White Tea - A Natural Wonder

The origins of tea go back to China, more than 4000 years ago. Since then, people all across Asia and around the world drink tea to quench thirst and to enjoy the numerous benefits it provides to overall body health.

Each of the four main types of tea produced and exported from China are derived from the camellia sinesis plant, and are different not in substance, but in how they are processed following harvest through steaming, drying, rolling and shaking. Black and red teas, which are darker and possess higher levels of caffeine, are processed more thoroughly through oxidation. White and green teas are the least processed of the four main varieties, and as a result they also retain the highest level of medicinal quality. The white variety of tea specifically is known to carry benefits eclipsing even those of its green cousin, because of its minimal oxidation and careful handling before consuming.

White tea is the most simply produced tea. It's made by carefully plucking the silvery buds and select leaves from the camellia sinesis plant, steaming them briefly and then setting them to dry slowly. Green tea is created in a similar way, but is made with mature leaves from the tea plant instead and undergoes the process of rolling after the drying process, which the white variety of tea does not.

White tea is known to be beautiful in appearance and have a sweet, delicate flavor, and it contains the least amount of naturally occurring caffeine of all the teas. It is available in four basic varieties, each with their own unique flavors and subtle variations in health benefits. The sub varieties of this type of tea are Tribute Eyebrow (Gong Mei), Long Life Eyebrow (Shou Mei), White Peony (Bai Mudan) and the most popular type of white tea, Silver Needle (Baihao Yinzhen).

The health benefits of white tea are known to be numerous, although scientific groups are still in the process of testing to gauge the full effects that drinking white tea regularly will incur. Because they contain particularly large amounts of the powerful antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate, white and green teas are renowned for their abilities to neutralize or abate the effects of free radical compounds that damage body cells. These antioxidants are also commonly known to stimulate the body's metabolism, which helps the body make the most of its natural fat burning processes, resulting in fast weight loss.