A Yunnan tea fermented by moulds and bacteria, building large brown pigments that act in the gut, changing which bacteria thrive and how much cholesterol the liver disposes of. That mechanism is the most convincing part; human evidence is thinner. Against it: caffeine, reduced iron uptake, fluoride build-up, and storage-dependent fungal toxins. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Apolipoprotein B | < 80 mg/dL (< 60 if high cardiovascular risk) | The primary success marker |
| LDL cholesterol | < 100 mg/dL (< 70 if high risk) | The endpoint the trials moved |
| Total cholesterol | 160–200 mg/dL | The other endpoint the trials reported |
| Triglycerides | < 80 mg/dL | Fell in two trials; metabolic marker |
| HDL cholesterol | 50–80 mg/dL (men ≥ 45) | Rose in the metabolic syndrome trial |
| Fasting glucose | 75–86 mg/dL | Tests the glucose mechanism directly |
| HbA1c | 4.8–5.3% | Three-month average blood sugar |
| hs-CRP | < 0.5 mg/L | Tests the inflammatory finding |
| Ferritin | 50–100 ng/mL | The key safety marker for iron absorption |
| Transferrin saturation | 25–35% | Separates iron deficiency from inflammation |
| Haemoglobin | 13.5–15.0 g/dL (women), 14.0–16.0 (men) | Detects progression of iron depletion |
| ALT | 10–19 U/L (women), 10–26 U/L (men) | Screens liver status |
| eGFR | > 90 mL/min/1.73 m² | Fluoride and aluminium are cleared renally |
| Urinary fluoride (spot) | < 1.5 mg/L | Direct measure of cumulative fluoride |
Cadence: Baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months, then annually if continued. Fluoride markers only above roughly 1 L/day sustained for over a year, then every 2–3 years.