A sip of Pu'er tea can be as helpful as drugs in lowering blood sugar and preventing diabetes, says a     recent press briefing by the Pu'er city government. That is the finding of scientists at Jilin University and the Changchun Science and Technology University, after two years of studies organized by Pu'er city, Yunnan province.

    The provincial government's Science and Technology Department also organized a forum for health experts to discuss the health benefits of Pu'er.

    "Owing to Pu'er tea's obvious effect in restraining some enzymes related to diabetes, the experts believe drinking the right amounts of Pu'er tea can help lower blood sugar levels and prevent diabetes to some extent," says Sheng Jun, deputy mayor of Pu'er city.

    The first phase of the study involved 20 genetically obese lab rats with very high blood sugar levels. Researchers fed 10 of them with regular amounts of mature Pu'er tea while the other 10 rats were not given any.