Most of the people love to relax and sip a cup of tea after a long tiring day. Some like green tea while others prefer flavoured tea. Whatever it is, the thought of tea is enough to uplift your mood. There is another type of tea that is very good for your health. It is white tea.
What is White Tea?
White tea was born about 5000 years ago in China. It is derived from the sun-dried buds and leaves of the plant Camelia sinensis. Since it is least processed and packed with its essential nutrients, white is said to be superior to other teas. There are different types of white tea.
Benefits of White Tea for Skin and Hair:
Aids in the treatment of acne:
Acne is a skin issue that most of us experience. White tea has antiseptic and antioxidant properties that help in treating acne. Most of the dermatologists believe that antioxidants can protect the skin from cellular damage caused by the free radicals. This way it keeps your skin healthy. What you have to do is to drink two cups of white tea every day. The antioxidants in white tea flush out the toxins from your body. Accumulation of antioxidants can affect your skin and cause acne to appear.
You can also apply white tea topically by boiling two white tea bags and then keeping the tea aside for cooling. You may also keep in the refrigerator for a while. Now soak cotton balls in the tea and rub them on your skin for a few minutes. Wash your face with cold water afterwards.
Anti-aging:
Drinking white tea regularly can slow down the process of aging and can prevent wrinkles and sagging of the skin.
Improves hair and skin health:
White tea is loaded with antioxidants. The inflammatory properties of these antioxidants help in strengthening the connective tissue and reducing the allergies like eczema and dandruff.
The antioxidants also are effective for the treatment of hair related disorders like hair fall etc. EGCG in white tea can promote hair growth in humans.
Skin infections caused by gram-negative bacteria can be treated with white tea as it contains EGCG. EGCG is also good for keeping your skin young looking and for treating skin conditions like psoriasis, wrinkles, wounds and rosacea.
The phenols present in white tea make it effective for strengthening elastin and collagen,. This way it keeps you skin strong and prevents wrinkles on the skin.
Health and Nutritional Benefits of White Tea:
Can improve memory:
White tea is rich in antioxidants and catechins. This makes white tea a great food for improving memory. It can even slow down memory decline. So, it is good for protecting the brain from age related memory decline.
Can help in the treatment of diabetes:
Consuming white tea regularly can be very beneficial for the diabetic patients. This tea is also good for preventing the negative effects of diabetes on the cerebral cortex. It is the catechins present in white tea that give the anti-diabetic properties.
Can be beneficial to the kidneys:
Consuming white tea is said to adverse the effects of environmental pollution in the human body, including the kidneys. Catechins in white tea can protect your body from renal failure.
Can be beneficial for pregnancy:
As you know, white tea is a rich source of antioxidants. This can protect the cell from the increased oxidative damage during pregnancy. However there are few concerns regarding the consumption of white tea during pregnancy. White tea contains caffeine, which should be limited during pregnancy. This is because the growing foetus cannot metabolize caffeine as the mother does. When caffeine is taken in excess, it can lead to birth defects, stillbirth and miscarriage. So, it is better that you consult your doctor before taking caffeine during pregnancy.
Enhances energy and alertness:
As mentioned earlier, white tea undergoes minimum processing. So, it has the highest concentration of L-theanine. This is an amino acid that can increase alertness and have a calming effect on the mind. White tea contains less amount of caffeine than other teas. So it is more hydrating, which in turn helps in sustaining energy.
Good for the teeth:
White tea is rich in fluorides, flavonoids and tannins. All these are beneficial for the teeth. The fluoride in this tea can reduce caries. Tannins prevent the plaque formation and flavonoids prevent the growth of plaque bacteria. One thing to be aware of is that white is contains tannins in less amounts. So, it may not discolour your teeth as other teas.
Helps treat hypothyroidism:
The catechins in white tea have anti-thyroid properties. So, you can treat hypothyroidism by regularly consuming white tea.
Helps in the treatment of cancer:
According to studies made, white tea may be beneficial for preventing cancer. It was found to be more effective than green tea for destroying the cancer cells.
Another study says that white tea has antioxidant and anti-proliferative effects against cancer cells. This tea destroys the diseases cells as well as protects the healthy cells form DNA damage.
Antioxidants and polyphenols in white tea have cancer-fighting properties. Catechins in white tea also have anti-cancer properties.
Helps in weight loss:
White tea burns the existing fat cells and helps in preventing the formation of new fat cells. This way it helps in reducing weight. White tea is also less processed than other teas. So, it contains more of those ingredients that help in the burning of fat. According to Harvard Medical School, white tea contains catechins, which can help you reduce weight. All teas, including white tea, are enriched with antioxidants. These help in weight loss.
Improves liver health:
The catechins in white tea have the ability to protect your body from hepatitis. In one of the Chinese study it was shown that tea catechins can prevent hepatitis B infection. An American study also showed that the antiviral properties of catechins help in blocking then life cycle of hepatitis B virus. However, too much of catechins can prove toxic to the liver. So, be cautious and consult your doctor before you take white tea for liver.
