Green tea, white tea, herbal tea…is there a health benefit?

Dear Jess, I have heard that green tea is good for you, but I have also seen black tea, herbal teas and even white tea. What is the difference between these teas and is green tea the best as far as health benefits? Liz B.

Dear Liz,
Let’s first talk about what makes tea, tea. All tea, black, oolong, green and white, comes from the same plant, an evergreen shrub called “Camellia sinensis”. When cultivated for harvest the bush is kept to a height of about three feet but it can grow up to 60 feet in the wild. “Herbal tea” is not really “tea” in the technical sense, but rather an herbal infusion. Although they are packaged like tea, and infused like tea, herbal infusions do not come from the camellia sinensis bush. Not to be confused with tea, herbal infusions are made from a variety of botanicals including grasses like lemongrass, bark like cinnamon, fruits like orange peel, flowers like lavender and hibiscus. Since all of the varieties of tea come from the same plant, the difference that you notice between these teas (appearance, aroma, and taste) are due to the variety of tea plant, the region in which it is grown, and the method of processing. There are over 3000 varieties of teas, each with its own specific characteristics. The naming and growing of teas has many similarities to wine. Just as Bordeaux wine is named after the Bordeaux region in France, Assam is named after the Assam region in India, and Keemun is named after the Keemun region of China. Where the tea is grown, the climate, soil conditions, and how the tea is processed, determines the flavor characteristics of the tea. Tea is harvested after each flush – the sprouting of the top two leaves and bud. The top two leaves and bud are hand plucked and then processed into any of the four types of tea, which are Black, Green, Oolong, and White.

Black tea is withered, fully oxidized and dried. Black tea yields a hearty, amber-colored brew. Some of the popular black teas include English Breakfast, and Darjeeling.
Green tea skips the oxidizing step. It is simply withered and then dried. It has a more delicate taste and is pale green / golden in color.
Oolong tea is withered, partially oxidized, and dried. Oolong is a cross between black and green tea in color and taste.
White tea is the least processed. White tea is not oxidized or rolled, but simply withered and dried by steaming. It is made from the youngest leaves and buds of the tea plant.

To answer the second part of your questions, let’s turn our focus to the health benefits of these different types of teas. The main bioactive substances in tea are polyphenols (one class of phytochemicals), caffeine, and fluoride.

Polyphenols account for the much publicized antioxidant and anti-disease properties of tea. The media has long spouted the health benefits of green tea because it contains these polyphenols. While each tea has a unique profile of phytonutrients, it is theorized, that because white tea goes through the least amount of processing, that it contains the highest quantity of polyphenols, more so even than green tea. These polyphenols have been linked to cancer prevention.

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulalant. If you are drinking tea for your health, white tea, again, appears to be the most beneficial in that is has considerably less caffeine than other varieties. Typically, white tea contains about 15mg of caffeine per 8-ounce serving compared to up to 50 mg for green tea, 42-72 mg for black tea and 72-150mg for brewed coffee. Of course, several variables affect the caffeine content to tea including brewing time, amount of tea and water used for brewing and whether the tea is loose or in teabags.

The tea plant absorbs and holds more fluoride than most other plants. At this point in time, we are in the midst of a fluoride controversy. As we uncover its history and use in industrialized nations, including how and why it came to be that we add it to our public water, we are learning that it may, indeed, be a hazard to our health, not a panacea. Regardless, because, fluoride content in tea leaves increases with the age of the leaves, white tea contains the least amount of fluoride because it is made with younger leaves and buds.

There have been a number of health benefits associated with drinking green and white tea, although the results from these studies have been limited or mixed. While purified water is the beverage of choice for good health, enjoying an occasional cup of white tea may also provide some health benefits.

Cheers!
Jess