The Allure of Pu-erh - Part 3

Let us conclude this exploration series of pu-erh tea by looking at some of the commonly believed benefits of drinking pu-erh:

Lowering Cholesterol
Unlike the other varieties of tea, pu-erh has small quantities of lovastatin, which is a chemical used to lower cholesterol. Lovastatin is said to be produced during the pu-erh aging process. It is believed that pu-erh tea is the only type of tea that raised good cholesterol (HDL) and lowered bad cholesterol (LDL).

Cleansing and Aiding Digestion
In traditional Chinese herbalism, pu-erh tea is considered to be able to open the spleen and stomach meridians. Thus, it is 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 build up in the body over time. These deposits get transferred throughout the body in the blood. The micro-organisms and unique simple sugars that are produced from the pu-erh fermentation process have been shown to attack the toxins in the blood. The micro-organisms have also shown to increase the healthy bacterial flora in the stomach and intestines, which may aid in proper digestion of foods.

Curing Hangovers
With pu-erh tea’s supposed ability to rebalance our chi (energy) in the spleen and stomach, it is considered an aid in lessening the symptoms from hangovers.

Enhancing Weight Loss
It is said that some studies have shown pu-erh tea significantly suppresses fatty acid synthesis (FAS). This means that it can literally block our body from producing more fat. Some further claimed that pu-erh tea 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. However, we are warned that pu-erh tea is not a fad diet or miracle cure. In addition to drinking pu-erh tea consistently, a healthy diet and regular exercises are essential for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this website is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics related to tea (both real and herbal). It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.