Pu’er tea has long been valued in Chinese herbalism for its manifold benefits. Pu’er tea contains high levels of polyphenols (flavonoids, catechins and theaflavin), which are known for their antioxidant activities. These powerful chemicals speed up fat burning and reduce stress and heavy metal consumption due to the cell repair compounds which they contain. The theanine and flavoids found within pu’er tea also aid in digestion after meals by acting as a sponge and accelerator for fat burning.
However, of the five main types of Chinese tea (white, green, oolong and black being the others), pu’er is unique from the others as its tea leaves go through a natural fermentation process before the tea is gently dried. This not only results in the tea having zero astringency and a deep, rich, full-bodied flavour, but this fermentation process also helps produce micro-organisms which have been shown to be particularly beneficial to the human body.
Reduction in Cholesterol
New studies on the health benefits of pu’er tea and its health benefits have produced a startling discovery: the microbial aging of pu’er tea can result in the production of small amounts of lovastatin, a natural statin. In its synthetic form, lovastin is commonly used to treat high cholesterol. Additional studies have shown that long-term use of appropriate amounts of pu’er tea has the potential to lower LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and increase HDL levels (the good cholesterol). There have also been cases in which extensive use of pu’er has resulted in a drop of nearly 100 points in cholesterol levels.
Cleansing
In traditional Chinese herbalism, pu’er tea is considered to open the meridians, ‘warm the body’s core’ (the spleen and stomach) and be beneficial to ‘blood cleansing’ and digestion. Many things that are found in our diet, even healthy foods, contain acids and other free radicals that can accumulate in the body over time. These deposits are then transferred throughout the body in the blood, making it beneficial to consume pu’er tea to help cleanse the blood of toxins. The micro-organisms and unique simple sugars that are produced from the pu’er fermentation process have been shown to reduce the toxins in the blood, removing them from the body and thus improving health.
Aids in Digestion
The stomach and intestines break down food through a combination of acids and healthy bacteria. The micro-organisms that are present in pu’er tea have been shown to increase the healthy bacterial flora in the stomach and intestines, which are necessary for the proper digestion of foods. For this reason, drinking pu’er tea after heavy meals has been found to aid in digestion.
Aids in Weight Loss
Studies have shown that pu’er tea significantly suppresses fatty acid synthesis (FAS). This means that it can literally block your body from producing more fat. Pretty cool, right? The process of lipogenesis (creation of fat by the liver) is attenuated by using this traditional tea. In addition to this, the caffeine found in pu’er tea causes your body to secrete the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine, which are shown to increase the mobilization of stored fatty acids in fat cells. This enables your body to have easier access to use those stored fatty acids as fuel (and not keep it on your stomach). Finally, pu’er has been clinically proven to enhance cellular levels of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) which effectively blocks visceral fat accumulation. HSL is a critical enzyme that “unlocks” fat cells so that their contents can be emptied out.
Important to note: pu’er tea is not a fad diet or miracle cure. Using pu’er to lose weight, like all other traditional methods, requires persistence and determination. You will not notice results in an instant. Instead, you will experience gradual improvement of your energy levels, overall well being and, last but not least, gradual weight loss. In one French study, participants recorded weight losses was from five to ten pounds over a two-month period. To achieve the best possible results, follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly in addition to your tea detox, and drink pu’er tea about one hour after each meal (or simply after breakfast or lunch) to reduce the amount of fat that is retained and stored from your meal.
Reduces Stress and Helps with Sleep
Since pu’er tea contains caffeine, it may seem odd that this tea would assist with sleeping. However despite the caffeine, the key micro-organisms and phyto-chemicals pu’er tea contains, GABA and theanine, have been shown to reduce stress levels and increase the production of natural melatonin in the brain, resulting in decreased stress, stabilized mood and improved sleep patterns.
Prevention of Illness
Like most teas, pu’er has been shown to contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Antioxidants are natural phyto-chemicals that help the body fight off free radical molecules and prevent diseases. The antioxidants that are found in pu’er are often more highly concentrated than in most other teas due to the fermentation process that the tea undergoes prior to steeping.
Read on for some of the amazing health benefits of pu’er tea:
Reduces bad cholesterol and lowers triglycerides. In one study in laboratory animals, puer tea was the only kind of tea that could actually raise the level of good cholesterol (HDL) and lower the level of bad cholesterol (LDL.) The “mother of California cuisine”, Alice Waters, has stated in a Financial Times interview that pu’er tea has lowered her cholesterol by 100 points and said, quote “It was extreme. You have to try some.”
The microbial aging of puer tea can result in the production of lovastatin, a natural statin. Statins are used medicinally to lower levels of bad cholesterol such as LDL. One study found that the longer the tea was aged, the more statin was produced.
In Chinese Medicine, coffee is considered to be more yang (阳). It provides internal warmth and disperses and scatters energy (or Qi) in the body. Coffee consumption causes the kidney’s adrenal glands to release adrenalin, producing a temporary increased energy high but eventually results in a down-cycle of fatigue later in the day. Over time, excess coffee can over-work and deplete your adrenal energy, or kidney jing (精) as acupuncturists call it. It is like to describe this as borrowing money from a bank account (your adrenals) daily without making any new deposits. Pretty soon, you’re experiencing major debt (adrenal burnout).
Coffee is also a diuretic, and diaphoretic, causing the body to lose excess fluids or yin, and can lead to symptoms like night sweats, hot flashes and urinary dysfunction.
The energy of tea, on the other hand, is more yin and is cooling and astringent by nature. Tea can help consolidate energy in the body rather than scattering it. When you drink caffeinated tea you will typically experience increased energy, but with a smoother, more even flow without the highs and lows. I find that drinking tea during the day gives me the level of alertness I’m seeking without the racy feeling or late afternoon crash of coffee.
The Chinese believe that pu’er tea has greater health benefits than other teas. Pu’er tea goes through a special fermentation process that makes it very beneficial to the digestive system, or Spleen as it is described in Chinese medicine. Many people suffer from weak digestion and excess weight and this is very much related to “internal dampness” in the body. In Chinese medicine, “dampness” refers to the accumulation of sluggish energy in the body that results from consuming excessive processed foods, sugars, dairy, alcohol and other substances that slow down digestion and nutrient assimilation. Pu’er tea has the ability to reduce this internal dampness by invigorating the spleen and the stomach to work in harmony, aiding in proper digestion and elimination. It is often used medicinally to lower cholesterol, remove toxins from the body, cure dysentery, induce weight loss, improve eyesight and promote blood circulation.
Pure pu’er tea is considered to be of the highest quality and have smoothest taste,and this is why even clinics offer it.
Counter indications (from WEBMD)
However, too much pu-erh tea, more than five cups per day, can cause side effects because of the caffeine. These side effects can range from mild to serious and include headache, nervousness,sleep problems, vomiting, diarrhea, irritability, irregular heartbeat, tremor, heartburn,dizziness, ringing in the ears, convulsions, and confusion.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, pu’er tea in small amounts is probably not harmful. However, do not drink more than two cups of pu’er tea per day. Too much caffeine might cause miscarriage, premature delivery, low birth weight, and harm to the baby.
If you are breast-feeding, moderation in drinking pu-erh tea is also important. Caffeine passes into breast milk, so nursing mothers should closely monitor caffeine intake to make sure it is on the low side. Caffeine in large amounts might be UNSAFE during breast-feeding. Caffeine can cause sleep disturbances, irritability, and increased bowel activity in breast-fed infants.
How does it work?
Pu’er tea contains caffeine, although not as much caffeine as other teas. Caffeine works by stimulating the central nervous system (CNS), heart, and muscles. Pu’er tea also contains antioxidants and other substances that may help protect the heart and blood vessels.
There is interest in using pu’er tea for lowering cholesterol because, unlike other teas, it contains small amounts of a chemical called lovastatin. Lovastatin is a prescription medicine used for lowering cholesterol. Researchers believe that bacteria that sometimes contaminate pu’er tea may somehow produce the lovastatin in the course of their normal life cycle. Animal research suggests that pu’er tea may lower certain blood fats called triglycerides as well as total and “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. It may also raise “good” high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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