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Traditional Chinese medicine classifies pu'er
tea
as being rich in qi, or life force. This makes it good for circulation,
toxin removal from the blood and relief of minor aches and pains. It is
further classified as a "hot" food, which helps treat conditions that
are caused by too much "cold" in the body, such as stomach ailments and
problems of the spleen. Pu'er is often served after large meals,
especially those consisting of fatty foods, as the tea is believed to
help the body digest and cleanse itself of fats.
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Perhaps related to this fat-cleansing idea, pu'er tea is
reputed to help lower cholesterol. A 2006 study conducted by Chun-Te
Chiang, Meng-Shi Weng, et al. at the College of Medicine of the National
Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan, showed a significant lowering of
cholesterol and
triglyceride levels
in rats fed pu'er tea leaves. Pu'er is reputed to aid in weight loss,
which has also been substantiated in rats in this study. A second study
from the College of Medicine of the National Taiwan University by
Tzong-Der Way, Hui-Yi Lin, et. al. confirmed these findings.
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Pu'er tea is high in antioxidants. Antioxidants are
substances that inhibit cell oxidation, a process that can lead to cell
damage. Reducing cell oxidation is often considered to be a protection
against cancer. The Taiwanese studies support the idea that substances
in pu'er tea can reduce enzymes connected with the growth of cancer
cells.
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