White Tea

 

What is all the fuss about GREEN tea, you would think it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Personally I don’t care for the robust flavor of chlorophyll when I drink a beverage. Oh but it is GOOD for you. However did you know that White tea is actually higher in good stuff than Green tea?

FYI: Black, green, white and oolong tea come from the same plant, the camellia sinensis. The leaves are infused with Hot water, and produce a beverage referred to as ‘tea”.  The Primary difference is in the fermenting. As applied to camellia sinesis, "fermented” does not mean it has been turned to an alcoholic beverage. Rather the fermentation process instead refers to the enzymatic changes occurring during the process. White and Green Teas are not fermented

 

What about a little white tea fuss?

 

What Is White Tea?

 

White tea is tea made from leaves of the tea plant Camellia sinensis. The leaves are harvested while very young, and the buds are still covered in very fine, white hairs. These hairs are what give white tea its name.

While black tea is harvested and dried leaves that are fermented before being cut up, white tea is only very gently dried. Because of this careful handling, white tea buds still have the same high concentration of antioxidants as fresh tea leaves.



White tea is cultivated primarily in China, mainly in the mountainous and fertile Fujian province, where white tea has a long history. The bushes on which the white tea leaves are to be grown are the ones that are best placed with respect to sunshine and rain.

Harvesting

The best quality white tea is harvested first. The finest qualities of white tea, often called «Silver Needle», consists exclusively of the buds of tea leaves. These buds are handpicked during certain days in the spring, usually between March 15th and April 10th. By that time, the buds have reached the perfect balance between youth and maturity that gives the best-tasting tea. Only undamaged and unopened buds are used for Silver Needle. Other qualities of white tea may incorporate leaves that are no longer buds, but are still young, with the white fuzz still on them.

Processing

The leaves and buds are withered over a few hours, and then air dried. The temperature and even the air moisture are taken into consideration during the production, and the art is to get a perfect balance between solar withering and indoor withering. Like green tea, the leaves are not fermented at all. The extremely gentle and quick processing means that the buds and leaves are very close to their natural state. This allows the antioxidants in the leaves to survive intact, making white tea the best alternative for health-conscious aficionados. White tea is very rare, and can be much more expensive than other teas.

The tea

Properly brewed white tea has a pale, slightly golden color, not unlike white wine. The scent is light and fresh, and the taste is mild and silky with a subtle, sweet aftertaste. The «grassy» aftertaste of green tea is quite absent in white tea, which can be drunk until it is cold without any noticeable deterioration in taste or quality.1

 

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Oolong Tea:

• Digestion
• Antibacterial
• Heart
• Lower cholesteraol
• Slimming
• Combats Fatigue
• Prevent Cancer
• Longevity/antiaging
• Anti Oxidant

Green Tea:

• Digestion Slimming
• Anti Bacterial
• Cancer Prevention
• Heart
• Anti Aging
• Prevention of Osteoprosis

White Tea:

• Digestion
• Anti Bacterial
• Antioxidant
• Longevity/anti aging

In and article from Natural Health, Green tea boost your metabolism mainly because it contains a compound called catechin a class of antioxidant which has been associated with an increased metabolism and the  ability to stimulate fat burning. Basis,a published study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2005.

Natural Health Magazine,July/August 2008 issue 6 Herbs For Weight Loss by Darlyn Eller,

Indigo Tea Market recommends:

Often Green tea taste likes grass clippings. This naturally makes potential green consummer to say No Way. This is how I am. It was because of my time spent in a tea room, stocking over 150 Teas and a wide variety of Green teas, that I came to find Green Teas that don't make me scream Yuk!

Indigo Tea Market suggest the following:


Jasmine with Flowers - shop.indigoteamarket.com/product.sc?categoryId=5&productId=30

Crime of Passion - -http://shop.indigoteamarket.com/product.sc?categoryId=5&productId=15

Long Island Strawberry - http://shop.indigoteamarket.com/product.sc?categoryId=5&productId=16

Internet info site www.healthday.com reports "

Green Tea Antioxidant May Help Prevent Alzheimer's
The science looks hopeful, but it's still too early to make a dietary recommendation, experts say

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- An antioxidant found in green tea appears to prevent the development of amyloid fibrils, a toxic protein associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, a new study finds. Amyloid plaque is commonly seen in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and appears to disrupt the function of cells. Strategies to prevent the development of amyloid plaque are one avenue being explored in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's. For the complete article

http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=615980

Read about the history of tea: http://jollygoodtea.com/DetailsTeaInformaton/DetHistory.htm

I recently read an article about hypothyroidism in menopausal women who are struggling with weight gain, fatigue, poor concentration, hair loss, even depression — and they want answers about how to feel better. http://www.womentowomen.com/hypothyroidism/thyroidandmenopause.aspx

Nutrient-rich foods to replenish thyroid health

o   Iodine (I): seaweed (e.g., nori), clams, shrimp, haddock, oysters, salmon, sardines, pineapple, eggs.

o   Selenium (Se): smoked herring, smelt, wheat germ, Brazil nuts (just one nut provides ~139 mcg), apple cider vinegar, scallops, barley, lobster.

o   Zinc (Zn): fresh oysters, ginger root, pecans, dry split peas, Brazil nuts, egg yolk, whole wheat, rye, oats, and peanuts.

o   Vitamin E: wheat germ oil, olive oil, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts.

o   Vitamin A: dark green leafy veggies, liver, winter squash, cantaloupe, stone fruits, papaya, and cod liver oil.

o   B vitamin complex: brewer’s yeast, wild rice, brown rice, whole wheat, beans, peanuts.

o   Vitamin C: Red chili, guava, parsley, dark green leafy veggies, strawberries, papaya, citrus fruits.*

Please if you think that your thyroid might be your problem consult your health care professional and have it checked.

 

 

Tea for thyroid health might include” basil, oregano, rosemary and spearmint. All of these contain rosmarinic Acid, a compound that may raise levels of thyroid hormone when they’re low. It has already been shown to reduce hormone levels when they are high.”  The Green Pharmacy and Anti-aging Prescriptions by James A Duke, Ph.D.

 

Spearmint Tea is a good source of Vitamins A and C, and a minor Source of B complex, calcium, sulphur, iron, iodine, magnesium and potassium.  So Drink tea for the health of it.

    Some people consider the words"infusion " and "tisane" to be synonymous, while others attribute slightly different  meaning to each. The word "tisane" is derived from Greek meaning barley water. Later, "tisane" came to denote a noncaffeinated herbal tea, rather than a caffeine-containing tea. Some consider a tisane to be a tea made from fresh rather than dried plant material. However defined , a "tisane" is , indeed an herbal infusion enjoyed for its therapeutic effects.

    An infusions is result of a  process of  bringing cold water to a boil and being pouring over dried tea leaves, herbs or fruit ,then allowed to steep anywhere from 3-10 minutes.

There is a lot of advertisement for Wu-yi Tea and miraculous claims of weight loss from drinking this tea. Wu-yi is Oolong tea from the region of Wu-yi in the Fujan Province of China . Oolong Tea has properties that would increase metabolism because of its caffeine. So Wu-yi is Oolong and sometimes it is even referred to as wulong. No matter how you say it, it is Oolong Tea

Oolong tea aids with digestion and decreases the absorption of carbohydrates and fat in the body.


The following Oolong Teas are available at Indigo Tea market :  

Queens China Oolong and Ti Kuan Yin Iron Goddess Oolong

Here is and excellent article by Beth Johnson of Teas ETC. on this subject

http://www.teasetc.com/tea/article.asp?ID=1&Name=Oolong+Tea+Weight+Loss

A health Canada study, published in the Journal of food and toxicology, suggests teas of all kinds may limit cell mutation liked to chronic diseases like cancer

A 15 year Swedish Study of 61,057 women found that those who drank 2 or more cups of tea per day had a 46% lower risk of developing ovarian cancer compared to non tea drinkers.