Pu-Erh Tea

 　Pu-erh tea （pronounced "POO-air"）， from Yunnan province in China， has long been considered a special delicacy and an indispensable part of daily health care。 Many give this remarkable tea credit for restoring and maintaining good health。 Generations of Chinese have drunk this tea after rich meals to "cut the grease。" In the 1970's Chinese doctors in Kunming reported clinical experiments in which drinking pu-erh was shown to lower cholesterol levels in the blood stream。 French researchers at St。 Antoine Hospital in Paris duplicated these results and found that three cups of pu-erh a day for a month brought lipids down 25 percent in 20 hyperlipidemia patients， while those on other teas showed no change。 These tests showed pu-erh performed at least as well as clofibrate， the most advanced medicine for the purpose， without the drug's side effects。 It has since been shown to help reduce body weight by increasing the metabolism。 Many report that drinking it after meals relieves any overstuffed feelings and aids digestion。 The Chinese claim that pu-erh also can lower blood alcohol after drinking， prevent dysentery， and stimulate secretions from the spleen and other organs。