white vs. green tea

simple girl

simple girl

Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
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DH just asked me which is better for you, and I had no idea. I quick google search revealed several articles saying white tea is better for you - mainly b/c it is processed less, so more of the "good stuff" is retained. I found this really interesting and thought I'd share the following article:

Is White Tea Better Than Green Tea? - thatsfit.ca
 
Somewhat related, DD told me that adding citrus to green tea helps somehow. I googled and found some links, which I didn't save, that backed that up. So far I only add it to iced green tea, and it tastes pretty good. Not sure if I'll add it to hot tea or not.

I haven't tried white tea.
 
One of the best refreshing drinks we have recently found is diet green tea with citrus. We buy it by the case at Costco's and it's their own Kirkland brand. I think it's about $11 for a 35 bottle case. We discovered it last spring and now that is all we drink in addition to their own bottled brand of water. Have to clarify that last remark as I still have my gin and tonic in the evening. ;)
 
DW is a tea freak. She drinks tons of it. We have (I'm guessing) maybe 25 different varieties. She says white is healthier, but not that much. She drinks mostly green tea, but also a lot of blacks. After we ERed she worked for fun in a tea shop, and she stocked up on the discount. I think she spent more than she made. :LOL:

I suspect she'll live forever because of the tea. I'm personally a diet cola drinker, so I'm pretty much doomed. She makes a great cup of tea, though. She's got one mix she calls headache tea (Earl Grey and peppermint) that works like a champ. And her standard ice tea made from Lipton's bags is far better than any I've ever had in a restaurant.

I've had that Kirkland (also Lipton's) green tea with citrus. Not bad, but way too heavy on the citrus flavor. Tea is sooo easy to make you might want to try brewing some up and mixing in some real lemon (not RealLemon ;)) and Splenda (or whatever). I've learned the most important thing about brewing a good tea is to not stew it. Depending on the color, it only needs a minute or so to brew.
 
JOHNNIE36 said:
We discovered it last spring and now that is all we drink in addition to their own bottled brand of water. Have to clarify that last remark as I still have my gin and tonic in the evening. ;)
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We were kind of hoping that the health effects of drinking a lot of tea during the week would cancel out the damage we do to ourselves drinking gin and tonics during the weekend. :whistle: LOL.

harley said:
I've learned the most important thing about brewing a good tea is to not stew it. Depending on the color, it only needs a minute or so to brew.
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That's very interesting...I thought the longer you steeped tea, the better it would taste...completely opposite!
 
JOHNNIE36 said:
One of the best refreshing drinks we have recently found is diet green tea with citrus. We buy it by the case at Costco's and it's their own Kirkland brand. I think it's about $11 for a 35 bottle case. We discovered it last spring and now that is all we drink in addition to their own bottled brand of water. Have to clarify that last remark as I still have my gin and tonic in the evening. ;)
Click to expand...

I can't drink that stuff.....I can taste the artifical sweetener in it. The water is no doubt better for you than the tea.

As for iced tea, I make my own, with Lipton tea bags and a cheap iced tea maker from WallyWorld. I think I paid 13 bucks for it, and its been working well for 3 years........:)
 
I believe Sarah in SC knows a little something about tea--maybe she will weigh in.

After a tour of a tea producer, I think tea processing even for black leaf tea is pretty simple (i.e., pick the leaves, dry, package, sell), so there is not much harmful being introduced in the process. Maybe white tea is "healthier" because the leaves are picked earlier before they can be exposed to the big bad atmosphere?

DD drinks only decaf tea, preferably decaf green tea, which costs a lot more than regular green tea. I'm not going to even think how much decaf white tea would cost!

I love Constant Comment with the dried orange peel and spices. Probably the least healthy tea, and my coffee addiction will probably hasten my demise (this week anyway--next week some study will show coffee is good for me).
 
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simple girl said:
We were kind of hoping that the health effects of drinking a lot of tea during the week would cancel out the damage we do to ourselves drinking gin and tonics during the weekend. :whistle: LOL.
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You're supposed to drink gin and tonics only on the weekend?? :( I had no idea. UhOh :rolleyes:

t.r.
 
TeeRuh said:
You're supposed to drink gin and tonics only on the weekend?? :( I had no idea. UhOh :rolleyes:t.r.
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You're only supposed to drink them on the weekend if they are NOT top shelf............stuff like tanqueray or Beefeaters can be drunk anytime, they're actually goof for you.......;)
 
Freebird on caffeine is not funny :nonono:, so I stick with green tea and dehydrated fruit teas.
I researched and ordered some bulk (1 lb) dried fruit teas and a tea brewer machine earlier this year. I use the brewer all year and really enjoy the fruity flavors with just a smidge of sugar added. Black currant is a favorite. :D
It was so much cheaper to buy in bulk + shipping than to buythe popular brand fruit teas that come in bags in boxes in the grocery store.
I don't think I've ever had white tea. :confused:
 
I have about 16 types of loose tea right now. I've probably tried about 60. Adagio is where I get my loose tea.

White tea is about 10x as expensive as green, in general. White tea uses younger leaves than green tea does, that is about it. White tea is supposed to be slightly better for you, but I do not think the difference is significant. I have found white tea to have a fairly weak natural flavor, so there isn't a white tea that is my favorite. I also have not liked japanese green teas as much, which are usually grassy, and have extremely delicate steep times.

What I really like are the Chinese green teas (one of my favorites are citrus green), jasmine, the oolong tea's which are closer to being green teas, and flavored black teas (ones that have a natural sweet taste, I hate black tea that tastes like coffee).
 
REWahoo said:
And after two or three of them you'll be speaking like FD types...:)
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Scuze me sir.........I was DRINKIN' and TYPIN' at the same time............glad that 20 ounce Tanqueray and tonic is empty so I can concentrate.........:LOL:
 
Bestwifeever said:
I bet Freebird is extra funny on caffeine!

Does green tea naturally have less caffeine than regular tea?
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Tell ya what...some morning I will make some high test coffee, drink 2 cups and then post here for an entire AM. Assuming I can sit still in the recliner :nonono:. You be the judge. :cool:

Decaffeintated green tea vs regular green tea vs regular black tea...I've heard a lot of different opinions about this. I always buy green tea that specifically sez it is decaffeinated.
Is green tea naturally lower or caffeine free? Only the Shadow knows...;)
 
freebird5825 said:
Is green tea naturally lower or caffeine free? Only the Shadow knows...;)
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I think a tea expert will be along shortly to verify. I do know that tea has a LOT LESS caffeine than regular coffee. I read somewhere that the caffeine in green tea doesn't cause you to get jittery or crash when it wears off........;)
 
I vary black, green, white tea in the morning. It seems they're all good for you.

Two years ago I had a straight cup of coffee; I was wired for 12 hours.
 
Different types of tea of very different caffeine content. White/green have perhaps 1/16th to 1/8th as much as coffee, and black tea usually is 1/4th or 1/2 as much caffeine. Oolong will range, since their are green tea like oolongs, and black tea like oolongs.

I usually drink green tea more often than black tea, so I get pretty wired from black tea. I just about never drink coffee, but when I have an energy drink, I am extremely wired for the next 12 hours.

I have heard that the decaffeination process can greatly reduces the health benefits of tea. depending on how it is done. There is no such thing as a caffeine free tea leaf, the caffeine has to be removed (potentially along with a lot of what makes tea healthy).
 
OK, I've worked as a specialty coffee and tea buyer for 28 years so will weigh in here from that vantage point.

There are antioxidants and all kinds of good stuff in all types of tea, as well as coffee. The thing to do is drink what you really enjoy the flavor of, in moderation. Relatively few Westerners enjoy the taste of green tea. It's compatible with Asian cuisine, but doesn't hold a candle to hearty black teas with a bit of milk and sweetener for the average American palate. To each their own.

White tea has the MOST caffeine, and green is not necessarily lower in caffeine than white:

Tea Caffeine

Tea leaf is a lot more delicate in flavor than coffee and as with coffee decaf processes do strip away a lot of flavor. Not a problem if you drink scented or flavored tea (e.g. Earl Grey) where the tea is basically just a carrier for the chemicals, but otherwise better to drink real tea in moderation and switch to tisanes (herb "teas") thereafter. Same thing with coffee, in all honesty, though if you like dark roast decafs or Sumatra you can find palatable choices.

The best source for leaf teas, by the way, is online merchant Upton Tea at www.uptontea.com (and no, I don't work for them).

Happy sipping!

Kevin
 
I'm pretty sure that's exactly backward, black tea has the most caffeine, then green, then white. That's with all thinkgs being equal (ie. all leaves, or the same mix of buds and leaves). Also, green tea in particular (I'm not sure about white) has another compound in it called theanine that somehow counteracts the stimulant aspect of caffeine, so even though there's some caffeine in green tea it doesn't cause stimulation. Basically, the longer the tea is oxidized (fermented), the more caffeine there is.

Also, by weight there is more caffeine in tea than in coffee, but you use a lot more coffee when you make a cup than you do tea. So that is why coffee is higher in caffeine when you drink it.

As Kevink says, there are a number of healthy compounds in teas (antioxidants in particular). One cup of green tea provides 10-40 mg of polyphenols and has antioxidant effects greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots, or strawberries. White tea has even more, but I'm not sure how much.
 
If over 50 the best Tea is Smooth Move, color has nothing to do with it. (heh)
 
"There is growing interest in the potential health benefits of tea, including the antimutagenic properties. Four varieties of white tea, which represent the least processed form of tea, were shown to have marked antimutagenic activity in the Salmonella assay, particularly in the presence of S9. The most active of these teas, Exotica China white tea, was significantly more effective than Premium green tea"

Potent antimutagenic activity of white tea in comp... [Mutat Res. 2001] - PubMed result
 
Coffee: The New Health Food?

"Plenty of health benefits are brewing in America's beloved beverage.
By Sid Kirchheimer


Want a drug that could lower your risk of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and colon cancer? That could lift your mood and treat headaches? That could lower your risk of cavities?​
If it sounds too good to be true, think again.​
Coffee, the much maligned but undoubtedly beloved beverage, just made headlines for possibly cutting the risk of the latest disease epidemic, type 2 diabetes. And the real news seems to be that the more you drink, the better."


continued...



Health Benefits of Coffee - WebMD

​
 
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