10 Benefits of White Tea
White tea is among the most delicate types of tea there is. When making white tea, the leaves are picked just before they are fully open. At this stage, they are covered in fine white hairs, from which the tea gets its name.
White tea comes from the same plant as the more common black tea, but they are processed differently. Out of green tea, black tea, and white tea, white tea has been processed the least. As a result, it contains more antioxidants than the others, providing various health benefits.
Here’s a look at just a few of the benefits that white tea is said to offer.
Benefit #1: Prevents Heart Disease
Heart disease is one of the world’s biggest killers. It is often the cause of people living unhealthy lifestyles, but that is not the only contributor. It can lead to severe symptoms and degradation in quality of life plus, of course, it can be fatal. It should be treated with urgency, and you should do what you can to prevent it.
One effective way of preventing heart disease is to have a healthy, balanced diet. This can also mean adding supplements to your diet and white tea is something you should consider. White tea contains compounds that are able to relax the blood vessels. It also has various other benefits that can help maintain a healthy cardiovascular system.
Benefit #2: Prevents Cancer
We still have a long way to go in the fight against cancer. Many types are still terminal, with little to do but try and ease the symptoms. It is not all bad news, though, as we have made headways with treating or even curing many other types of cancer. The fight goes on, however, and we can do our part by helping prevent it happening in the first place.
Studies have shown white tea has properties that may be able to help prevent cancer and even treat it. One experiment showed that extract of white tea is able to cause the death of numerous types of lung cancer cells. More research needs to be done, but some are hopeful the cure to cancer may lie within white tea.
Benefit #3: Contains Antioxidants
Free radicals are compounds that can make unwanted changes to your cells. This essentially damages them, and this damage contributes to ageing, can cause cancer, and a host of other unwelcome conditions. Antioxidants, though, help to fight against free radicals, helping to prevent problem-causing damage in the first place.
White tea is a good source of antioxidants. What’s more is that studies have been carried out that showed extracts from white tea can prevent inflammation caused by free radicals. White tea may not be a magical cure to your ailments, but it may at least be able to prevent them occurring in the first place.
Benefit #4: Healthy Bones
As people get older, their bones will often begin to lose their strength and overall condition. This can be a real problem because weaker bones are more likely to fracture. Many older people are quite prone to fractures, while weak bones can also lead to a variety of other symptoms.
Osteoporosis, in particular, is a problem that mostly affects older people. It causes the bones to become weaker, but white tea might be able to help prevent this. The beverage contains a compound known as catechins, which are thought to be able to suppress the cells that cause the bones to break down.
Benefit #5: Slows Ageing
Many people would be willing to pay a fortune for a product that can prevent the effects of ageing. Such a product does not exist, though. At least not yet. While we can’t prevent it completely, however, we can at least try to slow it down. There are some things we can do to slow down the appearance of ageing and including white tea in our diet is one of them.
White tea contains compounds that may be able to help prevent damage to the skin’s fibers from enzymes like collagenase and elastase. Its antioxidants can also help to prevent damage caused to the skin by free radicals.
Benefit #6: Promotes Weight Loss
Losing weight is nowhere near as easy as it sounds. There are no magic answers and it often requires considerable self-discipline and a lot of time in the gym. There are no magic supplements, despite the claims of many, but there are certain foods that can at least help you in your efforts.
White tea contains catechins and caffeine, both of which have been shown to be able to help burn fat. Studies have also shown that extracts from white tea can help to breakdown body fat. It can also increase the metabolism, helping you to burn off more calories than you otherwise would.
Benefit #7: Easy to Prepare
Health foods can often be quite complicated to make. Special ingredients often need special treatment and this can be quite awkward. Quite often you might be tempted to just give up and make something easier instead. Fortunately, however, there are also healthy foods that are easy to prepare. White tea is one of them.
White tea is made pretty much in the same way as normal tea, with a few exceptions. For example, you should not use boiling water because otherwise the delicate flavor can be lost. Pour over the hot water and leave it to steep for 5 minutes and your delicious cup of white tea is ready.
Benefit #8: Helps Protect Teeth
Good oral health is a lot more important than you may think. While it’s obviously a good thing to keep the teeth in good condition and the gums free from disease, maintaining good oral health can also help prevent heart disease. Regular brushing and flossing can help, and so can white tea.
It is well known that fluoride helps keep enamel strong and healthy, and white tea has plenty of this. It also contains tannins and catechins, which can also help to promote good oral health. While you should also continue to brush and floss regularly, drinking white tea can also help keep your smile healthy and beautiful.
Benefit #9: Helps Diabetics
Millions of people all over the world have diabetes. This is a condition where their bodies are unable to self-regulate the levels of sugar in their blood. There are several causes of diabetes, and among the most common is resistance to insulin. This is the hormone that helps the body regulate blood sugar levels.
Studies have shown that extracts from white tea are able to increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin. This can mean that users are able to regulate their blood sugar levels naturally again. Remember, though, that you should always take the advice of medical professionals when it comes to diabetes and any other serious disease.
Benefit #10: Prevents Parkinson’s
Many of us will experience mental decline as we get older. For some, it can be considerably worse than for others. Conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s can be devastating to families. Patients might find it difficult to remember their loved ones, even those they have been married to for many years.
Research is continuing to help us find out more about such conditions. What we have found is that some compounds like polyphenol EGCG may be able to help prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s from developing. There is still a long way to go before we can find a cure, but we are gradually getting there.
