The Health Benefits of White Tea

Like green tea and black tea, white tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. In addition to boasting greater antioxidant activity than its green and black counterparts, white tea offers the least amount of caffeine. Since there's no heating or oxidizing involved in its preparation, white tea is also recognized as the least processed tea variety.

Although white tea isn't as well-studied as green and black teas, there's increasing evidence that the brew can enrich your health.

1) Obesity Control: For a 2009 study, researchers tested white tea's anti-obesity effects in a series of experiments on human fat cells. Results showed that white-tea extract prompted fat to break down in existing fat cells. What's more, white tea seemed to reduce the expression of genes crucial to the growth of new fat cells.

While the study's authors suggest that white tea may be "an ideal natural source of slimming substances," scientists have yet to explore whether the tea could fight obesity when sipped (rather than administered directly to cells in a lab).

2) Cancer Prevention: White tea may hinder DNA mutations (potentially cancer-causing changes in genetic material) even more efficiently than green tea, according to a 2000 study that tested four white tea varieties (Silver Needle, Flowery Pekoe, Mutan White, and Exotica China White).

In an animal-based study published the following year, researchers found that white tea may be a powerful inhibitor of aberrant crypts (a precursor to colon cancer).

3) Skin Treatment: Topically applied white tea may improve the immune function of skin cells and protect against harmful ultraviolet rays, a 2003 study suggests. It should be noted that the study was funded by a skin-care company that manufactures white-tea-based products.

Once quite expensive and hard to find in the U.S., white tea has become more affordable and commonly available in recent years. (In fact, you should be able to pick up a tin of the tea at your local supermarket.) Given its remarkably delicate flavor, it's best to steep white tea in water with a temperature of 170 to 185 F (76 to 85 C).

Due to the limited research, it's too soon to recommend white tea as a treatment for any condition. It's also important to note that self-treating a condition and avoiding or delaying standard care may have serious consequences. If you're considering using it for any health purpose, make sure to consult your physician first.

Alt med by cathy wong: The information contained on this site is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis or treatment by a licensed physician. It is not meant to cover all possible precautions, drug interactions, circumstance or adverse effects. You should seek prompt medical care for any health issues and consult your doctor before using alternative medicine or making a change to your regimen.