Pu erh tea weight loss

Pu erh tea weight lossPerhaps you’ve drunk pu erh tea with the desire to lose weight but ended up having disappointing results.  The following article seeks to clarify the best way to consume pu erh tea for weight loss.  Before proceeding, however, it should be noted that pu erh, and all true tea leaves from Camellia sinesis, has caffeine.  Those sensitive to caffeine will have to consider non-caffeine related means by which to assist metabolism.  Seeking out the expertise of a specialist in Chinese medicine is a good avenue to pursue if this is the case.   Second, “pu erh” in this article references the ripe, i.e., the fermented type of pu erh, which is much darker and the most commonly consumed type of pu erh.

Pu erh tea weight loss

Many women in China consume pu erh tea for weight loss.  As a matter of fact, pu erh is very good for accomplishing this.  The thing is, however, since it is often consumed incorrectly, there is no shortage of women who also have not achieved their weight loss goals.  According to research, those endeavoring to lose belly fat should drink pu erh tea.  Since it has undergone a distinctive type of fermentation, ripe pu erh can raise metabolism of fat around the belly.  Therefore, if you want to sensibly attain a flat belly, pu erh can play an integral role in assisting you.  Let’s take a look at some of the best pu erh practices that will maximize success below.

Best Pu erh Practices

  1. Open and rinse the tea using about a teaspoon of pu erh, 3-5g.  Add two cups of boiling water.  Steep for a short  while (2 min), then pour into a separate vessel.
  2.  Add an additional two cups of boiling water.  Steep again for two minutes or so, then add this brew to the first in the same aforementioned vessel.
  3. The steeped leaves can be discarded.  Ideally, the tea should be drunk hot.  A portion can be reheated on the stove or through microwaving.  Do not dilute the solution, which will weaken the results.  Of course, if the solution is concentrated, a bit of hot water can be added.

As an additional point, if the objective is solely to lose weight then steeped pu erh is fine.  If there is also the goal of lowering cholesterol, then boiling the tea will enhance the effects.

Steeping tea

Based on practical experience, here are some observations regarding steeping.  Some pu erh may have to be steeped for a relatively long period of time in order to extract all the desired elements.  Conversely, some pu erh only requires a short instant.  The difference is due to processing methods and the source material. Sun-dried pu erh normally undergoes hand rolling.  Compared to green tea and oolong, the time engaged in rolling is shorter.  The tightness of the roll is also less than oolong and green tea.  Consequently, it oxidizes fairly gradually.  In terms of steeping, hand rolling allows for a lasting flavor, with a yun (aftertaste in the throat in particular) also fairly long-lasting.  Machine-rolled raw material, on the other hand, infuses quickly.  Experiment with brew times and water amount to get the results that are sufficiently strong.  The brew should have a dark red-brown color.  It doesn’t need to be pitch black and thick.  It is ok to thin out your brew with some boiling water to reach just the right amount of opacity where light shines through your brew.

Just a small point to address regarding how aggressively pu erh assists in weight loss…  pu erh tea has a largely regulatory function on digestion by boosting spleen and lung function and transforming phlegm.  By Chinese medicine reckoning, it is not the appetite curbing effect of caffeine that drives its effectiveness. You’ll want to continue to drink about four cups of pu erh everyday for about six months.  It is best to consume first thing in the morning and after every meal.

Tea Cakes and Tea Bricks

The Puerh Junky has a few ripe cakes and bricks that fit the bill for weight loss purposes.  In terms of cakes, there is the Keyi Xing Ripe Cake and the Menghai Ripe Cake.  They’re both priced similarly, the former being more fermented than the latter, though neither have any “fishiness” of poorly fermented or young pu erh.  They are machine processed, so they release fairly quickly.  The 2013 Gan by Shancheng has a fruity chocolatey taste, sweet, rich and satisfying.  The chocolate just lingers in the mouth.  There’s even a hint of smoke.  It is the leaves are not rolled tightly, so it releases fairly quickly.  2012 Wafting Banzhang is a smoky and oily brick that has a real coffee character.  It’s as good to drink for pleasure after a meal, as it is for weight loss.  This brick is fairly tightly pressed, so it is best to infuse for a longer time.

Final Thoughts

Integrating pu erh into a weight loss routine will ensure positive results, particularly as it relates to belly fat.  Proper brewing is key to getting the most from your pu erh experience.  Experimenting with brew times will ensure you extract the most from your treasure.  There is no such thing as over brewing ripe pu erh, so erring on the side of a long brew is better than under brewing.  Puerh Junky offers some decent selections for purposes of weight loss.  Be sure to give yourself about six months to see full results.

by Yang-chu