specific type.

For example, green tea is unoxidized and mild in flavor, while the distinctive color of black tea comes from complete oxidation. Oolong tea is only partially oxidized, lies somewhere in between, and displays characteristics of both green and black tea. But while green tea is lauded for its health benefits, oolong tea remains more of an unknown.

Like all teas, oolong contains caffeine, which impacts energy metabolism by increasing our heart rate. However, studies suggest that tea consumption may also increase the breakdown of fat, independent of the effects of caffeine. We, therefore, wanted to examine the effects of oolong consumption versus caffeine alone on energy and fat metabolism among a group of healthy volunteers.”

Kumpei Tokuyama, Study Senior Author and Professor, University of Tsukuba