Health benefit?

One of the intentionally aged teas, Pu-Erh has a loyal following.


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Mar 2nd, '07, 20:13
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Health benefit?

by maxman » Mar 2nd, '07, 20:13

I have only been drinking pu erh daily for about the last month.
For about the last five or six years I've had a chronic soreness in my left knee. It was noticable and at times very annoying. I'm now 52 years old. I believe it was from driving stick-shift vehicles which caused me to push in the clutch with my left leg. It got to the point where I bought a car with an automatic about 5 years ago in order to not aggravate my leg. I did, however, keep my stick shift pick-up for a work vehicle. Till about a month ago my knee was constantly sore.
I noticed a couple of weeks ago that the soreness has gone away from my knee even though I've been continually driving the truck. (I gave my car to my daughter several months ago, with the intention of buying another.) Perhaps its just coincidence and it has nothing to do with the tea, but maybe not.
Has anyone else experienced anything like this?
I have drank other kinds of tea daily for about the last ten years.

Mar 4th, '07, 03:45
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re: Health benefit?

by varatphong » Mar 4th, '07, 03:45

I’m glad to here that! Some Chinese teas are associated with qi, an ability to boost the body’s blood flow and circulation. Puerh tea is one of those teas. This as a result can heighten ones awareness and cure minor aches and pains. For a very long time the Chinese have associated many health and medicinal benefits to the long term consumption of Puerh tea. FYI there is an interesting article I uploaded a while back at http://www.puerhcha.com/Health/Puerh_Tea_Health.htm


Varat
http://www.puerhcha.com

Jun 2nd, '07, 04:17
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Good for digestion!

by natleaf » Jun 2nd, '07, 04:17

For me I like to drink this tea after a meal. It helps me with my digestion.

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Aug 14th, '07, 06:06
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by The March Hare » Aug 14th, '07, 06:06

That digestion could be from the blood flow perhaps. Good for headaches too!

Oct 25th, '07, 10:04
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Me Too!

by teajock » Oct 25th, '07, 10:04

I also have had chronic soreness in my left knee! It started when I became an active jogger about 9 years ago. After about 2 -3 years of 5X per week jogs, I all of a sudden had a piercing pain jolt through my left knee.

Since then, I've been restricted to non-impact type cardiovascular exercise. Even without impact though, the soreness in the knee acts up regularly (though not nearly as bad) when I've been working out regularly. With rest, it tends to alleviate on its own.

Well, about a month ago, I started drinking several cups of Pu Ehr Dante daily. Low and behold, I've been working out diligently for the past week and the knee feels great.

I'm the first to admit that it could be a placebo effect, but I ain't complainin'. I don't plan to resume jogging, or other impact exercise, but I'm at least happy for now.

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Oct 25th, '07, 11:35
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by Wesli » Oct 25th, '07, 11:35

Hey Teajock, the same thing happened to me from running, only to my hip. Regardless of what tea I consume or what I do, the pain comes and goes. Sometimes I falsely credit certain scenarios with the alleviation of pain, only to experiment and find that they had nothing to do with it. I have times when I drink lots of puerh, and times when I drink lots of green teas. I have to say that I can't attribute either habits to the alleviation of pain in my hip.

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Oct 25th, '07, 13:32
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by ABx » Oct 25th, '07, 13:32

Something like 20 years ago my father completely shattered his heel. It was in so many pieces that they could never actually repair it, and so he developed arthritis in that foot rather quickly.

Over the years he has noticed some pretty dramatic effects from diet changes. Avoiding certain foods, like carbs and tomatoes (he's apparently sensitive to tomatoes) and others I can't recall. Eating just a small amount of them would leave him unable to sleep from the pain.

Since puerh is thought to aid digestion, kick the pancreas into overdrive, detoxify (I'm assuming that it binds to stuff in the digestive tract and lets you pass it, unabsorbed), and so on, it could just be preventing you from absorbing the things that set it off. It's just a hypothesis, but it would make sense. The changes took about the same amount of time discussed here.

I can also definitely attest to it providing better circulation, as extremities that get very easily chilled in fall and winter will warm up noticeably after drinking some kinds of puerh. That may have something to do with it.

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Oct 25th, '07, 15:09
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by Wesli » Oct 25th, '07, 15:09

ABx wrote: I can also definitely attest to it providing better circulation, as extremities that get very easily chilled in fall and winter will warm up noticeably after drinking some kinds of puerh. That may have something to do with it.
I'm definitely going to have to try that. I'm afraid one of these days my fingers are just going to fall off. :(

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Oct 28th, '07, 12:11
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by DMikeS4321 » Oct 28th, '07, 12:11

I've had high blood pressure all my life, at least since my early 20's when it was first discovered. I was in the Navy, and had been playing a vigorous game of air hockey at the mall when I stopped at one of those "check your blood pressure" stations (probably stopped because of a cute nurse or something like that :wink: ). 145/110. I figured it was the air hockey.

Fast forward about 20 years. Coming back from Oregon I have blinding headache, so bad that I have to stop at a Motel 6 for the night. Upon my return home I set an appointment to see my doctor. 160/115. He puts me on meds, alpha blockers or whatever. They make me tired (but I can really hold my breath underwater now, almost 2 minutes! Pulse dropped to about 40bpm.). Two years later I switch to ACE inhibitors, the most benign of bp meds, and I stay with them for the next several years. In late 2006 my bp starts to creep up again (never dropped below 130/90, now it's up to 140-145/95), so doctor wants to add a diuretic. Not good; they whack out your blood chemistry, so I pass. He prescribes anyway, I fire him.

In the process of dicussing my problem with some of my friends in China, I'm told that Pu'er tea can be very helpful in reducing blood fats (oh, my cholesterol has gone from 170 to 225 over the past 5 years) and potentially lowering bp. I figure "you yi si...". I've always enjoyed Pu'er and some fine Bai Cha that I bring in directly from China, so I continue that but commence to drink my Pu'er in earnest. 1 liter per day, brewed first thing in the morning, starting right after the second week of January, 2007.

Now, please understand... I lead a very confused and tormented life. I am the single father of 3 kids (two teenage girls!!), am self employed in an industry that just tanked (mortgage broker), went through an ugly divorce over the past 3 years (yes, it took that long) and get my exercise walking from my bedroom to my kitchen, 3 times per day. I weighed 220 pounds in January of this year (2007) and haven't had the time nor the energy to work out (is anyone interested in a VERY slightly used Bowflex?). My life has always been this way and my bp has always been high; fat, skinny (I weighed a rock-hard 165 when in the Navy), single, married, divorcing, divorced, with kids, without kids, vegetarian (when the high bp was first discovered!!), non-vegetarian, lots of money, NOT lots of money... I've lived it all and I've lived it all with high blood pressure.

After firing the aforementioned doctor for his diuretic "trick", I went looking for a new doctor.. I found her in March, 2007, a very cute young woman of Chinese extraction (THAT should cause a spike in the ol' bp!!) and we had a 'new recruit' interview. In the process, the nurse took my bp. 110/85. No, I said, you made a mistake. My bp has NEVER been that low. She obliged me and took it again. 110/85, even with Dr. Gigi standing there. I explained that this was simply impossible. Dr. Gigi herself takes my bp (I figure, now it should REALLY spike!!! :roll: ). 110/85. I explain my history to her (my medical records hadn't reached her yet). She is unfamiliar with Pu'er tea, but tells me "Stranger things have happened...".

OK. I do a little experiment. I cut WAY back on the Pu'er for 2 months and go back in for another exam. BP up slightly, 125/95. I start my "liter per day keeps the undertaker away" regimen again, 1 liter daily, first thing in the morning, and call on Dr. Gigi again after another 2 months. 110/80. Dr. Gigi is getting cuter, but the bp is going down.

This is an honest, no BS account of what has happened in my life. I want to stress the fact that absolutely nothing else has changed. Well, OK. I've lost about 35 pounds, something I have been trying but unable to do for about 10 years. My cholesterol is below 200. I suspect it will continue to drop, just as I suspect I will probably weigh in at about 175 (10 pounds less than today) within the next few months. There have been NO dietary changes (I eat less but I eat the same things; still addicted to Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers and Butterfingers), NO change in exercise habits, NO change in meds, although Dr. Gigi is going to start gradually reducing my prescription for the ACE inhibitor.

Oh yeah, I gave a couple of bricks of Pu'er tea to the mother of my younger daughter's best friend. Her blood pressure also dropped significantly, but I don't know anything about the other factors in her life. (Conversely, I've given some Pu'er to another hypertensive friend who noticed no difference at all).

Psychosomatic? I really doubt it. Nothing else has changed. In fact, I have been living with MORE stress over the past year than ever before in my life. Changes in diet? No. Changes in exercise? No, although I am planning to start an exercise program ( :shock: ). Changes in attitude about life? No, same as before. I can't stress enough how clearly I feel it's the Pu'er tea. My hypertension was discovered when I was in my early 20's, in the best shape of my life. My blood pressure has ALWAYS been high, now it's not.

Anyway, YMMV, but if I were you and you have the same problems I've had, I would definitely give the Pu'er Cure (OK, I KNOW, it DOESN'T rhyme!!) a shot. If nothing else, you will develope a taste for fine Chinese tea!!

Best Regards

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Oct 28th, '07, 17:39
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Antioxidants?

by Trey Winston » Oct 28th, '07, 17:39

:shock:
Wow, Mike, that's mighty interesting. Apparently a clear cardiovascular effect after a fairly short time. Sounds like the antioxidants are really doing their thing.
I'm glad things are working out with the tea, this has to be one of the better examples of a beneficial cardiovascular effect from tea I have heard.
Thanks for the account, I may have to broaden my horizons with the Pu Erh :)

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Oct 28th, '07, 18:56
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by Wesli » Oct 28th, '07, 18:56

All who are interested.
I had some shu this morning in my cold room, and it effectively warmed up my fingers to a normal temperature.

:D :D :D :D


It's like a miracle.

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Nov 3rd, '07, 22:51
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by Salsero » Nov 3rd, '07, 22:51

DMikeS4321 wrote:I've always enjoyed Pu'er and some fine Bai Cha that I bring in directly from China, so I continue that but commence to drink my Pu'er in earnest. 1 liter per day, brewed first thing in the morning
DMike--

Interesting story. Could you be more precise about what kind of puer you have been drinking? Cooked, raw, young, old? I would be interested to know specific brands, factories, vendors, etc.

Thanks

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Nov 4th, '07, 00:57
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by DMikeS4321 » Nov 4th, '07, 00:57

Salsero wrote:
DMikeS4321 wrote:I've always enjoyed Pu'er and some fine Bai Cha that I bring in directly from China, so I continue that but commence to drink my Pu'er in earnest. 1 liter per day, brewed first thing in the morning
DMike--

Interesting story. Could you be more precise about what kind of puer you have been drinking? Cooked, raw, young, old? I would be interested to know specific brands, factories, vendors, etc.

Thanks
I've been drinking Shu Pu'er from the Chung Yan Simao factory in Yunnan. I'm buying 250 gram bricks. I prefer the 2001 (it tastes stronger and holds up better to repeated infusions), but I'm trying to conserve it for special occasions, so I'm usually drinking a 2004. Let me know if I can answer any other questions for you.

Best Regards

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