White tea: Its time has come

Albany (N.Y.) Times Union, Aug 9 -- There's no debate that tea trumps coffee in a battle of health benefits. Further adding to the score is the new kid in the pot: white tea.

Surging popularity, aided by a familiar Snapple commercial where a Chinese man educates a 20-something American on white tea while standing in the middle of a tea field, has brought this tea to the front of the shelves.

First, it has a lighter taste similar to green tea. University research also has shown that white tea may hold more antioxidants than other varieties.

Still, not all experts are pouring out their greens and blacks just yet and don't believe white tea is worth the extra cost. A quarter pound of white tea can cost between $10 and $30.

"It's more of a marketing campaign," says Joe Simrany, president of the Tea Association of the USA Inc.

White tea has been produced in China, most notably in Fujian province, for thousands of years. It made the leap to the Western world only recently. Most white tea still comes from China, but other countries are starting to make their own versions, Simrany says.

Buds of the Camellia sinensis plant are plucked before they fully open and while they are covered in white hairs. Hence, the title.

"It's a rare tea because it's all hand-processed and hand-picked. It's picked during a very limited time window," says Kevin Borowsky, owner of the Whistling Kettle, a tea lounge in Ballston Spa, N.Y.

The tea is steamed immediately after it is picked and then dried, explains Jane Higdon, a researcher with the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, on the institute's Web site.

"Consequently, white teas usually contain higher concentrations of catechins than other teas," says Higdon.

Catechins are a main component of tea and are thought to fight cancer and boost the immune system.

Green tea has a high catechin level, too, but can wither before it is steamed, which releases some of the beneficial catechins. Oolong and black teas ferment and lose most of the benefits, Higdon says.

A study by LPI researchers showed white tea may help prevent DNA mutations, the first stage of cancer.

Pace University also studied the health effects of white tea and found it has a greater anti-viral and anti-bacterial effect than green tea.

The health benefit of white tea is the driving force behind its sales at the Whistling Kettle, Borowsky says.

"You have everything that green tea has and a little bit more," he says of white tea's antioxidant levels.

Pre-made white teas by Snapple, Arizona and Pom can be bought at local supermarkets and convenience stores.

Another quality of white tea, benefit or detractor depending on the consumer's view, is the higher caffeine level of white tea.

"It's more caffeine than green tea, because really what you're picking is the tip of the leaf, before it fully forms so there's more of a concentration," Borowsky says.

"I know when I drink white tea, I get more of a jolt than when I drink green tea," he says.

Simrany claims that caffeine levels are affected more by the preparation of the tea than its production. "The combination of less temperature and less steeping produces less caffeine in the cup," he says.

For the best flavor, boil water then set it aside for 10 minutes. Steep the white tea for only 30 seconds to a minute, says Simrany.

Even cosmetic companies have started infusing their products with white tea extract.

Dr. Elma Baron, director of the Skin Study Center at University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University, worked on the study that proved white tea extract helped in the protection of cells from sunlight exposure.

Skin-care lines, such as Origins and Bath & Body Works, have added products that capitalize on the protective and restorative properties of white tea.

Mlesna Silver Tip White Tea is available from YourTeaPlace.com.