Attention tea drinkers! Can you choose between White tea and Matcha Green tea?
It’s quite a dilemma, we understand! After all, how can you choose between teas that originate from the same tea plant? Both Matcha Green Tea and White tea are rich in health benefits. But this doesn’t indicate that White tea is the same as Matcha Green Tea. The contrast lies in their respective preparation methods.
How is white tea processed?
The tea processing of white tea commences during the first flush. The immature tea leaves of freshly opened buds are rigorously picked up. These tea leaves are then sun-dried followed by indoor drying and sorting. White tea leaves do not require extensive processing. This makes them richer in antioxidants and helps them to retain their authenticity.
White tea is particularly made from immature tea leaves covered with white hair. The harvesters are required to be extra careful while handling them. The delicate tea processing method makes white tea slightly expensive. White tea gets its name from the silvery-white hair present on its leaves.
How is Matcha Green Tea processed?
The tea processing of matcha green tea is closely similar to green tea. Unlike white tea, matcha tea can be harvested in the second and third flush as well. Only the young and green leaves grown at the tip of each new shoot of the tea plant are plucked. These leaves then go through a process of steaming. This helps in preserving the nutrients and color of the tea leaves. The significance of drying the steamed tea leaves in the next stage is to avert any type of chemical reaction. Then comes the relentless practice of determining the Tencha leaves. Leaves that are destemmed are known as Tencha. At last, the leaves are ground slowly. This results in a fine powder known as matcha. The word “Matcha” in Japanese means grounded tea. That’s why it is called Matcha Green Tea.
A few weeks before harvesting the leaves, the tea fields are deliberately covered from the top using black vinyl sheets. Due to minimal light, the leaves increase their pace of chlorophyll and amino acids production. This is the reason why the Matcha Green tea tastes sweet and not bitter. It gives it a delicious flavor profile.
White Tea vs Matcha Green Tea – Health Benefits
The main difference between the two types of teas is their production method. This impacts their health benefits to a certain extent. Let’s understand more deeply;
Health Benefits of White Tea
White tea is the least processed tea. It is naturally oxidized and contains a high amount of flavonoids. It has many health benefits that people are unaware of. Take a look! :
1. High Antioxidant levels
Polyphenol in white tea plays the role of antioxidants inside the body. The high antioxidant levels help in protecting the body from problems like cell damage and chronic inflammation. It prevents the immune system from weakening and from various other diseases too.
2. Lowers Heart Risks
Studies and researches show that white tea helps in lowering heart risks. It handles a lot of things for the human heart. A research found that drinking three or more cups of white tea every day decreased heart risks by 21%. The polyphenols in white tea prevent the oxidation of bad ‘LDL’ cholesterol. White tea also helps in boosting the immunity of the body. It also calms the blood vessels.
3. Great for weight loss
Don’t be surprised! White tea is great for weight loss also. It contains ample amounts of epigallocatechin gallate ( EGCG) compounds. They effectively help in burning down fat. Studies reflect that the metabolism rate of the body increases by 4-5% by consuming white tea. This can amount to a fat burn of additional 70-100 Cal each day.
4. Protects from Tooth Decay
Catechin, tannins, and fluoride —- white tea is a great combination of these three elements. Each of these elements possesses qualities that help them combat dental problems. They restrain the formation of plaque bacteria. They also protect the teeth from bacterial acid attacks.
5. Fights Skin Aging
White tea helps in combating skin aging both internally and externally. The polyphenols in white tea protect the skin from harmful cellular compounds like collagenase and elastase. Studies also show that the direct application of white tea on the face acts as a defense against harmful UV rays.
White tea is very light on the stomach. It is actually one of the lightest types of tea in the world. The tea appears to be just like water, completely transparent. It is safe to consume white tea more than three times a day because it is less caffeinated than other types of tea. A cup of 250ml of white tea will contain 6-55 mg of caffeine. Indeed, white tea’s health benefits are more than we can fathom. However, the fact that many tea drinkers have yet not given white tea a whirl is the reason why it is less celebrated.
Health Benefits of Matcha Green Tea
Many people have a misconception of Matcha being the same as Green Tea. In reality, Matcha retains higher levels of nutrients due to its processing technique. Moreover, sometimes the nutrients in the green tea extracts may not fully dissolve in the water. So you may not get to enjoy all its health benefits. But since matcha is a ground tea, it means that the drinker is consuming full-fledged green tea leaves. The drinker consumes more nutrients in comparison to green tea. Therefore, Matcha green tea effectively benefits our body in several ways;
1. Helps prevent liver diseases
Studies show that matcha green tea curbs liver diseases to a great extent. It does not let liver enzymes increase more than required. Inflation in the level of liver enzymes is entitled to liver diseases. However, it is always recommended to not consume too much matcha tea as it can have reversed effects also.
2. Improves brain function
Matcha contains caffeine that is said to improve brain function. But caffeine is also known for its negative effects. Thus, l-theanine which is also present in matcha plays a pivotal role in reducing the side effects of caffeine. This results in improved brain alertness, memory, and faster reaction.
3. Reduces heart risks
Matcha has qualities that are same as green tea. It helps in lowering heart diseases to a great extent. It reduces bad “LDL” cholesterol and triglycerides levels and prevents them from getting oxidized.
4. Reduces the chances of stomach cancer
The polyphenols present in the Matcha tea perform —- effective antioxidant activities, inhibit nitrosation and cell production. These are known as anti-carcinogenic effects. They help brilliantly in reducing the risk of stomach cancer.
5. Increases metabolic rate
Epigallocatechin gallate ( EGCG) is a fat-burning compound that effectively helps in increasing the metabolic rate of the body. Matcha has more amount of ECGC compared to regular green tea. Hence, you can trust Matcha Green Tea for efficacious weight loss as well.
White tea Vs Green Tea – Which one is healthier?
Both White Tea and Matcha Green tea top in our health scale. It is tough to determine a clear winner between the two. White tea is less caffeinated (15 – 30 mg), sweet, and is lighter than other types of tea. Thus, it is preferable to drink white tea at night. It also helps one to sleep better.On the other hand, Matcha green tea tastes vegetal and grassy with a hint of sweetness. However, the caffeine content is slightly higher (280 mg) than white tea. Therefore, it is suitable to kick-start your day with Matcha green tea.
As both of them are filled with goodness, therefore the choice depends on the taste of the tea drinkers. Tea is one of the most invincible beverage in our society. The main reason why many people cannot go a day without tea is because they find it to be their source of rejuvenation.
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