Weight-Cholesterol Loss From Pu-erh Tea

30 July 2010

New research shows that pu-erh tea causes healthy weight loss. The study conducted by the Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory and the College of Food Science and Technology at the Yunnan Agricultural University notes that pu-erh significantly reduced total body weight, adipose pads, cholesterol, and triglycerides. The dangerous LDL cholesterol is lowered by pu-erh tea but the healthy HDL cholesterol is unaffected. The testing was performed on rats and the results showed clear evidence that the rats lost weight and recovered from hyperlipidemia. It is postulated that the fat reduction may be triggered by pu-erh’s ability to boost enzymes such as lipoprotein lipase, hepatic lipase, and hormone-sensitive lipase.

Pu-erh originates from a type of wild broad leaf tea plant from southwest China. Pu-erh tea (Camellia Sinensis) is typically aged and is classified by the year and region where it was produced. Older pu-erh tea is more valuable and fetches a much higher market price. Tea connoisseurs pay a high price for an old vintage. Pu-erh is often pressed into compacted cakes which allows for the proper maturing of the tea leaves although pu-erh is also available in loose leaf form.  Unaged pu-erh is often a green tea whereas aged pu-erh is categorized as a black tea. In China, black tea is referred to as red tea due to its red color in the cup when hot water is added. Most pu-erh originates from Yunnan province and the finest varieties come from mountains in the Xishuangbanna region. This region is famous for its tropical rainforests, wild animals, the beautiful costumes and customs of the Dai people, and its fine climate for growing pu-erh.