White Tea, Black Tea, Herbal Tea...
What's The Difference?
As for caffeine content, white tea is the lowest of all the naturally caffeinated teas. Here are some comparisons in approximate milligrams:
8 oz white tea - 15 mg
8 oz green tea - 20 mg
8 oz black tea - 45 mg
8 oz brewed coffee - 60-120 mg
Ladies, we must report the saddest news of all. We're sorry to say that our coveted dark chocolate has approximately 20 mg per oz...yes, per ounce. Just imagine how much caffeine is lurking in an entire chocolate bar. Ouch! Next time you want to indulge yourself in something sweet without harmful effect, try our herbal teas sweetened with Agave Nectar.
If you don't know what Agave Nectar is, it's a sweetener naturally extracted from the familiar Agave Americana plant most often found in Mexico. It dissolves easily and is a great tasting sweetener that can replace sugar, honey, maple syrup, and other sweeteners at room temperature and in cooking. It has a natural, mild taste for recipes that can't have a sweetener with an overpowering taste. A small amount of Agave Nectar added to our herbal tea will enhance the individual flavors in our blends, not cover them up. Due to the low glycemic index, agave nectar is absorbed slowly into the blood stream so it does not significantly raise blood sugar making it beneficial for many with sugar restricted diets. Consult your doctor to make sure Agave is for you before adding it to your diet.
Continuing research suggests that the positive medicinal effects of white tea far outweighs the low caffeine content for those that are not extremely sensitive to caffeine. And, Agave is becoming more popular as an alternative sweetener every day. There is a world of information at your fingertips through the internet. With a little bit of investigation on your own, you may be pleasantly surprised at what you find.
In short...black, white, and green teas are made from the Camellia Senesis plant. Unlike the others, herbal tea is not made from leaves of the "tea plant" Camellia Senesis. Herbal tea can be made from many kinds of fresh or dried flowers, leaves, seeds, or roots by allowing them to steep in boiling water (see herbal tea to the right.) Once strained, herbal tea can be sweetened and served.
Teas made from the Camelia Senesis plant may or may not be fermented. Black tea is fully fermented during processing and green tea is not fermented at all. You may have also heard of Oolong Tea which is somewhere in the middle. White tea is much more difficult to find than the other teas and is much more expensive. It is similar to green tea in that it has very little processing and no fermentation at all. The noticeable difference between white and green tea is the taste. Most green teas have a slightly bitter taste while tea is described as light and sweet. Shy Mee White Tea has a mellow, slightly nutty flavor. Some recommend that white tea be brewed with water slightly below the boiling point.
Sources: Healthy Living Publications, Wikipedia, and various articles. Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to replace the advice of your physician or any other health care professional. It is not meant to indicate that the use of the products are safe, appropriate, or effective for you. In general, herbal and natural products are not subject to review or approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA.) They are not required to be standardized. Not all of the risks, side effects, or interactions associated with the use of herbal and natural products are known. This information is provided for your education only. Please share this information with your health care provider and be sure that you talk to your doctor and pharmacist about all the prescription and non-prescription medicines you take before you begin use of any herbal or natural product .
