The Benefits of Oolong Tea by MARCELA BENSON

I enjoy drinking tea, mate, and herbal infusions as I work in my home studio.

Growing up in Argentina, tea infusions were an important part of my culture. In school, tea and sweet biscuits were offered to students to warm them and welcome the morning session. My friends and I would often sit together, drinking yerba mate from a single gourd that we passed around. Native healing herbs were often added to the tea, and we would refill the cup each time before passing it on to others.

Traditionally, medicine men and women practiced herbal infusions across many cultures.

The history of tea dates to before Christ, and it is believed to have originated in China and then brought to Europe by the Portuguese. Hundreds of years later, tea is still a drink we enjoy both for our pleasure, and for our health. Tea offers a wide range of benefits and is loaded with antioxidants, which help prevent and fight against multiple cancers and cardiovascular diseases. Tea and many herbal infusions are known to help keep weight in check, and aid those with diabetes and many other health challenges.

When purchasing teas and herbs, be sure to search for organic, pesticide-free, and non-irradiated products.
Much of what you find in your local grocery store is made from leaves that have been chemically treated, and do not provide the many benefits that tea and herbs possess. The lineage, source, and quality of your tea are critical to receiving health benefits and the hidden messages of love passed down from generation to generation in the process of sharing the ancient wisdom of tea.

One of my favorite teas is oolong, especially Golden Lily oolong.
Traditionally from China and grown in Taiwan, too, this tea is rich in vitamins such as A, B, and C, and minerals such as calcium, selenium, and potassium. This tea is rich in polyphenols, which can even help control diabetes by regulating glucose in the blood. Oolong tea also offers many benefits to the skin, and studies have shown that those who drink oolong retain more minerals in their bones than those who do not.