New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

White tea

White tea is tea made from new growth buds and young leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis. The leaves are steamed or fried to inactivate oxidation, and then dried. White tea therefore retains the high concentrations of catechins which are present in fresh tea leaves. The buds may also be shielded from sunlight during growth to reduce formation of chlorophyll.

Green tea is made from more mature tea leaves than white tea, and may be withered prior to steaming or firing. Although green tea is also rich in catechins, it may have different catechin profiles than white tea. For white tea, the little buds that form on the plant are covered with silver hairs that give the young leaves a white appearance. The leaves come from a number of varieties of tea cultivars, the most popular are Da Bai (Large White), Xiao Bai (Small White), Narcissus and Chaicha bushes.

White tea is steamed and dried almost immediately after harvesting (sometimes before even leaving the fields). This method of minimal processing may account for white tea's higher than normal medical benefits.

Related Stories
 


Health & Medicine News

November 4, 2026

Scientists have discovered a compound that transforms a natural muscle-repair protein into a more powerful version dubbed "Super HGF," more than doubling its ability to bind to a key receptor while protecting it from age-related chemical damage. The ...
A new study warns that permanent daylight saving time could force American children to make at least 2 billion additional school commutes in darkness, potentially increasing safety risks and disrupting their biological clocks. Researchers found that ...
Stanford researchers have discovered an AI-identified natural molecule that dramatically suppresses appetite and promotes fat loss in animals, potentially offering an Ozempic-like weight-loss ...
A single gene-editing treatment could someday protect against heart disease, high cholesterol, and other common conditions for decades, potentially replacing lifelong medications. But scientists warn that permanently altering genes introduces risks ...
Scientists have developed a promising new cancer-fighting strategy that uses carbon monoxide naturally produced by tumor cells to manufacture powerful drugs inside the cancer cells themselves. Early laboratory experiments suggest the technique could ...
A new study suggests that ultra-processed foods may influence children's developing brains in ways that encourage weight gain. Researchers from USC studied 46 children ages 7 to 10 and found that those who ate more ultra-processed foods showed ...
Scientists have uncovered an unexpected connection between inflammation during pregnancy, placental damage, and autism-like traits in male mice, while females appeared naturally protected. The ...
Eating an avocado and a cup of mango every day may provide surprising benefits for heart health, according to a new study involving adults with prediabetes. After just eight weeks, participants ...
Scientists have discovered that a drug originally developed for spinal cord injuries can tackle several key features of Alzheimer’s disease, including DNA damage and inflammation. Already tested ...
A surprising discovery suggests that rejuvenating the liver could help protect against Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease. USC researchers found that an experimental drug restored aging liver ...
A major 24-year study involving more than 8,200 adults suggests that excess body weight may accelerate brain aging, leading to faster declines in memory, concentration, and decision-making skills. The connection was particularly strong among people ...
Scientists are calling for a major rethink of how we manage high blood pressure, suggesting that eating more potassium could be just as important as cutting back on salt. A new report finds that combining increased potassium intake with reduced ...

Latest Headlines

updated 12:56 pm ET