If you are a fan of tea drinks, you must taste pu-er tea. In addition to having a distinctive taste and unique aroma, this tea is also known to have several health benefits. Come on, know the various benefits of pu-er tea in this article.
Pu-er tea or pu-erh tea made from plants Camellia sinensis. This plant is the same plant for making green tea, black tea, and oolong tea. However, what distinguishes pu-er tea from other types of tea is the process of making it.
Pu-er tea is made through a long fermentation process, it can take years to decades. The longer the tea is fermented, the better it will taste. However, this tea usually has a slightly pungent odor due to the fungi and good bacteria present in the fermentation process.
Here are the Health Benefits of Pu-Er Tea
Pu-er tea contains a variety of important nutrients needed by the body. In fact, this herbal tea has also been used for a long time as a traditional medicine in China.
The following are the health benefits of pu-er tea that you can get:
1. Help lose weight
Pu-er tea is a fermented beverage that contains many probiotics. Consumption of probiotics is known to maintain a healthy digestive system, which then has an effect on blood sugar stability.
Stable blood sugar can make your hunger response and appetite more controlled. Thus, the urge to overeat or snack can be muted and your weight will gradually decrease.
2. Lowering bad cholesterol levels
A study states that the nutrients contained in pu-er tea can reduce the absorption of bad cholesterol from the food you consume. That way, blood cholesterol levels are maintained and you are better protected from many diseases, including coronary heart disease or stroke.
3. Improve metabolic syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a collection of health disorders consisting of high blood pressure, excess fat accumulation in the abdomen, dyslipidemia (high cholesterol), and high blood sugar levels. This condition can be the beginning of many types of dangerous diseases, such as diabetes and stroke.
Based on several studies, pu-er tea can help reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) and blood sugar levels. Plus, this tea is also good for weight loss. These properties can certainly help improve the problems that occur in metabolic syndrome.
4. Maintain heart health
Regular consumption of pu-er tea can help maintain liver health and improve liver function that is impaired due to fatty liver. In a study also mentioned that this herbal tea can prevent liver damage caused by chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin.
5. Inhibit the growth of cancer cells
Pu-er tea is thought to be able to prevent the growth of cancer cells in the body, especially breast cancer, oral cancer, and colon cancer. However, this herbal tea still cannot be used as a cancer treatment.
Those are the various benefits of pu-er tea that you can get. Keep in mind that research on these benefits is still limited to animals or laboratory experiments, so further research is needed to confirm this.
You can still consume pu-er tea like regular tea to improve your health. You can also add sugar, milk, or cream in a serving of pu-er tea to add flavor. However, limit the consumption of pu-er tea to no more than 3 cups or 700 ml per day.
This tea contains a lot of caffeine. If consumed too much, side effects that may appear include insomnia, dizziness, shaking, excessive urination, diarrhea, and dehydration.
If you want to drink pu-er tea but are taking certain medications, such as antibiotics, heart medications, or asthma medications, you should consult your doctor first. It is feared that there will be drug interactions that can actually have a bad impact on your health.
