Pu'er teas have interesting health properties and can be used in daily prevention. We spoke with experts Alessandro Beghini and Renato Crepaldi.
Pu'er is a tea that originates in the province of Yunnan, in south-west China. Cultivated since ancient times, Camellia sinensis, the assamica variety, is the plant that gives rise to Pu'er, with a long history as a medicinal remedy. The product that results from it is unique of its kind, characterised by a distinctive phase of ageing and post-fermentation. Depending on the method applied, the tea can be classified as Pu'er Sheng or Pu'er Shu, differing in its particular characteristics.
In general terms, Pu'er proves remarkable in terms of therapeutic use, boasting interesting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, as well as beneficial effects on microcirculation, blood sugar levels and blood lipid levels.
We spoke with Alessandro Beghini, biologist and co-founder, together with Alessandra Artiano, of the Pu'er tea society, and with Renato Crepaldi, a physician specialising in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture.
Beghini, how did your passion for Pu'er begin?
It all started with a first encounter, many years ago, with Eastern cultures. Japanese green tea became part of our daily life, and my wife Alessandra and I wanted to explore the origins of the tea plant, discovering its Chinese roots and its great diversity. Following a path back through time, we arrived in Yunnan, a region in south-west China that can be described as the home of tea, as well as the area of origin of all its endemic species. Even today, wild plants still exist there — or at least genetic precursors of the plant. It is solely and exclusively in Yunnan that Pu'er is produced.
The Pu'er tea society is a point of reference for Pu'er enthusiasts in Italy. How did it come about?
Pu'er is extremely fascinating, both for its tasting aspects and for its medicinal ones. By acquiring these teas, which are of a certain rarity, it has been possible to connect with figures who are expert in Chinese medicine and preventive medicine. It is in this context, in fact, that the medicinal aspects of tea are explored. The Pu'er tea society was born during the pandemic, when Alessandra and I decided to take the plunge and turn it into a business. The aim is to share the experience linked to these extraordinary teas, as well as the related scientific culture and the art form associated with the infusion. The value of the Pu'er tea society is, in some ways, also economic, since it makes available a product that, in Europe, does not exist at this level of quality.
Does Pu'er production follow quality standards, or are there more or less "counterfeit" variants of the production process?
This is a very important aspect. The quality factor takes into account not only the growing environment, but also the production side. There is a sort of specification that governs the various steps, which are almost all manual. One crucial step for quality involves heat-inactivating the tea within one hour of harvesting. This is done to prevent oxidation of the enzymatic compounds, which would lead to a deterioration in quality. Another fundamental step is sun-drying, which gives the tea a particular energy. This is a characteristic that cannot be defined scientifically, but can be experienced by drinking the tea. The difference between sun-drying and using a mechanical dryer is enormous. Low-quality teas, which make up the majority of those on the market, go through a temperature-controlled dryer. Sun-drying allows the micro-organisms present on the leaves to become active, and is very useful for triggering the post-fermentation process that must take place subsequently. The production process therefore follows a standard, but mechanisation does exist, and is used to increase productivity, especially at lower quality levels.
What is the relationship between Pu'er cultivation and the presence of contaminants?
Tea in general is a product that is potentially contaminated by pesticides. Monoculture and intensive farming, given the temperatures of the sub-tropical belt, lead to treatment with pesticides of various kinds. With regard to the quality we select, this does not happen. The tea forests are an ecosystem that boasts plants situated in a preserved environment with high biodiversity and resilience. We have the teas we import tested for over 570 substances used in agriculture, confirming that they are negative according to European standards. We have also selected plants cultivated from one thousand metres of altitude upwards. The higher up one goes, the more the plant is exposed to very strong solar radiation, producing secondary compounds of high medicinal value. From one thousand metres downwards, there are intensive plantations, designed to meet market demands and subject to some degree of treatment.
In organoleptic and phytotherapeutic terms, what distinguishes a Pu'er Sheng from a Pu'er Shu?
The entire production process is structured so that this tea can age. This is one of the unique characteristics of Pu'er. The average ageing period is around thirty years, while a tea aged for seventy years has reached its peak, also carrying a certain value. Pu'er is very close to green tea in its organoleptic characteristics, then it transforms through a post-fermentation process. It is in fact defined as a post-fermented tea, and in China it is also called black tea when it is naturally fermented. A Sheng can be "young", and therefore rich in polyphenols like green tea, and can transform during ageing to become an "aged" Sheng, which presents yet different characteristics. In the latter case, the mechanism is both oxidative — involving the micro-oxidation of the leaf compounds — and fermentative, through the activity of micro-organisms naturally present on the dried leaves.
A different method is the one that gives rise to Pu'er Shu, designed to accelerate the natural ageing process by inducing artificial fermentation. In this case, a fermented product is obtained in 45–50 days, closely resembling naturally aged tea, though never reaching the same levels. Natural ageing, in fact, allows all the reaction intermediates to be preserved, whereas in vigorous fermentation — triggered over a short period of time — these substances are reduced, yielding a product that lacks certain characteristics in terms of organoleptic three-dimensionality. On the other hand, Shu gains certain properties, which are primarily digestive, and is well suited to the evening, after meals, because it is deficient in stimulating alkaloids such as theine. Shu does not stand out for its contribution of statins, which instead characterises aged Sheng. The Shu production method was developed in the 1970s for less affluent consumers. A Pu'er Shu tea is indeed more affordably priced compared to a Sheng tea aged twenty years.
Dr Crepaldi, how do you incorporate the use of Pu'er into your professional practice?
Generally, the patient I see undergoes a diagnostic process based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, in which their "energetic condition" is assessed. Jì xiàn lín, a great master of Chinese culture, in his book 'Studi sull'antica civiltà cinese, Tán guó xué', notes that Western culture takes an analytical approach while Eastern culture, by contrast, proceeds from a synthetic vision of reality: 'there are those who see the trees and not the forest, and those who see both the trees and the forest'. Chinese medicine therefore takes a holistic approach in which symptoms are placed within a broader framework and are the sign of an energetic imbalance. This comes about both through the case history, which includes the social, emotional and family context in which the patient lives, but above all through observation of the tongue and analysis of the radial pulse. Our objective is then, through the tools of therapy (acupuncture, herbal remedies, massage, dietetics and medical exercises), to restore the body to balance. Tea is part of these therapeutic methods. I have been practising this approach for many years. I began to take an interest in tea because the Chinese tradition traces the beginning of tea's use to the mythological sovereign Shen Nong, the divine farmer, father of Chinese agriculture, who is said to have reigned in the third millennium BC. It is said that he tasted hundreds of herbs to assess their medicinal value, and that he discovered that tea acted as an antidote to poisonous herbs. Thus began the history of tea and the history of tea therapy. Today, with the development of modern medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine, drugs and medicinal herbs are primarily used to treat diseases, while tea is considered more of a beverage.
Tea therapy, however, proposes using tea as a substitute for Chinese medicine, in order to prevent illness and remain healthy.
For years I wavered between white, red, black and oolong teas, but after meeting Alessandro and Alessandra, I began to use only Pu'er. Among the various types used in China, Pu'er is certainly the most effective when it comes to the harmonious balance of the individual.
More specifically, what clinical cases benefit from the use of Pu'er?
Pu'er has a very profound, very medicinal action. It rebalances the body in a powerful way. Together with Alessandro, we have sought to direct the various Pu'ers towards syndromes associated with the stress of modern chaotic life, in support of herbal remedies, diet and acupuncture. Use is often linked to the sphere of liver energy. In TCM, the liver is the organ that moves the energy of the entire body and is highly sensitive to emotions. This is a condition that encompasses many elements, but let us not forget that everything is interrelated and therefore cannot be confined to any one area. Other organs that benefit are the kidneys, the spleen-stomach, the heart and the lungs. As can be seen, certain Pu'ers manage to restore the circulation of energy by acting on the blockages that are the primary underlying cause of pathologies. Insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks, menopausal symptoms and digestive function — both at the gastric and intestinal level — thyroid issues and lipid profiles are examples on which we can work with the various Pu'ers.
Are there any guidelines on the duration of use and quantities?
In the East, the preparation and consumption of tea is a ritual — indeed, it is called the tea ceremony. In the context of a chaotic lifestyle such as ours currently is, this ritual creates a break in the daily rhythm, allowing one to pause for a moment and listen to oneself. In this way, a moment of recovery is afforded. In my practice, I assess the initial effects of the tea, and then, if things proceed well, I recommend its use throughout the year. What can be done is to vary the types of tea according to the time of day, the season and/or the condition to be treated: a tea directed at gastric problems, for example, is recommended before or after meals. These teas can, moreover, also be used in the evening to relax and promote sleep. In other cases, Pu'er can be taken in the morning to ease the start of daily activities. As for quantities, reference is made to the individual's need for fluid intake. There is therefore no specific dosage. In any case, daily use is recommended.
Is it, then, primarily a preventive remedy?
Tea is above all a preventive course. Pu'er strengthens the defensive energies, helping the individual to feel resilient in the face of life's challenges. Significantly, the entire psychological dimension of the person is protected. Among the factors that most heavily affect our defences are the traumatic events we absorb every day. Tea provides a form of prevention against this kind of thing.
Spanning an extremely vast field, no longer confined to the Eastern world, Pu'er tea represents a promising resource for human wellbeing, finding broad support in the scientific research dedicated to it.