Tea has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. In ancient China, people used white tea to cure many different ailments; and while they may not have understood the reason tea made them feel better, they knew it worked. Over the past few decades, however, science has discovered that the benefits of white tea are more than just the drinker's imagination. In fact, the benefits of white tea are more than even the scientist's thought they would find.

Health Benefits

The benefits of white tea vary widely, but it can be argued that the most important aspect is the health benefits that white tea offers to drinkers. It has been known for quite some time that tea contains antioxidants which can help slow free radicals that lead to aging, cancer, diabetes and more. Because white tea is carefully harvested and processed, it contains far more antioxidants than any other form of tea, even the highly popular green variety. Even beyond the high antioxidant content, the benefits of white tea outweigh any other tea. Some of the additional benefits of white tea include:

• Caffeine - Recent scientific studies have shown that caffeine stimulates the brain and increases alertness and endurance during physical activity. Caffeine also increases the body's metabolism to help you lose weight and acts as a diuretic which can lower blood pressure.
• Restores fluid balance - Because caffeine is a diuretic, it can cause the body to lose much needed water at a much faster rate. White tea contains much less caffeine than all other forms of tea, allowing people to reap caffeine's benefits without becoming dehydrated.
• Fluoride - Who would have thought that one of the benefits of white tea would be oral health? While white tea does not contain the high levels of fluoride that you would find in many types of toothpaste, the level is high enough to have an effect.
• Strong bones - Research has shown that people who drink white tea on a regular basis have a greater bone density than those who do not. For this reason, one of the other benefits of white tea may be the offset of osteoporosis and relief from arthritis.

With the caffeine, fluoride and antioxidants that are found in white tea, it is no wonder that it has become such a popular drink around the world. The health benefits of white tea are not all that this delicious drink has to offer, however. Drinking white tea can be very relaxing, allowing the drinker to lower their stress through the preparation and consumption.