White Tea - Picking An Healthier Alternative
December 3rd, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Similar to how black olives and green olives which are derived from a similar olive plant, also as black pepper and white pepper from a similar pepper plant as well, black tea and its corresponding white tea are derived from a similar tea plant too.
The name for the small plant is Camellia sinensis, which is commonly incorporated into the majority of hilly areas of plantation. In contrast to all the various kinds of teas, the most well-known is the black tea, which is followed by green tea, then white tea, etc..
White tea, although not so particularly famous, has been becoming more famous lately. All the teas, as we know, not only differ in colors but also in their chemical composition. Same goes to that of the white tea, which is different from the others and yet has similarities as well.
How is it Produced?
Compared to the other types of teas which are taken a few days after the tea leaves are ripe and so on, the white tea instead comes from the youngest and most tender tea leaves. The leaves, at this stage, are often covered in tiny white hairs, and the leaves are harvested when they are a light greenish-gray color and immediately after that they are dried briefly and heated quickly. Especially compared to that of all the others, all the processes are done very quickly so that the leaves do not oxidize.
After all these, then comes the nice smelling process of the delicate flavored white tea. This tea is handled very carefully and, according to tea experts, it should be steeped in water that is very hot, slightly below the boiling point.
What are the Benefits?
White tea is very good for your health, and in fact it has the highest percentage of healing power compared to all of the other teas due to its composition and the way it is made. As many of us are aware, green tea has in it what are known as antioxidants, which assist the human body and helping fight aging and to help prevent illnesses such as arthritis and cancer, and in terms of white tea, the amount of antioxidants is normally twice that of green tea.
In addition to that, the extract from white by its very nature has the capacity to kill viruses, bacteria, and fungi that are in the human body, and it also assists in lowering the level of LDL cholesterol, which Green tea does also but in a lesser capacity.
Additionally, compared to other kinds of teas, white tea contains the lowest amount of caffeine. Because of this it is a better choice for the majority of daily drinks. However one of the considerations that need to be taken into account is that it can be somewhat expensive depending on your budget.
