In recent years, more and more people have heard of Liubao tea, come to understand it, and started drinking or even collecting it. This is certainly related to the unique qualities of Liubao tea – its red, rich, aged, and mellow flavor, as well as its distinctive aroma and taste. It is also closely tied to Liubao tea's ability to improve over time. However, we cannot overlook the health benefits of Liubao tea. Many consumers feel refreshed after drinking Liubao tea. Some find themselves more energetic during the day, others find their digestion improved, and some even notice significant changes in their health check-up reports. The unique and remarkable health benefits of Liubao tea have made it a favorite among many people. As Liubao tea belongs to the category of dark teas, when discussing its health benefits, we often refer to the experiences with other dark teas or Pu'er ripe tea. Yet, what we fail to realize is that Liubao tea's unique processing techniques give it distinct health benefits not found in any other type of tea.
Throughout history, there have been records of the health benefits of Liubao tea at different stages. Originating from Wuzhou, Guangxi, Liubao tea was exported to Southeast Asia starting from the late Qing Dynasty. It became the preferred choice for quenching thirst, dispelling dampness, and relieving heat for Chinese workers from Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, and Hainan provinces working in Southeast Asia. During this period, Liubao tea was an essential item for maintaining physical well-being. One could say that Liubao tea was to these Southeast Asian laborers what dark tea is to nomads on the border regions – it became an integral part of daily life. Scholars in Japan and Southeast Asia began researching the health benefits of Liubao tea around the same time. Japanese experts once referred to Liubao tea as “medicinal tea” and scientifically confirmed its beauty-enhancing, detoxifying, Blood sugar-lowering, and cholesterol-lowering effects. However, these scholars were unfamiliar with the production process of Liubao tea and did not understand that it is a fermented tea treasure. They attributed its effects to catechins, equating its mechanism to that of green tea, which is incorrect.
In recent decades, due to significant fluctuations in the Liubao tea market, research into its health benefits has almost stagnated. Most reports about the health benefits of tea that we hear today are based on green tea and black tea. With the rise in popularity of Pu'er tea, rock tea, and white tea, research on these types of tea has gradually increased. In the past 5-10 years, with the resurgence of the domestic Liubao tea market, people have started paying attention to the health benefits of Liubao tea again. Historically popular as a “dampness-dispelling tea,” it has become a new focus in the market.
The dampness-dispelling properties of Liubao tea are historical knowledge that requires modern scientific verification. In 2019, China National Tea Corporation (hereinafter referred to as “China Tea Company”) collaborated with COFCO Nutrition and Health Research Institute and Southern Medical University to conduct a clinical study on the dampness-dispelling effects of Liubao tea. The study lasted two years, and the results were published in the journal Food Science in 2021, marking the first clinical report on Liubao tea. Over a hundred participants with phlegm-dampness constitutions were recruited for the study. Their physical changes after drinking Liubao tea (8-12 grams per day) for half a year were continuously monitored using a combination of traditional Chinese medicine constitution questionnaires and blood tests to verify the health benefits of Liubao tea. The results showed that Liubao tea significantly alleviated “dampness symptoms” in the participants, and their uric acid levels, blood lipids, and gut microbiota also improved significantly. Sometimes, to make “aged tea” seem more mysterious, we often tell people that only old tea can “cure diseases.” However, clinical studies show that both new and aged tea have dampness-dispelling health benefits, although aged tea does indeed have a more pronounced effect on enhancing the body's immunity. Of course, regardless of whether the tea is “new” or “aged,” quality is paramount. Poor-quality tea may pose food safety risks, let alone talk about health benefits. The tea used in this clinical study was provided by China Tea Wuzhou Company. Even if it was “new tea,” it had undergone exclusive storage in China Tea's cellar, making it a kind of “aged tea” among new teas.
The dampness-dispelling properties of Liubao tea directly affect our daily lives, which is why many people feel “comfortable” after drinking it. The dampness-dispelling effects of Liubao tea work through multiple mechanisms, both alleviating “external dampness” caused by humidity and environmental factors, and promoting blood circulation, diuresis, and intestinal regulation to treat “internal dampness.” To help consumers better understand the concept of “dispelling dampness,” researchers have summarized the reasons behind Liubao tea's dampness-dispelling effects into two aspects: First, regulating the gut to ensure smooth functioning. This involves promoting the proliferation of beneficial bacteria in the gut while effectively combating pathogenic microorganisms. Second, promoting blood circulation to keep the body functioning smoothly. Fermented tea polyphenols form tea pigments, which have the effect of dilating blood vessels and lowering blood lipids and blood sugar.
The unique health benefits of Liubao tea stem from its distinctive processing methods. Taking China Tea's Cellar-aged Liubao tea as an example, in modern factories, raw materials undergo a Fermentation process lasting several months to half a year. Before leaving the factory, Liubao tea also undergoes long-term aging in China Tea Wuzhou's exclusive tea cellar, ranging from half a year to several years. Cellaring is not only a key step in forming the flavor of Liubao tea but is also essential for imparting its health benefits. As the saying goes, “Without cellaring, there is no Liubao.” With the continuous advancement of modern technology, we are attempting to use more advanced processing methods to shorten the aging time of Liubao tea, allowing more consumers to enjoy it. However, perhaps this is what makes Liubao tea unique – no technological means can replace the refinement that time brings. Over 3,000 components in Liubao tea change in content before and after cellaring. Some phenolic acids and flavonoid glycosides are only found in authentic Chinese medicinal Herbs such as Angelica sinensis, Ligusticum chuanxiong, and Astragalus membranaceus, and are rarely present in other types of tea. There are even some active ingredients that have been discovered for the first time. There is still much unknown about the medicinal substances in Liubao tea and the mysterious nature of its cellaring process, waiting to be gradually uncovered.
As people increasingly focus on health, tea, a drink steeped in rich Chinese culture, is gaining more attention due to its health benefits passed down through word of mouth. Not only traditional “tea enthusiasts,” but also more and more consumers who do not know much about tea are willing to try it, savor its taste, and enjoy its health benefits. However, some rumors about the health benefits of tea have limited its promotion, and this is true for Liubao tea as well. Some people worry whether microbially fermented Liubao tea might “mold” during production or later storage. With the continuous development of tea-making skills, the production of Liubao tea has evolved from a less controlled “craft” to a standardized “process.” This “process” preserves the characteristics of the “craft” while avoiding its unpredictability. Through rigorous quality control and testing, every product of Liubao tea from reputable brands can withstand scrutiny. In recent years, China Tea Company has developed a series of process equipment, such as fermentation tanks that never touch the ground, ushering in an era of intelligent production for Liubao tea. Some people fear that drinking Liubao tea may affect their sleep. During