Pu-Erh for dieting?

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


May 30th, '12, 18:59
Posts: 1
Joined: May 30th, '12, 07:16

Pu-Erh for dieting?

by Lisa » May 30th, '12, 18:59

I've recently discovered Pu-Erh tea. It was recommended for weight loss. Has anyone tried it? Successful or not?

May 30th, '12, 19:05
Posts: 1274
Joined: May 9th, '09, 15:59

Re: Pu-Erh for dieting?

by shah82 » May 30th, '12, 19:05

Nothing works for weight loss other than controlling what you eat, when you eat, and be aware of how many calories you're eating at a sitting. In addition, at least 30 minutes of exercise that raises blood pressure a day. Calories in. Calories out. Lifestyle choice. Even when you're diligent, losing weight and fat tissues on a long term basis may not be easily attainable, and you'll just have to be satisfied with better health.

Puerh is not part of that game, any more than consuming any other stimulant to excess.

User avatar
May 30th, '12, 19:18
Vendor Member
Posts: 2084
Joined: Sep 24th, '08, 18:38
Location: Boston, MA

Re: Pu-Erh for dieting?

by gingkoseto » May 30th, '12, 19:18

I have super good appetite after or during drinking puerh (and a few other teas), hence I eat more, hence I would be lucky if there is no weight gain (not always lucky :mrgreen: )
If you've paid attention to a lot of "healthy" products advertised with weight loss effects (such as cereals, yogurt...), you may find in the small prints things like certain diets and certain amount of exercises are recommended. With the same diet and exercises recommendation, probably potato has the same weight loss effect :mrgreen:

User avatar
May 30th, '12, 19:43
Posts: 9
Joined: Mar 18th, '12, 19:39

Re: Pu-Erh for dieting?

by equiraptor » May 30th, '12, 19:43

shah82 wrote:Nothing works for weight loss other than controlling what you eat, when you eat, and be aware of how many calories you're eating at a sitting. In addition, at least 30 minutes of exercise that raises blood pressure a day. Calories in. Calories out. Lifestyle choice. Even when you're diligent, losing weight and fat tissues on a long term basis may not be easily attainable, and you'll just have to be satisfied with better health.
While this is true, replacing sugary or otherwise calorie rich drinks with lower calorie options can be a positive step. As long as it doesn't increase your appetite (as it does for gingkoseto), Pu-Erh could be a good replacement for soda or juice, or even coffee w/ milk and/or sugar.

Don't expect any magic bullets - there aren't any. :/

User avatar
May 30th, '12, 22:42
Posts: 1784
Joined: Jul 8th, '09, 23:39
Location: Maui
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Pu-Erh for dieting?

by tingjunkie » May 30th, '12, 22:42

Really good puerh (i.e. not the crap found at Teavana and other major chains) can definitely lower your blood sugar and get your metabolism kicking in my experience, so as long as you have the will power to deny the resulting munchies that causes, who knows, it just might work. :lol:

User avatar
May 31st, '12, 05:22
Vendor Member
Posts: 510
Joined: Mar 19th, '12, 02:49
Location: Frequently Moving Around
Contact: TwoDog2

Re: Pu-Erh for dieting?

by TwoDog2 » May 31st, '12, 05:22

shah82 wrote:Nothing works for weight loss other than controlling what you eat, when you eat, and be aware of how many calories you're eating at a sitting. In addition, at least 30 minutes of exercise that raises blood pressure a day. Calories in. Calories out. Lifestyle choice. Even when you're diligent, losing weight and fat tissues on a long term basis may not be easily attainable, and you'll just have to be satisfied with better health.

Puerh is not part of that game, any more than consuming any other stimulant to excess.
With the Shah. Eating healthy and exercise are it. And changes are slow.(Which, admittedly, has something to do with puer)

User avatar
May 31st, '12, 15:15
Posts: 1312
Joined: May 27th, '09, 16:55

Re: Pu-Erh for dieting?

by teaisme » May 31st, '12, 15:15

Is wheat making a lot of people fat and sick? I dunno but so says some ppl/docs

Heart Scan Blog etc etc etc (make what you will of it)
TwoDog2 wrote:Eating healthy and exercise are it. And changes are slow.
I think a lot of people see very good results within a year or less after the right diet and exercise change, that's not very slow to me, of course there are many diff reasons for being fat, but a good number can lose it quick (and maintain it) if the right steps are taken

How about the show the biggest loser? 13 seasons running...
http://www.diet-blog.com/07/the_biggest ... ey_now.php

Seems like they are refining the weight loss process too (either that or selecting more ideal candidates), but you can notice from the link a larger number are maintaining close to their winning weight after its all over then in the first few season winners/runnerups.

So don't let others help you lose the battle in your mind before you have even begun to lose the weight...It may be a grueling lifelong battle, it may not be, have some hope and drink some tea :wink:

May 31st, '12, 16:06
Posts: 1274
Joined: May 9th, '09, 15:59

Re: Pu-Erh for dieting?

by shah82 » May 31st, '12, 16:06

Well, the thing is, there are always charlatans who sell on your hope and optimism, and food is a center of fad activity. Right now, there is an attempt to see chia seeds as some miracle diet additive that will do all sorts of miraculous things. They use this pathway because that's cult-leadership 101, in which they try to isolate you from contrary opinions--debby downer, hater, people who see "the old you", etc, etc, and drive questions to the assigned authority, which is typically themselves, or a reference that sez people like them...

Yo-yo dieting is not good for you. People do not, as a whole, have a capacity to lose weight quickly and keep it off. Most determined people gain back weight because life (typically job or health related) disrupts their habits, which involves attention to detail--like keeping a calorie/food journal. Losing weight fast is not actually good for you, never mind the likelihood of gaining it all back and more. Real live human bodies of normal, average, people who's mostly lead a sedentary life will react and conserve calories, make you tired feeling, and every delicious item out there is encouraging you to binge.

Using stimulants to lose weight isn't a great idea. First of all, you're dependent on them. Second, unless your appetite is suppressed, you'll feel hungrier and eat more. Third, most anything strong enough to really affect your body so as to lose lots of weight are going to have side-effects or damage your body.

We should drink puerh to enjoy it. If we happen to lose weight, it's entirely coincidental. Most people will not lose weight.

User avatar
May 31st, '12, 17:18
Posts: 2044
Joined: Jan 11th, '07, 20:47
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Pu-Erh for dieting?

by wyardley » May 31st, '12, 17:18

Obviously stimulants do have some effects on appetite and metabolism, but I agree with the general sentiments of this thread - be skeptical of tea being advertised for weight loss purposes -- especially when the seller claims that one particular type of tea has special weight loss benefits -- and drink tea because you enjoy it, not because of actual or alleged health benefits.

User avatar
May 31st, '12, 17:28
Vendor Member
Posts: 2084
Joined: Sep 24th, '08, 18:38
Location: Boston, MA

Re: Pu-Erh for dieting?

by gingkoseto » May 31st, '12, 17:28

So far there is no scientific study demonstrating tea has weight loss effect. This doesn't mean tea doesn't have such an effect, but we can't assume it has either. Tea does have ingredient that are supposed to stimulate metabolism. But this doesn't guarantee significantly more calories burnt (let alone stimulated metabolism may make you want to eat more calories :mrgreen: ). When it comes to human body, a working mechanism doesn't always guarantee a visible outcome. For example, we are all sure lifting fingers burn calories. But I guess nobody believes lifting fingers every day helps us lose weight. :mrgreen:

Jun 2nd, '12, 15:57
Posts: 29
Joined: Mar 17th, '11, 17:42

Re: Pu-Erh for dieting?

by zzenster » Jun 2nd, '12, 15:57

I drink puer all day almost everyday.....and has not worked on me. Skipping dinner here and there, however, worked. :wink:

Jun 2nd, '12, 16:14
Posts: 239
Joined: Sep 2nd, '10, 12:57

Re: Pu-Erh for dieting?

by fdrx » Jun 2nd, '12, 16:14

for me drinking sheng puerh doesn't make loose weight.
maybe drinking shu puerh is better for that but i don't drink shu pu enough yet to give an opinion

User avatar
Jun 2nd, '12, 22:59
Posts: 1591
Joined: Jul 21st, '10, 02:25
Location: Oz
Been thanked: 3 times

Re: Pu-Erh for dieting?

by bagua7 » Jun 2nd, '12, 22:59

Puerh tea has the ability to improve digestion (stomach and spleen...earth element in the Wu Xing system) significantly due to its close relationship to the same energy: post-fermented, late summer, earth, yin and yang in balance.

Additional reading:

http://www.china.org.cn/english/health/220996.htm

And to answer your question, it will make you lose weight. Green tea has also this ability due to its strong connection to the liver (spring, green, wood energy in the Wu Xing).

I have lost a lot of weight as a result of drinking both and oolongs as well.

Good luck.

User avatar
Dec 29th, '13, 20:28
Posts: 255
Joined: Sep 26th, '13, 21:26
Location: Europe
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Pu-Erh for dieting?

by miig » Dec 29th, '13, 20:28

Hey, Tea Guardian states that PU can help a diet, but only if it is combined with exercise. Usually I like his site very much, but its just his opinions about PU that are a bit controversial. Anyways, here is the link, where you can also find things for further reading:


http://teaguardian.com/tea-health/obesity-1.html


I don't know whether this works or not, but what I do know is that PU for me does the opposite. If I have a nice long PU session, I get A LOT of appetite. It really activates my digestive system so much that in the beginning, I sometimes got very dizzy because my blood sugar levels dropped so radically. My beloved Dan Cong Oolongs do the same thing, but the effect is much weaker.
My point is: I think its at the very least possible that PU aids fat burning, at least it certainly won't hurt it. And especially after a heavy meal, it can be very pleasant to have some PU. But it can really stimulate your appetite, maybe you want to watch out for that.

User avatar
Dec 30th, '13, 22:23
Posts: 1657
Joined: Sep 2nd, '13, 03:22
Location: in your tea closet
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact: kyarazen

Re: Pu-Erh for dieting?

by kyarazen » Dec 30th, '13, 22:23

hmm.. through microfloral/fecal transplant they had been able to show the effects of such microbes and fungi in one's body in contributing to obesity...

maybe the microbes and fungi in pu-erh have the same effect! :lol: :lol:

+ Post Reply