What is white tea?

The leaves for all three teas, black, green and white come from one plant, Camellia sinensis. Those leaves meant for black and green teas are rolled and fermented before drying, whole those destined for white teas, which actually brew up pale yellow red – are not. White teas is the least processed of all teas.

There is a suggestion that white tea to be defined as a tea made from either the first flush bud and one leaf, either air dried or directly warm fired.

White tea is thought to be healthiest of all three types of tea.

The tea is harvested while the leaves are immature. The white tea is processed immediately without fermentation.

Fresh tea leaves are rich in flavonoids called catechins. Catechins appear to protect human body from a variety of cancers. They also keep the blood vessels healthy.

Because white tea leaves are neither rolled nor fermented, fewer of their catechins marry into polyphenols. According to researchers the plain catechins content of white tea is three times higher that of green tea.

Therefore they are the best dietary source of this compound.

A new research showed that white tea prevented the breakdown of elastin and collagen, by stopping the offending enzymes from doing the damage.

Catechins have an antioxidative and antiaging effects. The catechins found in tea are twenty-five to one hundred times as potent as vitamins C and E.
What is white tea?