What is White Tea ?
What is White Tea ?
White tea is made from the youngest and most tender hand-picked leaf tips and buds of the Camellia Senesis plant. These give a fresh and delicate flavour and a snowy/silver coloured brew from which White Tea gets its name. Because of the laborious and detail oriented process, it's also one of the most expensive teas produced.
The most popular types of White Tea are White Peony and Silver Needle (Bai Hao). White Peony that is made from the first and second tips of a tea stem is the best quality and gets its name from the way the brewed leaves seem to bloom like the buds of the first flowers in springtime.
Silver Needle is the most expensive of the White Teas. It is made only from the single tips of the tea stem which when dried, look like silver needles. The tea has a light yellow colour and refreshing taste and aroma. In general, white tea contains less caffeine compared to other types of teas and because it undergoes less processing, the quantity of antioxidants are much higher in white tea compared to other teas.
Health Benefits of White Tea
1. Antioxidant and anti-aging properties: Presences of free radicals in the body is what leads to damage of different body organs including the skin. These radical elements highly contribute to accelerate aging process that again comes with other challenges that are associated with advancement in age. White tea contains polyphenols, which helps in of neutralizing these free radicals making them less destructive to the body. Results of a study suggest that white tea may increase antioxidant effects of organs as well as plasma. Another study was done to investigate neuroprotective effect of white tea extract on hydrogen peroxide induced toxicity. The results of this study showed that white tea extracts with its antioxidant properties help in cell neuroprotection. White tea with its antioxidant property may also reduce the risk of premature aging.
2. Healthy and youthful skin: White tea also helps in maintaining healthy and youthful skin. Use of white tea is recommended due to its antioxidant properties, which help in quick repair and recovery of damaged skin. It is also beneficial in protecting skin against effects of ultraviolet light.
3. Weight Loss: suggest that intake of white tea may prevent adipogenesis, the process of formation of fat cells and also known as adipogenesis and may control the life cycle of these fat cells called as adipocytes. This property has also been confirmed to exist in other types of tea.
4. Oral health: Health benefits of white tea include improvement in oral health. The presence of polyphenols, flavonoids and tannins help in inhibiting growth of various bacteria that may cause plaque formation. The fluoride content found in white tea may also be effective in reducing risk of dental caries or tooth decay/cavity.
5. Cancer prevention: Just like green tea, white tea may be beneficial in preventing cancer such as lung cancer. Research suggests that white tea is a potential anticancer, chemo preventive agent and its extract may induce apoptosis or cell death and may help in preventing new cell growth in lung cancer. It has anti-mutagenic properties as well. Further research is needed to identify and confirm anticancer properties of white tea for other types of cancer.
6. Effects on diabetes: Result of a research study suggests that intake of white tea may provide relief to diabetic people from symptoms such as excessive thirst (polydipsia), decrease plasma glucose levels and increase insulin secretion.
7. Cardiovascular disorder: Flavonoids found in various food products such as white tea, fruits and vegetables is associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular disorder. The flavonoids help decreasing the blood pressure. It also helps in improving dyslipidemia, endothelial function and inhibits low-density lipoprotein oxidation. Consumption of white tea rich in flavonoids may reduce the risk of various cardiovascular disorders.
8. Antibacterial properties: Diseases and medical conditions are mainly caused by pathogens which attack the immune system making the body to operate under the normal capacity. White tea has antibacterial properties, which can protect our skin from bacteria and other germs. Various products such as hand soap are made using white tea as a key ingredient. Consumption of white tea helps in protecting our body from infection causing bacteria and other microorganisms. Intake of white tea provides relief to those suffering from flu and common cold.
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