Green tea is so often touted as the healthiest option when it comes to tea. White tea is even better for you because it is very minimally processed, leaving many of the beneficial polyphenols intact. White tea is also much rarer than green tea. For this reason, it does not get the mainstream attention that green tea receives.
White tea leaves as shown by Gaia Tours
What is White Tea?
White tea, like all teas, comes from the camellia sinensis plant. The delicate white tea leaves are the youngest leaves and buds and have not undergone the wilting and oxidization stages that their black counterparts have. This means that when you drink it, you consume more of the polyphenols (antioxidant compounds) compared to drinking other teas.
If you're concerned about caffeine in tea but don't like rooibos or herbal blends, white tea may be a good option for you. White tea contains the least amount of caffeine of all tea types.
White tea leaves can only be picked about 5 days a year. Yes, that's right - 5 days! This means white tea can be pretty pricey. Rather than buying a low quality, dusty white tea, you can choose to consume premium loose leaf white tea mixed with other ingredients. This helps to keep costs down substantially and you'll still be benefiting from a high quality tea.
What does White Tea taste like?
The tender young white tea leaves have a much milder flavour than green tea. They are also very prone to being "burned" by boiling water, which can make your tea taste bitter or scalded. Please be sure to follow the recommended brewing instructions on your white tea to ensure that you are not only reaping the benefits, but also enjoying your cup!
What are the Benefits of White Tea?
The most important benefit of white tea is the level of antioxidants it contains. White tea has been shown to have up to three times more antioxidants than green tea. These antioxidants can help protect us from chronic disease (such as cancer), reduce inflammation, improve our skin's texture and appearance, and may even be linked to improved cardiovascular health and lower cholesterol!
White tea also has antibacterial properties, which means it can help fight plaque, bad breath, and tooth decay, as well as bacterial infections or viruses in the body.
While we are very hesitant to ever suggest that tea can help with weight loss or weight management, white tea has been shown to help prevent new fat cells from developing and may encourage the breakdown of existing fat cells. You'd have to drink a lot of white tea to see a substantial benefit, though. If you're going to be drinking tea anyway, white tea might be a good option if these benefits interest you.
If you are diabetic or pre-diabetic, consuming white tea may help with some of your symptoms. You can read more about the effect of white tea on diabetes symptoms here.
Lamb's Soapworks' beautiful White Tea Ginger Sage soap
Perhaps most surprising is white tea's ability to help protect your skin from ultraviolet light. This can reduce the signs of aging and help you maintain healthy skin. You might see white tea as an ingredient in your face cream or soap for this reason. Our white tea is used in a soap from Lamb's Soapworks, for example. Of course, no amount of tea consumption is ever a replacement for sunscreen!
How Can I Get the Most out of my Tea?
A study suggests that adding a bit of lemon juice, soy, or rice milk to your white tea may help your body absorb the valuable antioxidants. Additionally, white tea is best enjoyed fresh and hot rather than iced or bottled. This will provide you with the highest level of the beneficial polyphenols.
Our Mango White tea
Drinking unflavoured, unaltered white tea means you'll reap the most benefits from your cup. You can often steep white tea leaves more than once. As we previously mentioned, white tea can be incredibly expensive - this is why we are offering a new Mango White blend that is mixed with fruit pieces to help keep costs down. We want you to be able to enjoy the many benefits of white tea without the high price tag!
