When you hear about herbal tea, the last thing you'd probably think of would be chocolate. After all, chocolate and tea don't go together, right? WRONG! In case you haven't heard about it, there is such a tea that exists called chocolate pu-erh. It has a TON of health benefits.

1. Reduces Cholesterol

Pu-erh tea goes through a very unique fermentation process before it gets brewed. This process results in a production of lovastatin (which is used to treat high cholesterol) and studies have shown that by drinking pu-erh, you could possibly lower your cholesterol by as much as 100 points!

2. Detox

Like many herbal teas, pu-erh is a great detox for your body. All food (good and bad) contain acids that build up like blocks in our systems over periods of time. If the body doesn't get cleaned out every now and then, it can cause a lot of problems. This is one of the reasons why pu-erh is so popular. It acts as a natural detox in order to rid your bloodstream of harmful toxins.

3. Weight Loss Aid

Losing weight is something that everyone has tried to do at least once. From stomach surgeries to appetite-suppressing pills, there are many ways that people go about trying to lose weight. Little do they know, that pu-erh tea is a great weight loss aid! It's like a natural fat blocker. The tea has been known to reduce the creation of FAS (fatty acid synthesis) and produce more epinephrine, norepinephrine, and caffeine which stimulates the fat already stored in your body! Meaning that it makes your stored fat more accessible to be used as fuel for your body instead of just holding it.

4. Stress Relief / Sleep Aid

This tea is something all college students should have in their dorm rooms. Despite the caffeine found in the tea, pu-erh produces melatonin in your body which drops stress levels and balances the chemicals in your brain to help you sleep better.

5. Boosts Immune System

Pu-erh tea also acts an anti-inflammatory and has antioxidants. This makes it a great way to boost your immune system and make you more prone to fighting off diseases.

I had heard of chocolate pu-erh tea before but I never had the chance to try it until recently. I was out shopping with my little sister and I found a box of this tea in the World Market Store. My curiosity won out and I went home with a box.

I was really surprised at how the tea tasted. Despite the name, it didn't taste like chocolate at all. The aroma was very earthy and I found it to be quite calming.

The tea itself tasted like a combination of cinnamon, orange, and cloves. I didn't add any sugar or honey to it. I simply brewed it and consumed it. With herbal teas, I find that's the best thing to do in order to enjoy all their benefits (that's just my preference though).

Since the tea has caffeine in it, I got a nice little energy boost that didn't follow with a headache like sodas or coffees tend to do.

All in all, I would highly recommend that everyone try pu-erh tea at least once. Other college students especially. This tea seems to be a cure-all.