White Tea: Benefits, Side Effects and How To Make White Tea

White Tea Benefits

White tea comes from a plant called Camellia sinensis plant. The buds and leaves of the plant are picked before they open fully, while still covered in fine white hair. This is where the tea derives its name. Green and black teas are also derived from the same plant. Byt the processing method is different, which gives them different flavors and aromas. White tea out of all three is the least processed tea. It retains a very high amount of antioxidants. There are numerous health benefits of white tea. For instance, it helps in weight loss, prevents heart diseases, combat skin aging, and many more.

 Let’s learn about the white tea benefits in detail:-

• Rich source of antioxidants– white tea is packed with antioxidants. It contains catechins, which are a type of polyphenols. These plant-based molecules protect the cells from damage by free radicals compound. These free radicals are responsible for aging, chronic inflammation, harmful diseases, and weak immunity system. White tea is the best to fight free radicals. White tea has antioxidants similar to green tea. A test-tube study found that the extracts of white tea can help in protecting damage of nerve cells from hydrogen peroxide in animals. White tea powder is also effective in reducing inflammation in human skin cells from free radicals.

• It helps in losing weight– when we think of weight loss. The first thing that comes to the mind is green tea.white tea could also be as effective as a green tea for burning body fat. Both have a similar level of catechins and caffeine. These compounds together have a synergetic effect on the body. White tea extracts stimulate fat breakdown and prevent the formation of new fat cells. White tea can also help in boosting metabolism by an extra 5%. This is equal to burning an extra 7-100 calories every day.

• Protects teeth from bacteria-white tea is a good source of tannins and catechins. These molecules help in strengthening teeth and fight sugar and bacteria. Catechins are plant antioxidants found in abundance in white tea. White tea stops the growth of plaque in teeth. The study has proved that tannins and Flouride together can prevent the growth of bacteria responsible for plaque growth.

• Reduce the risk of heart disease– heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the US. Heart diseases have a direct link to chronic inflammation, which is associated with lots of factors. These include lifestyle habits, exercise, and diet—polyphenols found in white tea help in reducing the risk of heart disease. Polyphenols relax blood vessels and also boost immunity. It also helps in lowering the bad cholesterol level in the body.

• May help in fighting cancer– cancer is the second biggest reason for death in the US.studies show that white tea may have anticancer effects on the body. White tea triggers the death of the cell in some type of lung cancer. White tea also has a positive effect on colon cancer. White tea suppressed colon cancer growth and stopped the cells from spreading.

• White tea compound protects against osteoporosis– osteoporosis is a health condition that makes the bones hollow and porous. About 44 million Americans over the age of 50 are affected by this disease. This may cause fractures and poor quality of life.catechins in a white fight the risk factors of osteoporosis. White suppress the cells that break down bones. White tea has catechins in abundance as compared to other teas.

• Minimize the risk of insulin resistance– insulin is an important hormone in the body. Insulin helps in moving the nutrients from the blood to cells.some people stop responding to insulin because of many factors such as increased sugar consumption. It is very common, and insulin resistance can cause many chronic diseases like diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart diseases—polyphenols found in white tea help in lowering the risk of insulin resistance.

• Fights skin aging- it is normal to have wrinkles and loose skin as we get older. There are two main reasons for aging- internal and external aging. External aging is a result of skin damage due to environmental factors that cause aging like the UV rays of the sun. Internal aging is a natural aging process of the body. This is caused due to various reasons like enzymes and free radicals. Enzymes called collagenase and elastase damage the skin’s fiber network, which keeps the skin firm and tight. These compounds present in white helps in protecting the skin from both internal and external aging to the skin. Applying the extracts of white tea can also protect the skin from the Sun Uv ray damage. 

• May protect against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s– polyphenol compounds found in white tea reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Polyphenol suppresses free radicals, reduces risk factors of the disease, and also reduces inflammation. Misfolded and clumped proteins are the major risk factors of both these diseases. These clumped and folden proteins promote nerve damage and inflammation in the brain. Drinking white tea is shown to have prevented the clumping of proteins and also reduce the risk of these diseases. A study found that people who drank white tea had a 15% lower risk of getting these diseases than the people who did not drink this tea. One more study showed that drinking white tea on a daily basis by 52.500 people was found that it reduced the risk of brain disorders by 35%.

White Tea Side Effects

• White tea has very high caffeine content and is also the least processed of other teas, which means more fluoride content.
•  Consuming white during pregnancy is not advisable because of caffeine content.
• It may also cause insomnia and anxiety.
• Excessive consumption of white tea can be responsible for high boss pressure problems.

How to make White Tea?

If possible, use spring water to brew white tea—two grams of white tea leaf in ounce cup of water. 

Steep white tea in 170-185F, it has delicate flavors. You can change the steeping time according to the flavor you enjoy. Some say white tea can be steeped more than gree tea and black tea. While some say, white tea should not be steeped for more than 2-3 minutes. Enjoy the tea without cream, milk, honey, or sugar.