Seasoned tea drinker or not—the health benefits of pu-erh tea, a type of fermented green tea, are enough to make you want to add it to your wellness ritual.
Pu-erh tea has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 5,000 years for its detoxifying and anti-inflammatory effects. Today, scientists recognize pu-erh tea for its antioxidant profile and its positive effects on gut health, liver health, longevity, and even potential for supporting a healthy weight.
Rasāsvāda honors both the health benefits and the bold flavor of Pu-erh tea in Ruby Artemisia—the only drink rooted in ancient herbal traditions and tested by longevity scientists.
Read on to discover the history and health benefits of Pu-erh tea.
Botanical Overview
Botanical name: Camellia sinensis var. assamica
Family: Theaceae
Common name:Pu'er, Sheng pu-erh
Location: Lincang, Puer and Banna Regions of Yunnan Province, China
What is Pu-erh Tea?
Pu-erh tea is a type of fermented green tea that is grown in the Yunnan Province of China, a mountainous and remote region with an ideal climate for tea trees to thrive, some of which are thousands of years old. Although the region is known for its cultivation of all types of high-quality teas, pu-erh is especially prized.
While the tea leaves can be sourced elsewhere (as long as they are from the tree Camella sinensis), pu-erh can only be called pu-er if it is fermented in the Yunnan Province – similar to how Champagne is also region specific. Although pu-erh is only fermented in a specific region of China, it can vary in flavor and aroma depending on the age of the tea and the type of fermentation process used.
While pu-erh can be enjoyed any time of day, it is traditionally consumed after meals as a digestive tonic.
Types of Pu-erh
Pu-erh can either be ripe or raw. It undergoes a unique fermentation process after the leaves are dried and rolled.
Sheng or Raw, Green pu-erh is aged quicker: a few months or years. The dried tea leaves are piled up and moistened, and fermented in a hot and humid space, a technique called pile-fermenting. This process speeds up the fermentation.
Shou or ripened, black, pu-erh undergoes a slower aging process: 10-50 years. The dried tea leaves are placed in a temperature-controlled environment.
An aged tea will develop a deeper and often sweeter flavor than a less-aged tea.
What does it Taste Like?
As previously mentioned, the taste will depend on the age of the tea, and whether or not it is ripe or raw pu-erh. Because of the microbial activity brought on by the fermentation process, aged pu-erh is sometimes called “living tea.” As the tea ages, the flavors will continue to develop. An aged pu-erh tastes complex and may have a slightly sweet flavor. It may also have slightly earthy, floral, and woodsy notes.
History of Pu-erh Tea
Tea drinking is a practice steeped in history. One that in Chinese culture dates back over 3,000 years. But even before pu-erh tea was enjoyed for its taste, it was used for medicinal purposes, primarily for its anti-inflammatory and detoxifying effects. That is, according to a 5,000-year-old text called “Sheng Nongs Herbal Classic”, the oldest surviving monograph of herbal medicine in China.
Pu-erh comes from tea trees found in the mountainous and remote region of the Yunnan province; some of these trees are thought to be thousands of years old. Originally, pu-erh tea was consumed by indigenous peoples dating back to the Eastern Han Dynasty, but was later traded along the Tea Horse Road during the Tang Dynasty. This is likely when the practice of fermentation was developed. The tea was pressed into cakes (unlike most teas, which are dried and stored loose) for ease of transport. Because of this, a fermentation process was inadvertently created. People began to notice that the longer the tea aged and fermented, the better the flavors, helping the tea grow in popularity. During the Ming dynasty, it became a prized tribute tea that was offered as a gift to the emperor.
Pu-erh as a Collector's Item
Like fine, aged wines, Pu-erh is now considered a collectors item. Some pu-erh teas are over 100 years old and still consumed. A vintage pu-erh from an ancient large leaf tea tree is highly prized and only increases in value as it ages.
The Health Benefits of Pu-erh Tea
1. Promotes Gut Health
When it comes to your gut, bacteria can be a good thing. Your gut houses millions of types of bacteria, some harmful and some helpful. Researchers think that a diverse and balanced array of these bacteria is linked to better overall health. This is good news for people who consume fermented foods—like pu-erh tea. The fermentation process helps build up a plethora of good bacteria that then settle into your gut.
So how can you tell if your gut may need a little help? High-fat diets, alcohol, and aging are just a few of the factors that can throw off the balance of good to potentially harmful gut bacteria. Researchers found that drinking pu-erh tea may help restore this balance by encouraging the growth of good bacteria.
What’s more. Pu-erh tea increases the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), a type of prebiotic, that acts like food for healthy gut bacteria.
This research is still in its infancy, and more studies are needed in humans to fully understand pu-erh's impact on gut health.
2. Supports a Healthy Weight
Pu-erh tea may help support a healthy weight in a few different ways. It helps support gut health, which is linked to a healthy weight, and contains a compound called gallic acid, which researchers think plays a role in blood sugar and fat storage.
While animal studies have shown promising results, scientists are still working on conducting more studies to see how the effects play out in humans. One study found that people who consumed a Pu-erh tea extract saw a slight reduction in weight circumference, BMI, and visceral fat. However, the results weren’t clinically significant, meaning while measurements decreased, they didn’t decrease enough to make a difference in one's health.
Researchers are still figuring out how much and which types of pu-erh tea might have a greater positive impact on weight.
3. Promotes Liver Health
Pu-erh tea is used in TCM for its detoxifying effects. This may stem from pu-erh's beneficial effects on the liver—one of the body’s biggest detoxifiers. Researchers have found that a group of antioxidants called polyphenols acts on certain liver enzymes that help support healthy fat metabolism. Pu-erh tea also contains compounds, like theabrownin, that help reduce inflammation in the liver. These findings are important for people with metabolic syndrome—a cluster of conditions that, some of which impact the liver, and can lead to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and type II diabetes.
4. Supports Longevity
While pu-erh tea has an array of health benefits, scientists were curious to find out if it also holds specific benefits for aging populations. Researchers looked at the effects of a specific compound found in pu-erh tea called theabrownin (this compound also supports liver health, as mentioned above). Scientists found that aging mice who were administered theabrownin experienced improvements in learning, memory, liver health, inflammation, and gut health.
Future studies will help clarify these findings, but researchers speculate that drinking pu-erh tea consistently over time may help support against age-related decline.
5. Antioxidant Power
Green teas are known to be a powerful source of antioxidants. But what about a fermented, highly aged green tea like pu-erh? Though fermentation comes with unique health benefits, it can affect the total antioxidants in the tea.
Even so, pu-erh is rich in valuable antioxidants like
- Catechins (epicatechin, gallocatechin, and epigallocatechin)
- Rutin and kaempferol
Antioxidants protect your cells from oxidative damage. A type of damage that happens if there is an imbalance between free radicals (an unstable molecule) and antioxidants (these help stabilize free radicals). Oxidative damage can harm your DNA, fat molecules, and proteins, leading to the development of certain diseases like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure etc.
Plants, like pu-erh, contain valuable antioxidants that can contribute to overall health and longevity.
Pu-erh in Rasāsvāda’s Ruby Artemisia
Pu-erh is one of the hero ingredients in Ruby Artemisia, where it’s paired with bitter herbs, fermented teas, and potent plants, for a synergistic, deepened effect. It’s expertly crafted to support gut health, skin health, and longevity, and to bring you back into the present moment with every sip.
Flavor profile: Bright, tart, and slightly sweet.
How to use: Mx it into hot or sparkling water, sip it neat, or blend it into your daily drink like a wellness tonic, smoothie, or cocktail.
Ruby Artemisia is naturally caffeinated from Yunnan Pu’erh tea and Kurokoji green tea, and contains about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of tea.
Sourced from: China
Key Takeaways
Pu-erh tea is a type of fermented green tea that is made from Camellia sinensistrees. In order to be considered pu-erh tea, it must be fermented in the pu-erh Province of China (though the leaves can be sourced elsewhere). Pu-erh is highly prized for its deep, unique flavor that comes from the fermentation process. In addition to being valued for its flavor, it has been a staple of Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 5,000 years and is often used for its detoxifying and anti-inflammatory properties. It may also support gut health, a healthy weight, liver health, and longevity, according to research.
FAQs
Sources
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences | Pu-erh tea: A review of a healthful brew
The Power of Antioxidant: Tea Catechin and Body Oxidative Stress
Nutrition Research | Improvements of mean body mass index and body weight in preobese and overweight Japanese adults with black Chinese tea (Pu-Erh) water extract
International Journal of Food Science Technology | Systematic review and meta-analysis of anti-hyperglycaemic effects of Pu-erh tea
Infection and Immunity | Polyphenol- and Caffeine-Rich Postfermented Pu-erh Tea Improves Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome by Remodeling Intestinal Homeostasis in Mice
Journal of Functional Foods | Theabrownin modulates the gut microbiome and serum metabolome in aging mice induced by D-galactose
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