We’ve heard that black tea has been fermented during processing, and green hasn’t. But what is ‘white tea’?

White tea is the uncured and unoxidized tea leaf. Like green, oolong and black tea, it comes from the Camellia sinensis plant.

You would think that with that light, sweet flavor, white tea caffeine level would be the lowest of all teas, but that is not quite true. Because of buds and young tea leaves, which have been found to contain higher levels of caffeine than older leaves, some white teas may have the caffeine level that is slightly higher than that of green teas.

White tea is a specialty of the Chinese province Fujian, but Japan, Sri Lanka and the Darjeeling region of India also produces some fine white teas.

According to the different standards of picking and selection, white teas can be classified into a number of grades. There are four main varieties of white tea: Silver Needle, White Peony, Long Life Eyebrow, and Tribute Eyebrow. The Silver Needle (Baihao Yinzhen) is the most famous kind.

White tea is a very healthy product. The potential anti-obesity effects of white tea have been shown in a series of experiments on human fat cells. Other studies have prooved that it contains more active cancer-fighting antioxidants, anti-viral and anti-bacterial qualities than green tea. It is also richer in catechin due to its lack of processing. Theanine contained in white tea has relaxing and mood enhancing properties, and gallic acid (acts as a antioxidant) and theobromine (a blood vessel widener) both help prevent cancer.
On the other hand, two cupfuls of green tea contain vitamin C equivalent to a large glass of orange juice.

While white tea vs. green tea debate continues, there is no need to choose one over another, when you can benefit from both.