The Antibacterial Effects of White Tea
White tea has surprisingly strong antibacterial and antiviral effects. All teas made from the Cammelia sinensis plant, or tea bush, have an antibacterial effect, and these effects are now increasingly being studied. The results so far show that the antibacterial and antiviral properties of green and white tea are especially good.
White tea is antibacterial and anti-fungal
In 2004, researchers at Pace University found that white tea may be able to retard the growth of bacteria that cause serious infections. An extract of white tea was seen as effective in fighting infections of Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, pneumonia and dental caries, which causes cavities. The study showed that white tea was a more effective antibacterial agent than green tea.The researchers also discovered that white tea has strong anti-fungal properties. Harmful yeasts and peniccillin spores were rendered inactive after contact with white tea extract.
Dental health
In an earlier study at the University of Illinois, a group of researchers found that teas interfere with the harmful bacteria that cause plaque and cavities. Japanese and researchers found the same for green tea.Fluoride
The antibacterial effects of white tea are believed to partly be a result of the fluoride content of all teas, but the antioxidants also play a major role. The fluoride content of tea leaves increases the longer the leaf is left on the bush. Therefore, white tea contains the least fluoride of the teas, but gives the strongest antiviral and antibacterial effects. For those who are consciuos of not getting to much fluoride, white tea is the best bet.In China, where white tea was first discovered, tea was used as medicine for centuries. For hundreds of years, infections and inflammations were treated with green and white tea, and to some extent still are. The antibacterial effects were probably quite essential.
Anti-aging effects
White tea extract is increasingly used in antibacterial soaps and lotions, and not without reason. One of the consequences of getting older is that more bacteria and microorganisms invade the body. The immune system has trouble keeping microorganisms in check, both inside the body and on the surface of the skin. This is true for all animals and humans. It is a well known phenomenon among medical professionals that older individuals are host to more microorganisms then younger ones, and sometimes the level of microbial activity is used to determine the age of certain animals.In humans, the increase in microbial activity is seen as early in life as the early thirties. With its antibacterial properties, white tea may help the immune system deal with the viruses and bacteria. Assisting the immune system in this way could go a long way towards realizing the anti-aging effects of the white tea antioxidants.
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Summary: White tea has both antibacterial and antiviral effects, due to the fluoride and the antioxidants in the tea . White tea fights many inflammatory diseases, dental plaque, cavities and harmful yeasts and fungi.