"Mice which were fed tea displayed fewer signs of ageing than mice that were fed water, with oolong tea showing significantly better results than green tea."

If you are the type to fret over the appearance of wrinkles, age spots and other signs of growing old, oolong tea may be the answer to your worries.

Details of the study, conducted jointly by scientists from America, Taiwan and Tokushima University in Japan, were given at the 17th International Congress of Nutrition in Vienna, Austria late last month.

In the experiment, groups of six-month-old 'senescence-accelerated mice' (SAMs) were separately fed water, green tea and oolong tea over a 16-week period. SAMs age twice as quickly as ordinary laboratory mice.

Checking hair loss, age spots, the condition of skin around the eyes and other indicators of ageing, the scientists found that male SAMs which were fed tea displayed fewer signs of ageing than mice that were fed water, with oolong tea showing significantly better results than green tea.                   The Straits Times, Sept. 24, 01

Tea "healthier" drink than water

Drinking three or more cups of tea a day is as good for you as drinking plenty of water and may even have extra health benefits, say researchers. The work in thte European Journal of Clinical Nutrition dispels the common belief that tea dehydrates. Tea no only rehydrates as well as water does, but it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers, UK nutritionists found. Experts believe flavonoids are the key ingredient in that promote health.

BBC News, 8/24/2006