White Tea And CVD: A Refreshing Drink
Personally, I grew very fond of white tea while studying in China and visiting tea houses in Hangzhou, Xi’an, and Shenzhen. However, at the time, I was simply fond of the flavor. When I worked in China, I drank it every day for lunch, mostly out of habit. Granted, my appreciation for the light, refreshing flavor came more from appreciation of the beverage itself and the culture it came from, not so much from a medicinal perspective.
White tea has been a staple of Chinese culture for thousands of years. While this beverage has cultural and spiritual significance and is also consumed worldwide, but the question remains: does it offer cardiovascular benefits?
The answer is, yes!
Given the wintery chill in the air, before you drop a teabag into your cup, let’s find out what impact, if any, drinking white tea has on your heart.
The article, White Tea (Camellia Sinensis (L.)): Antioxidant Properties And Beneficial Health Effects by Dias et al., discusses how, “tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, next to water. It can be categorized into three major types, depending on the level of fermentation, i.e., green and white (unfermented), oolong (partially fermented) and black (fermented) tea. Each type of tea has a distinct composition, dependent on how the leaves are processed, as well as maturation, geographical location and agricultural practices. White tea (WT), the least processed tea, is one of the less studied and is ascribed to have the highest content of phenolic compounds.” The article continues by listing how the beverage can prevent : cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and microorganism-induced illnesses, while also supporting the central nervous system (Dias et al., 2013). So, since it seems to be beneficial for a variety of reasons, how does drinking white tea specifically benefit the heart?
However, at the time the article was written, the cardiac benefits were present, but it seems largely assumed based on the components and the general likelihood that it would have a positive impact on the health of the one consuming the tea. It states that “although, since WT is richer in catechins and other polyphenols than other teas and those components are ascribed to have important cardioprotective roles, it is expected that WT will be beneficial against CVD” (Dias et al., 2013). However, “until now, there are still not evidences concerning the cardioprotective effects of WT” (Dias et al., 2013). So, the benefit of drinking this particular beverage, according to this article, seems more generic than specific, but there was not enough study to claim what exactly those benefits were in 2013. Considering this, what do more recent articles say?
The article 10 Impressive Benefits of White Tea by Ryan Raman written in 2023, says, that “polyphenols like those found in white tea may help reduce the risk of heart disease in several ways. For one, several studies have found that polyphenols may help relax blood vessels and boost immunity. Other studies have found that polyphenols may prevent ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol from becoming oxidized, which is another risk factor for heart disease. In an analysis of five studies, scientists discovered that people who drank three cups or more of tea per day had a 21% lower risk of heart disease. While these results suggest white tea may help lower your risk of heart disease, it’s also important to make other lifestyle changes for a healthy heart. These include eating more fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly, and getting plenty of rest” (Raman, 2018). Furthermore, drinking white tea also promotes weight management and oral health, which, in turn, indirectly protects the heart (Raman, 2018). So, there have been several studies that show the benefits of drinking white tea. However, it should be noted that this is not an elixir of life.
White tea can benefit the cardiovascular system of those who drink it, but they must also regularly exercise, eat properly, and take care of themselves in other ways, too. Thus, white tea is a good addition to one’s cardiovascular health plan, but it will not cure it, especially not on its own.
So, with a chill in the air, if you’re interested in taking care of your heart, adding a cup of white tea to your regular diet is a good step toward reaching that goal. It’s also nice with a drop of honey if you favor sweeter teas.
While writing this article, since I learned that it is, objectively beneficial to one’s cardiovascular system, I recently went out and bought some more to add to my tea box this winter season. Although, as always, I always recommend discussing adding anything with a doctor before making a sharp change in your diet or behavior, just in case.
But, if it puts your mind at ease, from the research I have found, it seems that white tea is a heart-healthy beverage. So, if you want, feel free to drop that teabag into a steaming cup of water, take a deep breath, and savor the warm, light, crisp, refreshing, heart-healthy drink.
Tune in on Sunday for another pacemaker article!
Keep ticking, everybody!
P.S. If you have any suggestions for topics related to CVD or pacemakers that you’d like me to cover, please let me know.
I apologize for the delay in publishing this article. I was quite ill over the weekend and am still recovering.
Reference List:
Dias, T.R., Tomas, G., Teixeira, N.F., Alves, M.G., Oliveira, P.F. and Silva, B.M. (2013). White Tea (Camellia Sinensis (L.)): Antioxidant Properties And Beneficial Health Effects . International Journal of Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics (IJFS). [online].
Raman, R. (2018). 10 Impressive Benefits of White Tea. [online] Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/white-tea-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3.
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