Pu-erh tea is one of the oldest and most ancient teas, and it has been used for its promising mental and physical wellness benefits for many years. It’s a fermented tea coming from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. This tea got its name from the Pu-erh county in the Yunnan province of China, where the plant it’s from is exclusively grown.
This type of tea comes in green and black varieties alike. It has a mild and sweet taste, giving off the aroma of autumn leaves. Pu-erh tea is also highly caffeinated, making it a beverage best consumed in the morning and early afternoon.
In this article, you’ll find all the information surrounding the health benefits of and brewing tips for pu-erh tea that you need to know about.
Table of Contents
Health Benefits
There’s good reason pu-erh tea was used in ancient medicine and is still popular in modern times despite the advancement of science and development of laboratory-made medicine. It has potential health benefits, which include the following:
1. It May Aid In Weight Loss
Pu-erh tea may help you lose weight. This is due to the fact that it’s fermented, so it may introduce good bacteria or probiotics to your body. Probiotics might help you with blood sugar control, which is also necessary for keeping your weight in check. Because of that connection, pu-erh tea might just be recognized as a possible natural weight loss drink.
2. It Is Said To Promote Better Digestion
Digestion or gut problems are quite common, and pu-erh tea may possibly aid in smoothing out such issues.
When you drink the tea, you’ll be feeding your gut with good probiotics or good bacteria, which are highly beneficial in fighting off any bad bacteria present in your stomach. When your stomach has more good bacteria than bad bacteria, you can keep your digestive system healthy.
3. It Helps Increase Energy Level
Some individuals who consume pu-erh tea drink it in the morning because of its potential to increase their energy levels. Note that this particular tea contains caffeine, so it’s not surprising that it can possibly give you a boost of energy when you need it most.
The caffeine content of pu-erh tea won’t just possibly give you more energy, but it may also improve your mental focus. This enables you to have a better start to your day without the usual jitters your cup of coffee might cause.
4. It May Reduce The Onset Of Diabetics
As briefly touched in the first health benefit of pu-erh tea, the good bacteria coming from this type of fermented drink might also bring about positive effects in maintaining blood sugar levels in the body. As a direct result, the possibility of contracting diabetes may be reduced.
Remember: diabetes can start to manifest when the body has high blood sugar. So when that aspect is controlled, it follows that you’re protecting yourself against the onset of the disease linked to it.
Brewing Tips
To enjoy the potential health benefits enumerated above, it’s very important to brew your pu-erh tea correctly. Here’s how you can start.
1. The Traditional Chinese Method Of Drinking Pu-Erh Tea
If you have access to one or something similar to it, it’s best to brew your pu-erh tea in a traditional brewing pot. This is called a Yixing teapot, which is a traditional clay pot made from purple clay. A traditional gaiwan is also a good alternative as it can be cheaper than a Yixing pot. Both options are versatile pots that can be used for brewing any kind of tea.
Here’s how you can brew pu-erh tea using either a Yixing teapot or gaiwan:
- Preheat the Yixing pot by pouring hot water over it.
- Add around two tablespoons of pu-erh tea leaves, but you can adjust this amount according to your personal preference.
- Pour hot water in the pot to cover the leaves.
- Pour the water out after two to three seconds as that’s enough to give the leaves a good rinse.
- Fill the pot with new, hot water, keep the lid closed, and let the tea sit for around half a minute. You can adjust this time frame to ten seconds more every time you add new leaves over and beyond the original two tablespoons.
- Pour the tea into smaller cups for drinking.
2. The Best Temperature For Brewing Pu-Erh Tea
One of the most important factors to get accurately when brewing pu-erh tea is the temperature. For this tea, the right temperature needed to reach its optimum flavor is around 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you go any higher than this temperature, you may end up unnecessarily burning the tea leaves. If you go any lower, then you won’t be getting the maximum potency of the tea.
3. The Other Ways Of Enjoying Pu-Erh Tea
If you have an aversion to drinking any type of tea on its own, the good news is you can also enjoy drinking pu-erh tea in other ways. Depending on your preference, you can mix it with either warm milk or honey.
When you add pure honey to the tea, your drink would have more potential health benefits. This is because honey is said to protect against colds and fight harmful toxins in the body. Be sure, however, that before you pour the honey in, the tea has had time to cool down. If you mix in the honey when the tea is at its optimal brewing temperature, the substance may just interfere with the pu-erh tea’s compounds, thereby reducing its possible health benefits.
Conclusion
As you’ve read above, be sure to follow the proper brewing tips of pu-erh tea so you’ll get a better chance of enjoying its potential health benefits.
Keep in mind, however, that none of the promising health benefits of pu-erh tea is meant to substitute any medication you’ve been prescribed to take. So before you decide to drink this kind of tea regularly, consult with a medical professional or your trusted doctor about it if you’re dealing with a particular health condition.
Never self-medicate. Pu-erh tea can do your body a world of good, but you still have to make sure that it’s safe for you to consume.
