Can drinking more Pu'er tea help you lose weight? Here comes the truth about drinking tea to manage obesity...

Current situation of obese people

In recent years, the global overweight and obesity rates are growing rapidly and have become a serious problem threatening human health.

According to the "Report on the Nutrition and Chronic Disease Status of Chinese Residents (2020)", the overweight and obesity rates of residents aged 18 and above in my country are 34.3% and 16.4% respectively, among which the obesity rates of residents aged 18-44, 45-59 and 60 and above are 16.4%, 18.3% and 13.6% respectively. The obesity rate of Chinese residents is on the rise. Some studies predict that by 2030, the overweight and obesity rate of adults in my country will reach 65.3%.

2

Types and hazards of obesity

The occurrence of obesity is jointly influenced by genetic, environmental, and social and cultural factors.

According to the causes and pathogenesis of obesity, obesity is divided into: simple obesity (no obvious endocrine or metabolic cause) and secondary obesity (obesity secondary to neuro-endocrine-metabolic disorders).
Obesity leads to a higher risk of premature death and is also associated with the occurrence of various chronic non-communicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes, stroke, coronary heart disease, hypertension, respiratory diseases, osteoarthritis, and gallstones. Obesity is even associated with the occurrence of a variety of tumors. In 2019, 11.98% of cardiovascular deaths nationwide were attributed to high body mass index (BMI), with a death toll of 549,500.

3

Scientific basis for drinking tea to manage obesity

The fundamental cause of obesity is that the body's energy intake is greater than its energy consumption, which causes excess energy to be stored in the body in the form of fat. Dietary nutrition and physical activity are two important factors affecting obesity prevention and treatment. The key to weight loss is 30% exercise and 70% diet.

Modern scientific research shows that tea, as a natural and healthy drink, can prevent and control obesity through a variety of mechanisms:

01 Promote energy consumption in the body

The imbalance between energy intake and consumption is the root cause of obesity. A key strategy for weight management is to increase energy consumption. There are two types of adipose tissue in the human body: white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT). BAT, in particular, helps maintain body temperature through thermogenesis and loses energy in the form of heat, and has become an emerging target for obesity treatment.
Studies have shown that drinking tea can promote energy consumption and help burn excess stored energy in the body. This process is that specific active ingredients in tea can activate BAT metabolism and increase energy consumption.

02 Regulate the digestion and absorption of nutrients by the digestive system

Obesity is caused by excessive intake and absorption of nutrients, which not only leads to weight gain, but also causes abnormal function of adipose tissue, which in turn triggers inflammation and other metabolic disorders. As a key enzyme in the intestine that breaks down fat, the inhibition of pancreatic lipase activity is considered a potential way to control obesity.
Studies have found that the gallic acid ester component in catechins can effectively inhibit the activity of pancreatic lipase and slow down the digestion and absorption of fat. In addition, tea can also reduce the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates by regulating glucose transporters, effectively reducing energy intake, and further helping to manage weight and blood sugar.

03 Promotes lipid decomposition

The benefits of tea are not limited to its role in promoting energy expenditure, it also shows a key role in lipid metabolism.
Studies have shown that tea can activate the lipid decomposition process, which includes promoting the decomposition of fat and the oxidation of fatty acids. This process helps to accelerate the decomposition of triglycerides (TG) and reduce the accumulation and storage of fat. In particular, tea products rich in theabrownins show significant effects in promoting adipose tissue metabolism. They effectively reduce the amount of fat stored by increasing the activity of lipase and triglyceride lipase in white adipose tissue (WAT), thereby fighting obesity.

04 Inhibition of lipid synthesis

Abnormal lipid synthesis is one of the key factors in the development of obesity.
The active ingredients in tea can inhibit lipogenic enzymes and lipogenic factors, which are molecules that play a vital role in lipid synthesis. Through this inhibitory effect, it helps to reduce unnecessary lipid accumulation in the body. Going further, the combination of tea with certain natural products, such as diallyl disulfide (DADS) in garlic, can produce more significant effects. This combination therapy can not only more effectively inhibit enzymes related to lipid synthesis, but also activate the expression of thermogenic-related genes, thereby promoting fat burning.

05 Regulates Adipocyte Differentiation

Excessive differentiation and volume expansion of adipocytes are key factors in the development of obesity. The components in tea have been found to have a significant regulatory effect on this process. In particular, long-term intake of Pu'er tea has been shown to effectively reduce the volume and number of adipocytes in mice, thereby reducing body weight. In addition, active ingredients such as catechins in tea can help prevent obesity and its related complications by inhibiting the regulatory factors of white adipocytes in the liver and reducing the accumulation of unhealthy fat in the liver.
By affecting the differentiation and maturation process of adipocytes, tea not only helps control the number and size of adipocytes, but may also have a positive impact on regulating fat distribution in the body and improving metabolic health.

06 Regulates the neuroendocrine system

Obesity is closely related to the regulation of the neuroendocrine system. Leptin is a hormone that is responsible for transmitting signals to the hypothalamus region of the brain to regulate appetite and food intake. In the obese state, the transmission of leptin signals may be resisted, resulting in a weakened regulatory effect.

Studies have shown that specific compounds in tea can have a positive impact on leptin levels, thereby exerting an anti-obesity effect. These compounds can help improve leptin resistance, regulate appetite, and may promote energy expenditure by intervening in the leptin signaling pathway. In addition, the regulatory effect of tea on the neuroendocrine system is not limited to leptin. A series of studies have shown that drinking tea can comprehensively regulate the neuroendocrine system, including affecting the levels of other hormones and signaling molecules. This regulatory effect helps balance energy metabolism and promote healthy weight management.

07 Regulates intestinal flora

Imbalance in intestinal flora structure is closely related to a variety of metabolic diseases, including diabetes and obesity. The ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes in the intestinal microbial flora of obese individuals is often higher than that of normal-weight individuals.

Tea and its metabolites have the potential to regulate intestinal flora. They help maintain the balance of intestinal microbial flora through prebiotic-like effects. Studies have shown that the intake of Pu'er tea extract can reduce the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes in obese models and improve metabolic health.

4

Choosing the right tea is more helpful for obesity management

The potential of tea in the field of obesity management is receiving more and more attention. Among the functions of health foods registered with tea as raw materials, weight loss function ranks first.

However, both in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that there are differences in the effect experience of natural compounds contained in tea in the fight against obesity management, which is mainly attributed to the different bioavailability of compounds in tea (referring to the proportion and speed of nutrients absorbed and utilized by specific parts of the organism) by individuals, and factors such as genetic background, eating habits and lifestyle may also affect individuals' absorption and utilization of these beneficial ingredients.

How to improve the bioavailability of active ingredients in tea has become the key to the beneficial substances in tea to play a role in obesity management!
Pu'er tea is made by microbial fermentation. On the basis of natural substances contained in tea, microbial fermentation promotes the transformation of macromolecules, increases the content of small molecule active ingredients, and significantly improves the bioavailability of active substances, making Pu'er tea a more effective choice.

TAETEA's third-generation intelligent fermentation technology, through the selection of beneficial strains for fermentation, enables targeted enrichment of active substances. The active substances are richer, have smaller molecular weight, higher nutritional value, and are easier to absorb and utilize.

Conclusion

Through the above, we clearly know the positive effect of drinking tea on obesity management, especially Pu'er ripe tea has a more significant effect!

Weight management should be implemented in daily life. While "controlling your mouth and moving your legs" and "eating a balanced diet", increasing the drinking of Pu'er ripe tea is a sustainable and easy-to-stick way, and it is also an important measure to prevent obesity.

Scientific understanding of obesity and scientific management of weight is a long-term process. I hope everyone can stick to it and have a healthier body.

References:

[1]Dietary Guidelines for Adult Obesity (2024 Edition).

[2]Otton, R., N. Petrovic,.. 2021. On the validity of adipogenic cell lines as model systems for browning processes: In authentic brown, brite/beige, and white preadipocytes, there is no cell-autonomous thermogenic recruitment by green tea compounds. Frontiers in Nutrition 8:715859

[3]Scheele, C., and S. Nielsen. 2017. Metabolic regulation and the anti-obesity perspectives of human brown fat. Redox Biology 12:770–5.

[4]Wolfram, S., . 2006. Anti-obesity effects of green tea: From bedside to bench. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research 50 (2):176–87.

[5]Chen, Y. K., C. Cheung,. 2011. Effects of green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate on newly developed high-fat/western-style diet-induced obesity and metabolic syndrome in mice. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 59 (21):11862–71.

[6]Ikeda, I., K. Tsuda, Y. Suzuki,. 2005. Tea catechins with a galloyl moiety suppress postprandial Hypertriacyl glycerolemia by delaying lymphatic transport of dietary fat in rats. The Journal of Nutrition 135 (2):155–9.

[7]Roberto, B. S., l. 2016. Immobilized tannase treatment alters polyphenolic composition in teas and their potential anti-obesity and hypoglycemic activities in vitro. Food & Function 7 (9):3920–32.

[8]Sun, Y., . 2019. Anti-obesity effects of instant fermented teas in vitro and in mice with high-fat-diet-induced obesity. Food & Function 10 (6):3502–13.

[9]Xu, J., . 2020. Huangjinya black tea alleviates obesity and insulin resistance via modulating fecal metabolome in High-Fat Diet-Fed mice. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research 64 (22):e2000353

[10]Bae, J., . 2019. Diallyl disulfide potentiates anti-obesity effect of green tea in high-fat/high-sucrose diet-induced obesity. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry64:152–61.

[11]Chen, G. J.,. 2018. Fuzhuan brick tea polysaccharides attenuate metabolic syndrome in High-Fat diet induced mice in association with modulation in the gut microbiota. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 66 (11):2783–95.

[12]Rufino, A. T., . 2021. Flavonoids as antiobesity agents: A review. Medicinal Research Reviews 41 (1):556–85.

[13]Shen, C. L., . 2012. Green tea polyphenols benefits body composition and improves bone quality in long-term high-fat diet-induced obese rats. Nutrition Research (New York, N.Y.) 32 (6):448–57.

[14]Guo, X. J., .2017. Green tea polyphenols reduce obesity in high-fat diet-induced mice by modulating intestinal microbiota composition. International Journal of Food Science & Technology 52 (8):1723–30.

[15]Zang, L., . 2021. Preventive effects of green tea extract against obesity development in zebrafish. Molecules 26 (9):2627.

[16]Dey, P.,. 2019. Green tea extract prevents obesity in male mice by alleviating gut dysbiosis in association with improved intestinal barrier function that limits endotoxin translocation and adipose inflammation. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 67:78

[17]Kowalska, G. 2021. The safety assessment of toxic metals in commonly used herbs, spices, tea, and coffee in Poland. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18 (11):5779.

[18]Xiao-Yu Xu.,.2021Effects and mechanisms of tea on obesity.Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition.ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage.