“Drinking a cup of tea will surely starve the apothecary“
– Chinese Proverb
Pu-erh tea isn’t as common, here in the US, as black tea and green tea are, however, it’s health benefits make it worth knowing about.
Pu-erh tea is a form of black tea that goes through a unique, extended fermentation process. This process brings about an interesting flavor and qualities unlike any other tea.
Pu-erh and Lower Cholesterol
- It contains a small amount of a chemical named lovastin.
- Lovastin helps to lower triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood. Too many triglycerides in the body could mean that you’ve consumed more calories than you are capable of burning.
- It also helps in lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and raising good cholesterol (HDL).
Research Study
A research study was done January 26, 2005 in Taiwan by researchers, Kuo KL, Weng MS, Chiang CT, Tsai YJ, Lin-Shiau SY, and Lin JK.
The results of the study were published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The study aimed at proving whether or not Pu-erh tea can aid in weight loss and lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol
The study looked at four teas: pu-erh, oolong, black, and white
The researchers studied growth suppressive (stopping growth) and hypolipidemic (decrease in levels of lipids in blood) effects on a sample of male rates for 30 weeks.
The results showed that oolong tea and pu-erh tea were the top two teas, of the four studied, that suppressed body weights of the rats.
It also showed that pu-erh tea was one of the most efficient in lowering triglyceride (fat in the blood) levels and lowering levels of total cholesterol.
If you haven’t heard of Pu-erh tea, let alone tried it, it’s never to late to give it a shot. Your cholesterol may thank you…