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 diseaseMany
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 paradoxAn
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 agingFree
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.
as it prevents plaque buildup. Furthermore, due to its light hue, white tea won't stain your teeth like darker teas and coffees.
