Tea is very well known as a healthy drink, but few people know about white tea and its health benefits. White tea comes from the same plant as all other tea leaves, the camellia sinensis plant. The difference between white tea and others depends on when the leaves are picked. With white tea, the leaves are picked before they fully opened. At the time of harvesting these leaves, they are still covered with white hairs, which give the tea its name.
Although being harvested so early might be part of the reason these leaves provide so many health benefits, another major reason is because there is very little processing involved in brewing white tea. The leaves are uncured, unfermented, and quickly dried, so they lose very little of their natural composition, most of which helps our bodies in numerous ways. They are loaded with catechins, which are oxidized and destroyed through the processing in other teas, which is why white tea is slowly becoming known as the healthiest tea. Here are some of the health benefits that it has to offer:
Protects Heart: White tea helps to thin blood, which means your heart doesn’t have to work as hard. It also lowers your cholesterol by increasing the good cholesterol that your body needs and decreasing the bad cholesterol that blocks arteries. Both of these mean that your heart, as well as your entire circulatory system, will be healthier and stronger, so heart attacks and strokes will be less likely to occur.
Improves Immune System: White tea fights off viruses and infectious bacteria that can weaken or damage your immune system. It has more anti-viral and anti-bacterial qualities than green tea.
Helps Prevent Cancer: White tea is high in anti-oxidants, which fight off cancers within the body. This tea can fight and kill cells that cause cancer, especially colon cancer.
Better Teeth: White tea is also high in fluoride, which helps to prevent dental plaque. Since dental plaque can lead to tooth decay and infected gums, the tea helps keep you mouth healthy and your smile bright.
Along with these health benefits, white tea also helps to strengthen bones, make skin healthy, help lose weight, and it can even help prevent aging. With all of these benefits, why does no one know about white tea? Well, it is fairly unknown outside of the Chinese culture, even though the Chinese understand the health benefits it has to offer. As of now, it is readily available in China, but still scarce and expensive in the United States. However, with all the health benefits it contains and research being done in the United States, I’m sure that it will soon be as common as green tea, and hopefully as cheap.
And the best thing about white tea is that it actually tastes better than other teas. It does not have the “grassy” taste that is often associated with green teas. Instead, it has a sweet taste and is fairly light. So what’s stopping you from buying this delicious tea and adding years onto your life?
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