Pu-erh tea, or Pu'er tea, is a fermented tea which has been used in China to aid weight loss for generations. Pu-erh tea is growing in popularity as more people experience its incredible weight-loss and health benefits.
Because it's fermented, it has the health benefits of regular tea plus the additional benefits of fermented foods.
Pu-erh tea contains lots of antioxidants which helps aid weight loss. It can also help lower cholesterol, help fight the aging process, and improve liver function. Because the tea has been fermented, it also contains probiotics which are good for your gut and digestive system.
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Pu-erh tea is one of the few teas that also contains a reasonably high amount of caffeine. This makes it the perfect tea to have in place of your morning coffee. |
Read on to find out more about where this amazing tea comes from and how it could help you lose weight and stay healthy.
Which tea burns the most fat?
| TEA | CUPS / DAY | EFFICACY |
| Pu-erh tea | 1-3 | 8/10 |
| Green Tea | 1-3 | 9/10 |
| Oolong Tea | 1-2 | 9/10 |
| Black Tea | 2-4 | 7/10 |
| White Tea | 1-3 | 7/10 |
| Sencha Tea | 2-3 | 6/10 |
Pu-erh is a great weight loss tea
The polyphenols and antioxidants in the tea combined with the probiotics that aid digestion help with weight loss.
By improving digestion and helping to ensure you have a healthy gut, the tea can help ensure your body effectively breaks down fat and passes excess fat as waste.
This means you won't store as much fat on your body. Read also:
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Pu-erh tea can help suppress the synthesis of fatty acids, which means your body just won't produce and store as much fat. This means that it can help minimise weight gain in high-fat diets and can promote weight loss in low-fat diets. |
One study found it is particularly effective at helping reduce belly fat and fat around the stomach.
When should I drink Pu-erh tea for weight loss?
Because it helps burn fat and aid digestion, the best time to drink Pu-erh tea for weight loss is one hour after a meal. You shouldn't drink Pu-erh before a meal as it can help remove fat build-up and clear excess food in your system and increase your appetite and make you eat more.
The levels of caffeine in Pu-erh tea also give you an energy boost and help increase your metabolism. This means that you can burn more fat and exercise for longer without getting tired.
summaryPu-erh tea can boost your digestion and metabolism, thereby promoting weight loss. It is most effective when drunk after dinner and shouldn't be drunk before eating as this can increase your appetite. |
Pu-erh tea may keep cholesterol in check
According to early research, Pu-erh can have a significant impact on cholesterol levels.
Firstly, it encourages your body to produce something called lovastatin. This is a naturally occurring statin that can be used to help lower cholesterol levels in the body.
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Furthermore, one study found that drinking Pu-erh tea can help your body move fat out of your body as waste rather than storing it. This means fatty build-up can be passed as waste, and as a result, fat isn't absorbed into the blood, and cholesterol levels decrease. |
By helping remove fat from the bloodstream, Pu-erh can help with other related conditions such as obesity and diabetes and improve overall cardiovascular health. Read:
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There is also some evidence that drinking Pu-erh tea can help stop a build-up of fat in your body. This means existing fat deposits can be broken down and filtered out of the blood. This not only lowers cholesterol levels but also helps prevent heart disease.
Does Pu-erh tea have caffeine?
Yes, Pu-erh does naturally contain caffeine. In fact, because it has been fermented and allowed to rest and mature, it actually contains a higher amount of caffeine than other teas making it an excellent replacement for coffee.
summaryPu-erh tea can help the body naturally produce lovastatin, which helps lower harmful cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. It can also help shift fat and remove fat from the body as waste. |
Pu-erh tea is good for the liver
Because Pu-erh can effectively remove a build-up of fat in the body, it can also be hugely beneficial for anyone who suffers from fatty liver disease.
Non-alcoholic liver disease caused by excess fat can have a huge impact on your body and can ultimately lead to liver failure. However, by drinking Pu-erh tea, you can help break down excess fat, which can be removed and passed as waste. This helps protect the liver from further damage.
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Early research suggests that something in Pu-erh tea can help protect the liver from damage caused by some medications. Although it's early days, doctors are hopeful it could be used to help keep the liver healthy during chemotherapy. |
Additionally, there is some evidence that drinking Pu-erh tea can help inhibit lipid peroxidation by reducing oxidative stress on cells in the liver. This can help protect the liver from cell damage and can encourage healthy liver functions. This can also help to maintain glucose levels and prevent spikes after eating due to an effective detoxing liver.
Can drinking Pu-erh tea make you poo?
Pu-erh can help improve your digestion which will encourage bowel movements. This may make you go to the toilet. However, it isn't a natural laxative. Read:
- What Tea is Best for Pooping?
- The Best Natural Laxatives for Constipation
- How to Cleanse Your Gut Naturally at Home
SummaryBy helping break down fats in the body, Pu-erh tea can help keep the liver healthy and prevent liver diseases. It can also prevent cell damage and allow the liver to function normally. |
Pu-erh tea improves digestion
Because the tea leaves have been fermented, it contains probiotics and microorganisms which can help boost your gut and digestive system. Your digestive system relies on a balance of bacteria to help break down foods effectively in order to pass them as waste or use them to keep your body healthy.
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By drinking Pu-erh tea, the good bacteria in your stomach and intestines can flourish. With more good bacteria, your body will be able to digest food properly. This makes it a great tea to drink after a big meal. |
Better digestion means less cramping and bloating, as well as helping reduce constipation. Read:
- The 7 best teas for digestion in Australia
- Debloat Naturally and Flush Salt Out of Your Body Overnight
- Super Simple Ways to Relieve Bloating Caused by Constipation
- Stress can Stop You from Pooping - Here’s What You Need to Know
You can usually find Pu-erh tea being served in Chinese and other East and South East Asian restaurants. This is because it is good at boosting your digestive system; it is often used to help break down oily and fatty foods.
A healthy digestive system can have many health benefits across the body, including increased energy, mood-boosting, and a better immune system. This is because your body will naturally remove toxins throughout the digestive system, helping to keep you healthy.
Is Pu-erh tea good for you?
Pu-erh tea is very good for you. It is one of the healthiest teas in the world, thanks to the fermentation process. This means the tea is allowed to mature and develop additional health benefits such as probiotics for your gut and liver.
summaryBecause of the fermentation process, Pu-erh tea contains microorganisms and probiotics that encourage healthy bacteria in your gut. This can improve your digestive system and ensure your body is digesting and using the food correctly. |
Pu-erh tea can prevent skin aging
Like most teas, Pu-erh is packed full of antioxidants. Unlike other teas, Pu-erh has been fermented, which preserves the antioxidants meaning that cup for cup, Pu-erh tea has a higher concentration of antioxidants than a regular tea. The oxidative properties in the tea help protect the body against signs of aging by protecting cells. Read:
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Antioxidants can help protect cells from damage caused by pollution, smoking, alcohol, chemicals, and UV rays. |
This means signs of aging such as:
- Wrinkles
- Fine lines
- Dullness
- Dark spots
- Sagging skin
can be prevented by increasing your antioxidant uptake.
The antioxidants found in Pu-erh tea can help your spleen clean your blood, remove toxins and eliminate free radicals. This makes it a natural aid to detoxify your body.
Furthermore, antioxidants can prevent aging damage in cells in your brain, which could slow the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. Drinking Pu-erh tea can help keep your body younger and in its best shape for longer.
How much Pu-erh can I drink every day?
Most experts agree you can drink around 2-3 cups a day without any adverse effects. The only thing which could restrict how much you can drink is the caffeine level. Pu-erh contains caffeine, so you shouldn't drink more than three cups if you are also drinking coffee.
summaryPu-erh tea contains more antioxidants than other teas, thanks to the fermentation process. This means it can help slow signs of aging, from brain diseases to youthful skin. It also helps with the body's natural detoxification process. |
How is pu-erh tea fermented?
If you want to buy Pu-erh tea, you will find that it comes in a solid cake form or loose leaves. There isn't any difference in the tea; it just depends on which type of tea you prefer. Pu-erh is different from other fermented drinks like Kombucha because the tea isn't fermented; it's the leaves themselves that are fermented.
The most popular Pu-erh tea comes from the Yunnan province in China. The tea leaves come from a tree known as the wild old tree in Chinese. The leaves are dried and then undergo microbial fermentation which allows the tea to age and mature giving it richer flavours. This process is very delicate and controlled and can give a wide range of flavours to Pu-erh tea.
It's no wonder there are so many different varieties of Pu-erh tea. People all over the world argue about the best ways to ferment the leaves and which are the best Pu-erh teas.
Two types of Pu-erh tea fermentation
There are two main ways to ferment Pu-erh tea.
- Sheng Pu-erh, which means raw.
- Shou Pu-erh, which means ripe.
The sheng process is the traditional method and uses raw tea leaves which are slowly fermented and matured. Shou tea uses a modern method developed in 1973, which speeds up the process. Traditionalists prefer the original method.
If you store Pu-erh tea in a non-airtight container, it will continue to mature and develop new, more robust flavours. This is why most Pu-erh tea is labelled with the year of fermentation and the region it comes from.
This allows people to choose to mature the tea for longer at home. It really is a tea of connoisseurs!
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Pu-erh tea can be sold as loose leaves, or it is commonly pressed into bricks. Each tea plantation will stamp the bricks with different marks to ensure it is authentic and recognisable. |
The bricks are essential for the aging process as the tighter they are compressed, the less air and the slower the process. Furthermore, the shape and size are important for the same reason. Tea quality of the tea leaves, temperature, humidity, and airflow all impact the tea.
Did you know that some teas are kept and ripened for over 10 years! It all depends on the taste you want to achieve. Like a fine wine, it gets better with age.
What type of tea is Pu-erh?
Pu-erh is a type of fermented tea that is usually referred to in China as dark tea or black tea.
summaryPu-erh tea is a fermented tea mainly made in the Yunnan province of China. There are two main methods of fermentation, but traditionalists prefer the more historical technique. The tea is sold loose or in bricks. This can affect the maturing process and makes for great variety in the tea. |
Conclusion
Pu-erh tea is one of the most unusual teas. It is fermented and stored to reach maturity, sometimes for up to 15 years. Because of this, there are lots of different types of Pu-erh which have very different flavours.
The fermentation process also gives the tea additional health benefits. Like most teas, Pu-erh has lots of antioxidants that can help fight signs of aging and protect your body from toxins. The fermentation means the tea also has microorganisms that can boost digestion, promote weight loss and protect your liver.
Pu-erh is growing in popularity, with tea fanatics in Australia and the rest of the world arguing over the best fermentation process and the best level of maturity. Why not join the debate and discover your favourite Pu-erh tea?