Just like every other type of tea, white tea leaves are plucked from the stems of a plant called Camellia Sinensis. Its white color is the result of the minimal oxidation process that it undergoes after being plucked. This is the primary reason why white tea is loaded with antioxidants, making it amongst the most beneficial types of tea you could consume.
White tea’s origin can be traced back to the ancient Chinese culture, where, after the plucking of the leaves, they were thoroughly washed, air-dried, and then turned into a white powder. Over the centuries, white tea continues to be consumed, not just in China but across the world too, for its long list of benefits. Moreover, the presence of flavonoids such as catechin and polyphenol help in adding to its nutritional stature.
It is clear that white tea is without a doubt beneficial for one’s health. Let’s take a look at some of its wonders.
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Watch: Various Health Benefits White Tea Has To Offer (Including Weight Loss)
Health Benefits Of White Tea
1. White Tea Is Loaded With Anti-Oxidants
As white tea undergoes the minimum amount of oxidation as compared to the other types of tea, it has a higher concentration of antioxidants, which also makes it a great healthy-cell protecting formula. Why? Well, the blood contains free-radicals or free oxygen atoms. These free-radicals tend to combine with the healthy cells, thus exerting oxidative stress over the cell wall and damaging it.
However, the consumption of an anti-oxidant rich beverage such as white tea can effectively lower the concentration of these free-radicals, as the anti-oxidants combine with them before they get a chance to reach the healthy cells.
Also Read: Health Benefits Of Oolong Tea & How To Prepare Oolong Tea
2. White Tea Consumption Promotes Cardiovascular Health
Thanks to the presence of flavonoids, the addition of white tea in one’s diet can help in managing blood pressure, and also reduce the amount of cholesterol accumulation, both of which are directly linked to one’s cardiovascular health (1). In short, an adequate consumption of white tea can significantly help in reducing the overall risk of contracting any heart disease.
3. Anti-Ageing Property
Thanks to the high concentration of antioxidants in white tea, its consumption can effectively delay aging and may keep your health and skin as efficient and fresh for longer. By protecting the cells from free-radical damage, consuming this anti-oxidant rich beverage can prevent many concerns related to aging such as wrinkles, or inflammation of the joints.
4. Helps In Maintaining A Healthy Blood Glucose Level
Consumption of white tea is shown to lower the severity of the symptoms associated with high blood sugar levels such as excessive thirst, increasing glucose level and decreasing insulin secretion (2).
5. Weight-Loss
This is in fact one of the most popular benefits associated with the addition of white tea. The caffeine content in this beverage allows you to work-out for an extended period of time, thus allowing you to burn more calories and shed some kilos.
Moreover, the rich anti-oxidant nature of white tea is responsible for simulating a healthy metabolism. And when you have a healthy metabolism, one of the things that you can expect from it is weight-loss.
Also Read: Green Tea And Weight loss: 5 Quick & Important Things To Note | Diet Tips To Gain Weight
6. Strengthens The Immune System
The consumption of white tea is often applauded for its anti-bacterial properties. It is shown to prevent the spread of disease caused by external pathogens. Furthermore, antioxidants help in preventing the immune cells from getting damaged by free-radicals, hence resulting in a more efficient and effective working of the immune system.
7. Promotes Oral Health
The high concentration of flavonoids and polyphenols present in a cup of white tea helps in inhibiting the growth of various bacteria that cause the formation of plaque. Thus, a daily cup of this beverage would effectively help in the promotion of one’s oral health.
8. Anti-Cancer In Nature
White tea’s consumption helps in the prevention of irregular cell growth, which ultimately leads up to cancer, thus giving it a natural anti-cancer property (3). Research in this filed is ongoing, but results so far have been promising.
9. Reduces The Risk Of Inflammatory Defects
Free-radicals, after combining with healthy cells, can often lead to its inflammation. These types of situations can lead to aches and pains, and one of the most common examples of such a concern is none other than joint-inflammation. Thus, having an anti-oxidant rich diet can help you reduce this risk by lowering the concentration of free-radicals or free-oxygen atoms in your blood.
Side-Effects Of White Tea
As compared to its benefits, the demerits linked with an unregulated consumption of white tea are fewer in number. Much of its demerits can be credited to its caffeine content. The side effects of white tea include sleeplessness, dizziness, and some gastrointestinal issues.
The heavy consumption of caffeine may also, in some cases, lead to a few heart problems such as cardiac arrhythmia. A single cup of white tea contains about 28 milligrams of caffeine, which might be low in comparison with the caffeine content of coffee, but it’s still high enough to adversely affect your health if consumed in a large quantity.
Making A Cup Of White Tea
First of all, it would be much more beneficial if you choose loose tea leaves rather than tea bags, as the infusion of loose leaves would ensure the proper transfer of nutrients. The brewing or infusion process for white tea, however, is perfectly similar to the brewing process of any other type of tea. The steps involved in the preparation of a cup of white tea are:
- Bring one cup of water to a boil.
- You can add 2 tsp of white tea leaves directly or place them in an infuser basket.
- Steep the loose leaves for 6-10 minutes.
- Strain it, and then pour it into a cup.
- Enjoy your healthy anti-oxidant rich beverage.
Also Read: Does Your Cup Of Green Tea Taste Bad? 4 Things You May Be Doing Wrong
White Tea And Its Nutrients
Now that you are aware of the different benefits regarding the consumption of white tea, it is also important for you to know the reason behind white tea being so beneficial. White tea contains polyphenols, which are a set of poly nutrients that are extremely helpful for healthy metabolism.
Apart from that, white tea also contains a tonne of flavonoids, tannins, and fluoride, which aids in tackling cholesterol and heart-related issues. Thus, all of these nutrients that are present in abundance in a cup of white tea contribute to its vastly beneficial attributes.
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Final Words
On that note, we would like to say that choosing the right beverage that goes alongside your lifestyle isn’t enough. Instead, you should choose the right beverage that goes along with your lifestyle and also helps you lead a healthy lifestyle.