The main reason white tea and green tea have become popular is the health benefits associated with these two products of the tea bush Camellia sinensis.
From the first time tea was discovered and started being commonly known, it was treasured first and foremost for its health benefits. Tea was used as medicine against many ailments.
Of course, the ancient Chinese didn't know that the reason that certain types of tea have a number of very healthy effects on the body is that they contain antioxidants in strong concentrations.
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are naturally occurring chemical compounds that absorb and destroy other compounds known as free radicals. Free radicals break down the cells of the body, and are among the underlying source of many serious diseases and ailments, including heart disease and cancer. Even physical aging has been linked to the activities of free radicals. These substances form in the body and are unavoidable results of the metabolism in the cells.
Free radicals
Free radicals are created when the cells convert nutrients into energy. They are also made by the skin when it is exposed to sunlight. Tobacco smoke and poisons in the environment are also major sources of free radicals. Free radicals can't be avoided entirely, but the negative effect they have on the body can be limited.
Antioxidants absorb, weaken and neutralize free radicals continuously. Maintaining a steady supply of strong antioxidants into the body is a long step in the direction of keeping in good health and slowing down or preventing physical aging.
In the Western world, our diet does not give us remotely the supply of antioxidants the body needs. The epidemies of heart disease and cancer can to a large extent be blamed on free radicals running wild and unchecked in our bodies. The human body can only manufacture a small number of its own antioxidants to a very limited extent.
Plants to the rescue
Plants do not have this problem. In order for a plant to survive, it must neutralize the harmful effects of the free radicals that arise because of the large quantities of direct sunlight any plant absorbs. They make their own antioxidants – and lots of them. If they didn't, no plant would survive more than a few minutes in the sun before it would wither and die.
Many fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, but in varying concentrations. The tea plant is among the plants with the highest concentrations of antioxidants, especially in the leaves. These are the leaves from which tea is made. White tea is the least processed variety of tea, and the leaves are harvested when very young. The concentration of antioxidants in these young buds and leaves is practically the same as in fresh tea leaves that are still on the bush.
In fact, there is no tea with a stronger concentration of antioxidants than white tea.
There are many antioxidants, and the antioxidants in white tea are known as catechins. About 25 to 30 percent of the dry weight of a tea leaf is due to catechins, sometimes known as polyphenols. They are present in many plants and foodstuffs, such as vegetables, red wine, chocolate, and coffee. The largest source of catechins in the human diet is tea and coffee.
Because so many people drink coffee, which also contains some catechins, it is probably the greatest source of antioxidants in many societies. That does not mean that it is the strongest, as most kinds of tea contain a lot more antioxidants per cup than coffee does.
Health benefits
Catechins have been called super-antioxidants. They neutralize harmful fats and oils, which lowers the cholesterol and blood pressure. They block cancer-triggering mechanisms, inhibit bacteria and viruses, improve digestion and protect against ulcers, strokes and diabetes. The health benefits of catechins have been studied extensively.
Inhibit disease
Many studies have focused on the way catechins seem to inhibit and prevent the growth of cancer cells. Many of these studies were conducted with green tea, and since white tea contains even more antioxidants than green tea, white tea would be even more effective.
Some studies seem to suggest that tea speeds up the rate of metabolism, meaning that the calories are burned more quickly.
Both green and white tea have antibacterial and antivirical properties. It has been observed that both types of tea may inhibit tooth decay and gum diseases. They may also have anti-inflammatory properties.
The Asian paradox
An interesting effect of tea consumption is is the observation that the population in Eastern Asia smoke a lot, and often have diets high in calories, but that their rates of heart disease and many forms of cancer are much lower than in the West.
This effect has been attributed to the great consumption of green tea in the area. In fact, even though it is being drunk in very limited quantities outside of Asia, green tea is the second most popular drink in the world, beaten only by water.
The phenomenon is so clear and pronounced that it is widely known as the Asian Paradox.
Prevent aging
Free radicals in general have been associated with physical aging. The theory is that free radicals attack the cells, specifically the nucleus, which contains the DNA of the organism. If the DNA is damaged, the cell commits suicide or may become cancerous. If one cell dies, the consequences for the organism are not very large. If thousands of cells in the same part of the body die over time, such as in the skin, the result is visible as damage, such as wrinkles.
When we know that every cell in the body is attacked by free radicals thousands of times every day, the importance of giving the body enough antioxidants to defend itself with becomes obvious.
Many of the studies of the beneficial effects of drinking tea were done using green tea, not white tea. However, since white tea contains significantly more antioxidants than green tea, and is in a way closer to its natural state, we can safely assume that the beneficial health effects of white tea are even stronger.
From the first time tea was discovered and started being commonly known, it was treasured first and foremost for its health benefits. Tea was used as medicine against many ailments.
Of course, the ancient Chinese didn't know that the reason that certain types of tea have a number of very healthy effects on the body is that they contain antioxidants in strong concentrations.
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are naturally occurring chemical compounds that absorb and destroy other compounds known as free radicals. Free radicals break down the cells of the body, and are among the underlying source of many serious diseases and ailments, including heart disease and cancer. Even physical aging has been linked to the activities of free radicals. These substances form in the body and are unavoidable results of the metabolism in the cells.
Free radicals
Free radicals are created when the cells convert nutrients into energy. They are also made by the skin when it is exposed to sunlight. Tobacco smoke and poisons in the environment are also major sources of free radicals. Free radicals can't be avoided entirely, but the negative effect they have on the body can be limited.
Antioxidants absorb, weaken and neutralize free radicals continuously. Maintaining a steady supply of strong antioxidants into the body is a long step in the direction of keeping in good health and slowing down or preventing physical aging.
In the Western world, our diet does not give us remotely the supply of antioxidants the body needs. The epidemies of heart disease and cancer can to a large extent be blamed on free radicals running wild and unchecked in our bodies. The human body can only manufacture a small number of its own antioxidants to a very limited extent.
Plants to the rescue
Plants do not have this problem. In order for a plant to survive, it must neutralize the harmful effects of the free radicals that arise because of the large quantities of direct sunlight any plant absorbs. They make their own antioxidants – and lots of them. If they didn't, no plant would survive more than a few minutes in the sun before it would wither and die.
Many fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, but in varying concentrations. The tea plant is among the plants with the highest concentrations of antioxidants, especially in the leaves. These are the leaves from which tea is made. White tea is the least processed variety of tea, and the leaves are harvested when very young. The concentration of antioxidants in these young buds and leaves is practically the same as in fresh tea leaves that are still on the bush.
In fact, there is no tea with a stronger concentration of antioxidants than white tea.
There are many antioxidants, and the antioxidants in white tea are known as catechins. About 25 to 30 percent of the dry weight of a tea leaf is due to catechins, sometimes known as polyphenols. They are present in many plants and foodstuffs, such as vegetables, red wine, chocolate, and coffee. The largest source of catechins in the human diet is tea and coffee.
Because so many people drink coffee, which also contains some catechins, it is probably the greatest source of antioxidants in many societies. That does not mean that it is the strongest, as most kinds of tea contain a lot more antioxidants per cup than coffee does.
Health benefits
Catechins have been called super-antioxidants. They neutralize harmful fats and oils, which lowers the cholesterol and blood pressure. They block cancer-triggering mechanisms, inhibit bacteria and viruses, improve digestion and protect against ulcers, strokes and diabetes. The health benefits of catechins have been studied extensively.
Inhibit disease
Many studies have focused on the way catechins seem to inhibit and prevent the growth of cancer cells. Many of these studies were conducted with green tea, and since white tea contains even more antioxidants than green tea, white tea would be even more effective.
Some studies seem to suggest that tea speeds up the rate of metabolism, meaning that the calories are burned more quickly.
Both green and white tea have antibacterial and antivirical properties. It has been observed that both types of tea may inhibit tooth decay and gum diseases. They may also have anti-inflammatory properties.
The Asian paradox
An interesting effect of tea consumption is is the observation that the population in Eastern Asia smoke a lot, and often have diets high in calories, but that their rates of heart disease and many forms of cancer are much lower than in the West.
This effect has been attributed to the great consumption of green tea in the area. In fact, even though it is being drunk in very limited quantities outside of Asia, green tea is the second most popular drink in the world, beaten only by water.
The phenomenon is so clear and pronounced that it is widely known as the Asian Paradox.
Prevent aging
Free radicals in general have been associated with physical aging. The theory is that free radicals attack the cells, specifically the nucleus, which contains the DNA of the organism. If the DNA is damaged, the cell commits suicide or may become cancerous. If one cell dies, the consequences for the organism are not very large. If thousands of cells in the same part of the body die over time, such as in the skin, the result is visible as damage, such as wrinkles.
When we know that every cell in the body is attacked by free radicals thousands of times every day, the importance of giving the body enough antioxidants to defend itself with becomes obvious.
Many of the studies of the beneficial effects of drinking tea were done using green tea, not white tea. However, since white tea contains significantly more antioxidants than green tea, and is in a way closer to its natural state, we can safely assume that the beneficial health effects of white tea are even stronger.
Article Source: whiteteacentral.com