Green vs. White: The Tea Showdown
Filed under: Nutrition
Everyone who reads anything about nutrition knows the health benefits of consuming Green Tea. There seems to be news almost weekly about another reported benefit of Green Tea. It is known to help decrease the likelihood of cancer and cardiovascular disease, along with lowering LDL, blood pressure and blood glucose levels. Green Tea also increases metabolism, potentially aiding in fat loss. Sounds like the best drink ever!
The real Green vs. White Showdown!
Green Tea is made from mature leaves of Camellia sinensis, and they are usually withered prior to steaming them. Green Teas are very rich in catechins, though they are slightly different from White Tea’s, with slightly higher levels of oxidation. White Tea is also made from Camellia sinensis, though with buds and young leaves. Due to the minimal oxidation it undergoes White Tea retains the highest concentrations of specific polyphenols called catechins.
The main benefits of Green Tea come from epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a powerful antioxidant (and one of the polyphenol catechins from above). It is so powerful in fact, that it is approximately 100 times stronger than vitamin C, and twice as strong as resveratrol (resveratrol is that great polyphenol found in red wine that might be responsible for the “French Paradox”). EGCG is found in the highest concentrations in Green Tea because of the steaming process Green Tea undergoes, which helps to preserve the EGCG. For the most part, this probably isn’t news to you, but what might be news is that White Tea may be even better!
New research is showing that White Tea may have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, protection against skin cell damage, and the biggest of all: decrease risk of colon cancer. Though research on White Tea is small, it is growing rapidly. The study I want to discuss was done on mice at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State. The mice used in the study were bred to be prone to intestinal tumors, and the control group given no treatment averaged about 30 tumors, which is insane. The treatment given was Green Tea, White Tea and sulindac, an NSAID often prescribed for protection against colon tumors. The mice given Green Tea saw their tumor rates drop from 30 to 17, the White Tea from 30 to 13 and mice given both sulindac and White Tea dropped from 30 to 6! What was also great was that the teas showed no side effects, unlike with high consumptions of NSAIDs. This demonstrated that consuming tea in conjuction with the NSAIDs is the most effective, will allow for lower dosage of the NSAIDs, which will decrease the dangerous side effects. This is some pretty incredible stuff, and really warrants the inclusion of White Tea consumption to me, as colon cancer is one of the world’s biggest killers.
While drinking massive amounts of tea, Green or White, will never be able to save us from a sedentary lifestyle and a fast food diet, 5 cups a day can certainly aid in many markers of long term health. In all honesty I actually think the debate between which is better, white or green, is rather silly. I vote for drinking both, and because of the emerging new info on the greatness of White Tea I have become a huge fan of Stash Fusion Green & White Tea. It is a combination of Green and White, making it to me, the best drink in town.
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Posted on October 26th, 2008 by Brian St. Pierre
2 Comments
September 10th, 2009 at 5:48 am
Green tea and White tea both are good equally according to me. Both are consumed for their physical or medicinal effects. They both have powerful anti oxidant and protect our body and skin.
August 10th, 2016 at 6:51 am
Some really interesting info, well written and
broadly speaking user pleasant.