Currently there is no general accepted definition of white tea and very little international agreement. One source says that white tea is minimally processed tea (just drying, no fermentation or other procedures). Another says that “white tea is made from buds and young leaves, which are steamed or fired to inactivate polyphenol oxidase, and then dried.”
It is harvested primarily in China, mostly in the Fujian province, but more recently it is grown in Eastern Nepal, Taiwan, Northern Thailand, Galle (Southern Sri Lanka) and India.
White tea comes from the buds and leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. The leaves and buds are allowed to wither and dry in natural sun.
Contents
Uses
White tea extract’s is incredibly potent antioxidant, anti-aging properties. As the least processed tea, white tea retains more of the plant’s natural goodness than do black and green teas.
White tea provides relief to diabetic people from symptoms such as decrease plasma glucose levels, increase insulin secretion and excessive thirst (polydipsia). Intake of white tea also helps in losing weight.
Benefits
- Antioxidant and antiaging 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 accelerated 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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, chemopreventive agent and its extract may induce apoptosis or cell death and may help in preventing new cell growth in lung cancer. It has antimutagenic properties as well. Further research is needed to identify and confirm anticancer properties of white tea for other types of cancer.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Weight loss: Busy schedules and wrong choice of food can easily lead to weight gain. Shedding off that gained kilo may not be easy especially if there is not time for physical exercise. Living by a given diet plan is one of the ways out of this kind of situation. Some of these diets may not be fun to stick to unlike intake of white tea which is similar to taking any other beverage of choice. Studies 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.
Caution
There is almost no side effect with white tea except the caffeine that it contains. However, just a note that for some people caffeine intake may lead to problems like faster heart rate, anxiety and sleeping difficulty. You may like to read up more about the side effects of caffeine in general. Moreover, the amount of caffeine in white tea is always lesser than other teas you can find out there. So this may not pose as a serious health risk.
Interactions
None are recorded.
Other names
n/a
Reference
Source: OrganicFacts, https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/beverage/white-tea.html
WhiteTea, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_tea
Healthrefactored, http://www.healthrefactored.com/featured-articles/what-are-the-benefits-and-side-effects-of-white-tea/