Last week, we wrote a bit about our artisan Liji Pu’er Tea Collection.  Today, we’re excited to share more about how sipping pu’er tea can benefit your health and wellbeing.

Health Benefits of Pu’er Tea

Unlike other teas, pu’er undergoes a unique process of microbial fermentation that increases its healing properties.

Here are 4 ways moderate consumption of good quality pu’er tea, like our Liji brand, can benefit you:

1. Prevention & Detoxification

For centuries, pu’er tea has been celebrated in Chinese medicine for its ability to inhibit “internal dampness” and invigorate the activity of the spleen, pancreas, and stomach, subsequently promoting smoother digestion and the effective removal of toxins from the body. Like other teas from the Camellia sinensis plant, pu’er contains significant amounts of catechins, which are a type of natural phenol and antioxidant. Medical research has found strong evidence that catechins present in tea leaves can inhibit the growth of cancer cells, as well as prevent the activity of free radicals, which can cause cellular damage leading to cancer.

Unlike other teas, pu’er contains probiotics as a result of the fermentation process. These benefit digestion, making it an excellent tea to drink after meals. In fact, in China, pu’er is often served after heartier meals, such as dim sum.

2. Heart Health

Another unique characteristic of the fermented pu’er leaves is the presence of lovastatin, a chemical that’s medically used to lower Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL), a.k.a. “bad” cholesterol. Studies recently performed in various countries including Taiwan, China, and France revealed that drinking 3-4 cups of pu’er tea a day not only reduced LDL, but also helped raise High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL), or what’s called “good” cholesterol.

One note: the presence of lovastatin has only been found in ripe pu’er (also called dark) and aged raw pu’er.

3. Kick the Coffee Habit

Are you looking to give up that morning cup of joe? A freshly brewed cup of earthy ripe (dark) pu’er tea can be the perfect, jitter-free, and invigorating substitute. In addition to containing about two-thirds less caffeine than coffee, pu’er, like green tea, provides alkalizing benefits. Coffee, on the other hand, is highly acidic and can act as a gastrointestinal irritant.  A favorite coffee replacement of our clients is our organic ginger pu’er, which is especially full bodied and warming.

4. Weight Management

Did you know that pu’er tea is believed to help regulate and reduce body weight? Research has shown that it can effectively lower blood fats called triglycerides. This is due in part to the healthy dose of theobromine, a bitter alkaloid, and gallic acid, which is an organic acid with anti-fungal and anti-viral properties, found in pu’er. Growing evidence suggests that both theobromine and gallic acid support weight management and may even help shrink fat cells.

So, unless you have caffeine sensitivity, we encourage trying a cup of freshly steeped pu’er!

View our full pu’er tea collection online or in-store!