"Lao Li, come on, come on, look at my baby, this is the best Pu'er tea, let's have a good taste today." Lao Wang carefully took out the Pu'er tea cakes he had treasured for many years, and smiled proudly on his face.
Lao Li was attracted by the fragrance of tea, but then frowned and waved his hand: "I've heard, there is an article on the Internet that drinking Pu'er tea can cause cancer, and I don't dare to drink this tea." ”
Lao Wang's smile froze, he scratched his head, and felt a little uneasy: "Huh? I haven't heard of this, isn't Pu'er tea good for the body, how can it cause cancer? ”
Pu'er tea is about "the older it is, the more fragrant it is", and as everyone becomes more and more concerned about drinking tea, there are more rumors about Pu'er old tea.
Some people say: "There is Aspergillus flavus in Pu'er tea, and if you drink it, you will get cancer." Someone else said: "Pu'er tea is moldy tea, and the number of molds in one gram is too many to count." "Are they real or fake?
1. Pu'er tea contains aflatoxin, which can cause cancer when drunk?
Where does the claim that Pu-erh tea causes cancer come from?
This comes from an article posted on the Internet by Fang Zhouzi, a "fighter against counterfeiting", who claimed that Pu'er tea has aflatoxin, which is not good for the health and can even cause cancer if drunk. This frightened many friends who love tea, and they said that they would not dare to touch Pu'er tea in the future.
So, what's the truth? Does pu-erh tea really contain aflatoxin?
The research team of the Key Laboratory of Pu'er Tea Science of the Ministry of Education of Yunnan Agricultural University confirmed that the detection of aflatoxins in Pu'er tea was due to the interference of plant polyphenols, which led to inaccurate test results. They pointed out that the main product produced during the fermentation of Pu'er tea is Aspergillus niger, which inhibits the growth of Aspergillus flavus and is able to degrade toxin biological enzyme activity.
In order to further dispel everyone's doubts, reporters from Southern Metropolis Daily also walked into the science laboratory in person. They chose four different vintages of Pu'er teas that can be bought on a daily basis:
Ripe 10-erh tea cake with good packaging
Ten-year-old Pu'er tea cake packed with wormholes
Old Pu'er loose tea in ordinary bags
Freshly packaged ancient tree tea cakes
The results showed that all four Pu'er teas were qualified, and the aflatoxin levels did not exceed the safety standard.
In addition, Chen Junshi, a researcher at the National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, also said that the detection of aflatoxins in Pu'er tea is not a common phenomenon, and the risk of cancer is so low that it can be ignored.
With so many experts and researchers coming to clarify the carcinogenic rumors of Pu'er tea, friends who love Pu'er tea can rest assured and continue to enjoy the aged Pu'er tea.
2. Is it true that one gram of Pu'er tea has 500 million molds?
The fermentation process of Pu-erh tea is a complex microbial activity involving a variety of strains, including Penicillium, yeast, and Aspergillus niger. Although it sounds like a lot of fungi, most of them are actually good for the body.
Taking Aspergillus niger as an example, it can produce a variety of enzymes during the fermentation process of Pu'er tea, which can promote the decomposition of pectin, polysaccharides, proteins and fats, which not only enrich the taste of Pu'er tea, but also increase the nutritional value.
Moreover, during the fermentation process, although bacteria are present, they are very small because the growth of mold and yeast can control the number of bacteria. Therefore, there are not many bacteria in Pu'er tea, which is safe for our body.
3. How to drink Pu'er tea? I'll send you a tea guide
When it comes to how to drink Pu'er tea, I'm afraid that some old tea friends may not be able to drink it right, so you might as well listen to the guidance of experts to see if your own tea drinking method is right.
1. The shelf life varies from tea to tea
Some friends believe that Pu'er tea is more fragrant the older it is.
In fact, Pu'er tea is not left out for as long as possible. Proper storage time can make Pu'er tea more fragrant and layered, but if it is left for too long, the tea will lose its fresh taste.
Generally speaking, how long it lasts depends on whether it is raw or cooked. Depending on the type, the storage period is also different:
Pu'er raw tea: If it is loose tea, it will be aged for about 6 months. If it is a tea cake, it usually takes more than a year and a half to age, and the taste will be better.
Ripe Pu'er Tea: Freshly pressed ripe tea has a wort-pile and watery flavor that gradually decreases after a few months of storage. Ripe tea that has been stored for 3-5 years tends to have a stable inner quality and a purer taste.
2. The storage environment is suitable
Dr. Zuo Xiaoxia, a nutrition expert at the Eighth Medical Center of the General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, reminded that special attention should be paid to environmental conditions in the preservation of Pu'er tea. If the temperature and humidity in your home are not suitable, Pu-erh tea will not only deteriorate quickly, but it may also grow carcinogenic Aspergillus flavus.
Therefore, Pu'er tea should be stored in a dry, ventilated, dark and odorless place. The ideal storage temperature is 10°C to 25°C, and the humidity should be paid attention to to prevent the tea from getting wet.
3. Hot water brewing is preferred
The brewing of Pu'er tea is an art, and a good brewing method can better show its flavor.
First, put the tea leaves into the teapot, brew them quickly with freshly boiled hot water, and then pour them out quickly to remove impurities from the surface of the tea leaves. Generally speaking, it is suitable to use a slightly lower water temperature (about 90°C-95°C) for raw tea, and boiling water is suitable for cooked tea.
4. People with stomach problems should drink with caution
Zhang Lun, chief TCM physician of the Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases of the Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Guangdong Province, reminded that tangerine peel pu'er and small green mandarin pu'er are suitable for different people.
Tangerine peel pu'er is suitable for people with weak spleen and stomach and fear of cold. Small green mandarin pu'er is suitable for people with average constitution or indigestion.
Overall, drinking Pu-erh tea in moderation is safe, does not cause cancer, and is good for the body. However, there are certain skills in the preservation, brewing and selection of authentic Pu'er tea, and only when you do it right can you drink it more confidently.
Resources:
[1] "A kind of sky-high tea, if you choose the wrong one, it may hide the risk of causing cancer!" 》. Phoenix Health.2022-11-21
[2] "Today's Health Prescription | How to drink Pu'er tea, don't make a mistake if you love tea". Yangcheng Evening News, Lingnan Famous Doctor.2022-09-14
[3] "Nandu Appraisal | Is Pu'er tea hidden at home carcinogenic? Take a look at our test results. Southern Metropolis Daily.2017-11-28
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