Pu-erh tea has an anti-obesity effect

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Tuesday, April 24, 2012 1:44 pm Email this article
Chinese Black Tea (Pu-erh tea) extract at a dose of 100 mg per kg of bodyweight prevented excess weight gain in mice fed a high-fat diet according to a new study from Japan.

Pu-erh tea extract Prevented Excess Weight Gain

Pu-erh tea extract prevented excess weight gain on a high-fat diet

At the end of the 3-month study:

• Mice on a normal diet had gained 9.4 grams
• Mice on a high-fat diet had gained 16 grams
• Mice on a high-fat diet given Pu-erh tea extract at a dose of 0.6% of their diet had gained 8.9 grams
• Mice on a high-fat diet given Gallic Acid at a dose of 0.1% of their diet had gained 11.8 grams

In other words, Pu-erh tea extract prevented excess weight gain in mice fed a high-fat diet.

Note: This is how most rodent studies assess how a compound affects weight; they give it to growing rodents to see how much it suppresses weight gain.

Studies like this rarely ever give a compound to grown rodents to see if it causes weight loss.

High-Fat Diet

High-Fat diet contained 40% beef tallow

The high-fat diet contained 40% beef tallow.

Pu-erh tea Extract and Gallic Acid Reduces Fat in the Blood

Pu-erh tea extract and gallic acid reduces fat in the blood following a meal

Pu-erh tea Extract and Gallic Acid inhibits and enzyme—the major pancreatic lipase—which reduces fat in the blood (plasma triglycerides).

The total amount of fat in the blood following a meal was 52% lower in mice given the Pu-erh tea Extract at 100 mg per kg of bodyweight.

Pu-erh tea Extract Contains 2.9% Gallic Acid

Pu-erh tea extract contains 2.9% gallic acid

It was estimated that Pu-erh tea extract contains 2.9% gallic acid

Gallic Acid does NOT fully explain the effect

Gallic Acid does NOT fully explain the effect seen with Pu-erh tea Extract

“Gallic acid is the major pancreatic lipase-inhibitory component in BTE [black tea extract], but it would seem that the activity of BTE [black tea extract] cannot be replaced by GA [Gallic Acid] alone.

“We think that GA [Gallic Acid] exerts synergistic activity with the other components of BTE [black tea extract], including catechins and polymerized fla- vonoids, which are microbial fermentation products.

“These substances might increase the antiabsorption effect and/or the stability of GA [Gallic Acid].”

Pu-erh Tea

Additional information about Pu-erh Tea

“Chinese black tea (Pu-erh tea) is a well-known traditional beverage and is mainly produced in Yunnan Province, China,” the paper notes.

“Chinese black tea is usually categorized as a post-fermented tea.

“Because of the dark brown colour of the infusion liquid, it is referred to as black tea in Chinese but is actually different from the Western ‘black tea’, which is fully oxidized tea.

“The raw material for Chinese black tea is parched green tea.

“Furthermore, many animal and human studies have also shown the beneficial effects of green tea, and that catechins, including epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), contribute to the physiological actions of green tea including its antiobesity effect.

“However, the flavonoid composition of Chinese black tea is quite different from those of other teas such as green or black tea.

“During the processing of Chinese black tea, while gallate-type catechins are decomposed and polymerized due to the fermentation, marked increase of the gallic acid (GA) content occurs during fermentation, and GA [Gallic Acid] is one of the characteristic components of Chinese black tea.”

Recommendation

Recommendation: I prefer drinking tea to taking a tea extract

I prefer to drink tea—green tea, oolong tea and pu-erh tea—to taking a tea extract.

A number of years ago when I tried taking a green tea extract in addition to drinking green tea, it made me feel nauseous.

I would prefer to simply drink whatever type of tea it might be.

I have also seen companies selling tea extracts—the Life Extension Foundation, for example—selling caffeine-free green tea extract.

This is a MISTAKE.

The research on green tea shows that it is the interaction between ECGC AND CAFFEINE that increases thermogenesis.

Using caffeine-free green tea extract is a MISTAKE.

This just tells me that companies selling such extracts haven’t read the research.

This is another reason I would prefer to simply drink tea rather than take a tea extract.

REFERENCE

Oi Y, Hou I, Fujita H, Yazawa K. Antiobesity effects of Chinese Black Tea (Pu-erh tea) extract and gallic acid. Phytother Res. 2012 Apr, 26(4):475-81.

AUTHOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION

Yasuyuki Oi
Research and Development Department
Nippon Supplement, Inc., 19–19
Chayamachi, Kita-Ku, Osaka 530–0013, Japan
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• Pu-erh Tea (Chinese Black Tea)

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