Products
Pu-Erh tea is available, for example, in pharmacies, drugstores and tea shops. It originates from Yunnan province in China.
Stem plant
The parent plant is the Assam tea plant var. , from the tea shrub family (Theaceae). It grows into an evergreen shrub or a tree.
Medicinal drug
The leaves of the tea plant are used as the medicinal raw material, which are first wilted, steamed, rolled, dried in the sun, and then pressed into various shapes, such as balls, bricks, or tablets. Unlike other teas, which are made from the tea plant, pu-erh tea is both oxidized by the enzymes of the plant and fermented by microorganisms such as fungi (e.g. , ) and bacteria. Thus, it belongs to the fermented foods. A distinction is made between raw and mature pu-erh tea. The tea can be stored for decades, continuing to mature. The process can be compared to wine making.
Ingredients
Ingredients include methylxanthines, flavonoids, polyphenols, catechins, tannins, theaflavins, amino acids, aromatics, volatile compounds, minerals and vitamins.
Effects
For example, pu-erh tea has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antimicrobial, antidiabetic and lipid-lowering effects.
Indications for use
Pu-erh tea is consumed in the West primarily as a health-promoting stimulant.
Dosage
Pu-Erh prepared as an infusion and can be infused several times.
Adverse effects
Possible adverse effects of the tea include indigestion.
