Monday, November 05, 2007
White Tea vs. Green Tea
Both white and green tea come from the same plant (Camellia sinensis), but pure white tea (also called Silver Tip) is made exclusively from the unopened leaf buds of the plant, whereas green tea is made from the more mature, opened leaves.
The harvesting of leaf buds at this earlier stage of the plant's growth cycle can mean a greater concentration of certain nutrients, because most plants change their nutrient composition in distinct ways right when they are starting to germinate or bud. Some antioxidant nutrients - including vitamin C - can be found in greater concentrations in the early stages of a plant's growth, and this change is true not only for the buds of the tea plant, but also for broccoli sprouts and other sprouted foods. The epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) concentration can also be higher in the buds versus more mature leaves of the tea plant.
Traditionally, production of white tea has involved minimal processing, limited to withering (the simple air drying of buds for a period of several hours) followed by firing (heating) or steaming. Crushing, cutting, rolling, or fermenting are all typically absent from the white tea production process.
It is the health-promoting flavonoids (which account for 30% of the dry weight of a leaf), including catechins and their derivatives, which provide tea with its health promoting benefits. The most abundant catechin in green tea is epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which is thought to play a pivotal role in the green tea's anticancer and antioxidant effects. Catechins have been found to be potent free radical scavengers and deserve to be considered right alongside of better-known antioxidants like vitamins E and C.
So far, the research on white tea has shown special promise with relationship to cancer protection and it's also interesting that white tea extracts have also been applied topically to the skin and found to help protect immune cells in the skin, allowing these immune cells to do a better job in preventing damage to the skin by a variety of means, including excessive exposure to sunlight. We look forward to more research investigating the protective role of white tea with respect not only to skin cancers, but also cancers of the digestive tract, and potentially other cancers as well. Due to the role of EGCG in protection of the cardiovascular system, we'd also expect to see significant benefits from white tea in this regard.
We'd also point out that green tea already has a great track record in these same areas of cancer and cardiovascular disease prevention, and that these two teas should both be regarded as unique in their health benefits. As always, quality is important when you are purchasing white or green tea, and we recommend organic teas produced by companies that have a reputation for high standards.
The harvesting of leaf buds at this earlier stage of the plant's growth cycle can mean a greater concentration of certain nutrients, because most plants change their nutrient composition in distinct ways right when they are starting to germinate or bud. Some antioxidant nutrients - including vitamin C - can be found in greater concentrations in the early stages of a plant's growth, and this change is true not only for the buds of the tea plant, but also for broccoli sprouts and other sprouted foods. The epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) concentration can also be higher in the buds versus more mature leaves of the tea plant.
Traditionally, production of white tea has involved minimal processing, limited to withering (the simple air drying of buds for a period of several hours) followed by firing (heating) or steaming. Crushing, cutting, rolling, or fermenting are all typically absent from the white tea production process.
It is the health-promoting flavonoids (which account for 30% of the dry weight of a leaf), including catechins and their derivatives, which provide tea with its health promoting benefits. The most abundant catechin in green tea is epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which is thought to play a pivotal role in the green tea's anticancer and antioxidant effects. Catechins have been found to be potent free radical scavengers and deserve to be considered right alongside of better-known antioxidants like vitamins E and C.
So far, the research on white tea has shown special promise with relationship to cancer protection and it's also interesting that white tea extracts have also been applied topically to the skin and found to help protect immune cells in the skin, allowing these immune cells to do a better job in preventing damage to the skin by a variety of means, including excessive exposure to sunlight. We look forward to more research investigating the protective role of white tea with respect not only to skin cancers, but also cancers of the digestive tract, and potentially other cancers as well. Due to the role of EGCG in protection of the cardiovascular system, we'd also expect to see significant benefits from white tea in this regard.
We'd also point out that green tea already has a great track record in these same areas of cancer and cardiovascular disease prevention, and that these two teas should both be regarded as unique in their health benefits. As always, quality is important when you are purchasing white or green tea, and we recommend organic teas produced by companies that have a reputation for high standards.
Labels: EGCG, green tea, white tea
Post a Comment