Pu-erh tea: useful properties and contraindications

The benefits and harms of Pu-erh tea is a question that interests all fans of a healthy lifestyle and healthy oriental teas. In order to give an answer, it is necessary to carefully study the composition and properties of the drink.

Pu-erh tea production and origin

The homeland of Puer is China, although such tea is currently grown in Vietnam, Thailand and other countries of the world. Initially, the raw materials for the drink were collected only from a special large-leaved tea tree that grew in the Chinese province of Yunnan. Now tea is also obtained from the leaves of ordinary tea trees.

The uniqueness of tea is due to the technology of its production:

1. First, the harvested leaves are slightly wilted, rolled, and then fermented - that is, they are moistened and left to lie for 50 to 100 days.
2. Then the fermented tea is dried and pressed into different forms - briquettes, tablets, flat cakes.
3. Then they let him rest for at least another year, otherwise the drink will not acquire its delicate taste and useful properties.

Puerh is a unique tea that only gets better from long storage. Of course, the tea that can be found in regular stores is not matured for long - a maximum of several years. But the aging period of a collection drink can be 10-20 years, and valuable properties are only gaining strength.

Types and varieties of Pu-erh tea

There are only three main types of drink:

1. Black Shu Puer - a drink of dark color with pleasant chocolate notes in the aroma.
2. Green Shen Puer - a drink of translucent light green color with a sweetish aroma reminiscent of the smell of raisins, dates and prunes. Sheng Puer tastes slightly sour and has a sweet aftertaste.
3. White Puer - resembles Shen Puer, but has a whitish shade of leaves, and smells of honey and meadow grass.

Any of the varieties of drink necessarily belongs to one of three types. And the varieties are mainly distinguished by the following:

1. Royal - the raw materials for the production are the top leaves of the tea tree. Usually it undergoes a normal, non-accelerated fermentation process for many years. Gives a different effect depending on the strength of the brew, weak royal tea relaxes, strong - tones up.
2. Palace - an elite variety with long aging and double fermentation. It has a complex, rich aroma and taste with woody, grape, nutty and chocolate notes.
3. Lactic - a white drink with a slightly caramel taste and aroma, not as specific as other varieties.

Tea is also subdivided according to its shape - it can be pressed into pancakes and flat squares, have the shape of a bowl or mushroom, brick or pumpkin.

The chemical composition and calorie content of Pu-erh tea

The main value of the drink lies in the richest composition. Every sip of any Puer contains:

• all basic vitamins - C and E, A and P, PP, B vitamins;
• elements iron, potassium, fluorine, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium;
• more than 15 amino acids;
• organic acids;
• polyphenols and alkaloids;
• tannins and vegetable protein.

The calorie content of 100 g of the product is about 152 calories, while 20 g of the total amount is occupied by proteins, another 7 g - by carbohydrates, and 5 g by fats.

Useful properties of Pu-erh tea for men and women

Regardless of the type and variety, the drink has the following beneficial properties:

• regulates blood pressure and has a tonic effect - this is the special benefit of green puerh;
• accelerates metabolic processes in the body and improves digestion;
• serves as the prevention of oncology;
• removes toxins, toxins and heavy metals from the body, reduces harm to the liver and blood vessels;
• normalizes blood sugar levels.

The benefit of Puer for women is that tea helps to take care of the figure - thanks to its cleansing properties, the drink contributes to effective weight loss.

And the benefits of Puerh for men lies in the fact that regular consumption of the drink has a beneficial effect on potency and prevents the development of prostate tumors. Tea is also used to get rid of a hangover, it quickly relieves intoxication and discomfort.

Why is Pu-erh tea useful?

For some body systems, this tea will be of particular benefit. Best of all, the drink affects the digestion and blood vessels, it is also good for the brain, as it improves attention and concentration.

Slimming

Puerh is one of the best drinks for those who dream of losing weight quickly and not gaining extra pounds back. Tea speeds up metabolism, reduces appetite, helps break down fatty tissues, so drinking Pu-erh to lose weight is very useful. Excess weight goes away in a short time and is not subsequently returned.

For digestion

Puerh is a unique tea that does not increase stomach acidity. Therefore, you can use it even with ulcers and gastritis. It helps with heartburn, sluggish stomach, poisoning, colitis and duodenitis. Tea contributes to the normal absorption of food and helps to normalize the bowel movement.

Under reduced pressure

Does pu-erh raise or lower blood pressure? The tonic properties of the drink are very beneficial for hypotonic patients. Tea raises blood pressure, while not harming the body, returns vigor and physical strength.

For the circulatory system

With regular use, Puerh qualitatively improves blood composition: it lowers "bad" cholesterol and sugar levels, removes toxins and harmful substances.

For the nervous system

A quality drink has an excellent tonic effect. Pu-erh tea invigorates even better than coffee and energy drinks, but it does not harm the body. The drink helps to focus and concentrate, improves clarity of thoughts.

Is it possible to pu-erh during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Unfortunately, for pregnant women, the beneficial properties of tea are more likely to be harmful. Pu-erh is a tonic and diuretic drink, so it can negatively affect the quality of sleep, worsen the general condition of a woman, or even lead to a miscarriage.

The same goes for the lactation period - the invigorating properties of tea can harm the baby and negatively affect the nervous system. It is better to return a healthy drink to the diet no earlier than 4 months after childbirth.

Can children drink Pu-erh tea

In some cases, a tonic drink can be of value to teens. For example, the benefits of white puerh, green and black teas will be very useful for schoolchildren during periods of intense intellectual stress.

However, for the first time, Puerh can be offered to children no earlier than 6 years old, and then it is very weak and in small quantities, no more than a cup a day. Puerh, brewed in the usual way, is allowed to be introduced into the children's diet only after 12 years.

How to brew pu-erh correctly at home

Chinese tonic tea is available in several forms: loose, pressed, and tableted. Depending on the variety, the methods of brewing the drink also slightly differ.

Pu-erh tablets

Pu-erh tablets should not be brewed directly. To begin with, the tablet is thoroughly kneaded, placed in a teapot and filled with hot water. After 2 minutes, the water is drained. The first brew is required to clean the tea petals. After that, Pu-erh is again poured with hot water, infused for another 4 minutes and drunk.

Pressed Puerh

In supermarkets and specialty stores, Pu-erh is often found in briquettes, tortillas, bowls and mushrooms, with a uniform surface or extruded patterns and symbols.

In order to brew such tea, you need to break off or cut off a small piece, put it in a cup or small teapot and pour boiling water over it. After 2 minutes, the first cleansing tea leaves are poured off, the leaves are again poured with hot, but not boiling water and wait 4 minutes for the tea to infuse.

Loose Puerh

Chinese tea is also sold in loose form customary for buyers. It is very simple to brew it - in the amount of a couple of teaspoons, Pu-erh should be poured into a teapot, pour boiling water, rinse and drain the tea leaves. Then for another 3 minutes, wet tea is again poured with hot water and poured into cups.

Rules for drinking Pu-erh tea with benefits for the body

To maximize the benefits of Pu-erh tea, advice on the correct brewing of this drink will help. In order for Pu-erh to please with a delicate taste, it is necessary to follow the classic cooking technology:

• as a rule, only ceramic or glass small teapots with preheated walls are used for brewing a drink;
• it is always recommended to drain the first brew. It is only needed to peel the tea leaves and prepare them for further infusion.

Pu-erh is not brewed for a long time, it takes only half a minute to make weak tea, strong pu-erh is kept for 3-4 minutes before drinking.

At what temperature to brew pu-erh

Unlike ordinary tea, it is not customary to pour Pu-erh tea with boiling water. The optimum water temperature is 90-95 degrees, in this case the tea reveals its taste and aroma to the maximum, but does not lose its beneficial properties.

How many times can pu-erh be brewed

Regular tea is not recommended to be brewed more than 2 times. With Puer, the situation is completely different: with each brew, it only becomes tastier and richer.

Quality Chinese tea is allowed to be brewed up to 20 times in a row. True, the infusion time needs to be slightly increased each time. The optimal number of brewing cycles for Puer is 5-6 times.

How and when to drink Pu-erh tea

Even healthy pu-erh can be harmful if misused. There are several important rules to remember:

• you cannot drink Puerh on an empty stomach, otherwise the tonic drink will cause heartburn and cutting pains in the abdomen;
• no sugar is added to Pu-erh, since it reduces the benefits of tea and changes its taste for the worse;
• It is undesirable to drink Pu-erh tea at night - the invigorating effect of this drink will be harmful and prevent you from sleeping peacefully. You can drink a cup of Puer no later than 3 hours before going to bed.

The drink can be brewed not only in hot water, but also in milk.The benefit of Puerh with milk is that this tea has a wonderful relaxing effect, while not dulling attention and concentration.

The benefits and harms of Pu-erh tea for various diseases

Chinese tea not only has a delicate pleasant taste and invigorating properties, but also has a healing effect for certain ailments.

With diabetes mellitus

Since quality tea lowers blood sugar levels, it is extremely beneficial for both types of diabetes. True, it is not recommended to abuse the drink: the daily intake should be no more than 1 cup. Of course, you cannot add sugar to the tea, otherwise the drink will only harm.

With gastritis and stomach ulcers

Chinese Pu-erh is the only tea allowed for consumption even with exacerbations of gastritis and ulcers. It does not increase acidity and does not irritate mucous membranes, so you can use it half an hour after eating on a full stomach. The benefits of black Pu-erh tea for gastritis will be higher than the benefits of green varieties of the drink.

With cholecystitis

Tea is not harmful for gallbladder inflammation if you drink it in small quantities. It is recommended to drink the drink 20 minutes before meals in the volume of half a glass in small sips.

With pancreatitis

In case of acute inflammation of the pancreas, it is better not to drink the drink and give preference to water only. But a week after the exacerbation is over, Chinese tea can be returned to the diet. However, brewing the drink very lightly, and the maximum amount should be 2 cups per day.

Side effects and contraindications

A healthy drink has a number of contraindications and can be harmful for certain diseases. Namely, you cannot drink it:

• with chronically high blood pressure - hypertension;
• with atherosclerosis - the drink strengthens only healthy blood vessels, and with an already existing disease there will be no benefit from it;
• in case of serious heart diseases - the tonic effect of the drink can be harmful;
• with chronic kidney ailments - tea has a strong diuretic effect;
• for colds - tea does not lower the temperature, but additionally contributes to its increase;
• during pregnancy and lactation;
• with glaucoma;
• with individual intolerance to caffeine, in small doses present in this tea.

Does Pu-Erh tea cause allergies?

Puert manufacturers claim that a tonic drink cannot cause allergies. However, practice proves the opposite: some people feel sick even from small portions of the drink, and here one can hardly talk about an overdose. When drinking Chinese tea for the first time, you must be careful and carefully observe the reaction of your own body so as not to get harm.

Can I drink Pu-erh tea while driving

The drink's invigorating properties and its ability to improve concentration can be very beneficial for drivers. However, you need to remember about precautions: if you drink too much tea, the effect will be similar to the state of alcoholic intoxication.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of Pu-erh tea depend on how carefully you use it. If you do not exceed the normal daily dosage and drink tea only after meals, in the absence of contraindications, it will reveal all its beneficial properties and will be very valuable for the body.

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