The Antioxidants in White Tea
The high antioxidant content in all teas, but particularly white tea, is a result of sunlight. Green plants use sunlight and chlorophyll to get energy and grow, but sunlight can also be harmful for them. The ultraviolet (UV) radiation can be particularly destructive.
Sunlight protection
All plants have to protect themselves against the rays of the sun, which can destroy the living cells of the plants. Direct sunlight, and the UV radiation in it, creates free radicals in the cells of the leaves. The plants don't have the sophisticated immune systems of animals to protect them, so they produce strong chemicals to prevent any damage caused by sunrays. Among these chemicals (called phytonutrients), the antioxidants are the most important ones.
Antioxidants scavenge for so called free radicals, chemicals that are created when the sunlight hits the leaves. They attack the cells, and may kill them, leading to disease and aging. The antioxidants prevent and limit the activity of free radicals.
EGCG
The antioxidants in white tea are mainly from the catechin family, and include epicatechin, epicatechin gallate and epigallocatechin. However, the most important antioxidant in white tea is called EGCG, which is short for epigallocatechin gallate. It makes up close to 50 percent of the antioxidant content, and it is extremely potent. In laboratory experiments, EGCG is measured to be up to 100 times more active than vitamins A and C. A cup of white tea is generally considered to contain more antioxidants than a serving of broccoli, spinach, strawberries, and other healthy vegetables and fruits.
Health benefits
Most of the health benefits of white tea are due to the potency of EGCG. Some of the claims about the health benefits of EGCG include:
- Neutralizes the harmful effects of UV radiation on the skin, reducing the risk of skin cancer
- Reduces the risk of other cancers, including lung and breast cancers
- Reduces the risk of stroke
- Reduces the risk of heart diseases
- Reduces the risk of diabetes
- Slows down the aging process
Antioxidants scavenge for so called free radicals, chemicals that are created when the sunlight hits the leaves. Free radicals attack the cells, and may kill them, leading to disease and aging. The antioxidants in white tea prevent and limit the activity of free radicals.
The tea plant is an evergreen, so it needs to always have a healthy supply of antioxidants in its leaves. When the leaves are harvested, the antioxidants remain, but when when the tea is processed, some of the antioxidants are lost. Because white tea is the least processed of all teas, it also retains practically all the antioxidants that are present in the very young leaves it is made from.
The tea plant channels much of the antioxidants it produces throughout the winter to the new buds that get harvested for white tea in the early spring. Usually, more than 30 percent of the dry weight of white tea leaves is made up by antioxidants, more than any other tea.
Summary: White tea has more antioxidants than any other tea, and more than most vegetables and fruits. The most important antioxidant in white tea is EGCG, which has a number of health benefits.