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Green and white tea

I’ve been hooked on green and white teas for several years. I started drinking them instead of coffee for the purported health benefits. Well, I quit since going 100% raw about a month ago. And what I’ve noticed is I’m much, much less anxious and nervous and tense. I guess this is stating the obvious, but I hadn’t realized how much caffeine is packed into even the ever-humble white tea.

Comments

  • Morning_theftMorning_theft Raw Newbie

    Oh yeah, green tea especially, packs a lot of caffeine, usually quite a bit more than what it says on the box. I have a friend that had tested it in a lab and was shocked to discover that some kinds are harder than black coffee!

  • shane, I did something similar to you. Eventhough I was raw for years I still consumed white tea almost every day due to the misinformation about how it was good for preventing colon cancer. When I started on the 811 diet I stopped drinking it. Then one day I was at work and I noticed I still had some white tea in my desk. I decided to give it a try. I have never felt so bad in my life, it felt worse than the worst hangover I ever had in my life. My head was spinning, hands were shaking, my heart was pounding, the tea was in the dust bin and I am tea and all toxic drink free since that day.

  • I am surprised to hear these results with green and white tea. I used to drink a lot of green and white tea and I still drink it sometimes, but not often. I admit I still drink tea but switched to red (Rooibos) tea. It is caffeine free and low in tannins so it is less likely to dehydrate the body.

  • humanimalhumanimal Raw Newbie

    I swear by teas for their beneficial properties. They have caffeine, but it is not man made in a lab like the kind they place in soft drinks and adrenaline drinks. Dont worry about teas at all my friend :)

  • greeniegreenie Raw Newbie

    humanimal—

    Not to worry about something that does this: “have never felt so bad in my life, it felt worse than the worst hangover I ever had in my life. My head was spinning, hands were shaking, my heart was pounding,...”?? I wouldn’t be so quick to accept the research and throw out your own physical reaction. Just the opposite, in fact.

    Those studies on the benefits of tea are for the most part population studies. In other words, they look at populations that drink x number of cups of tea per day and notice that they have lower rates of cancer, heart disease, etc. and conclude that tea reduce those risks. They ignore the cultural and other dietary differences. Just one fact can completely mess up the results—for instance, in many Asian cultures, there is huge stigma about cancer so it is way underreported. Guess what that does to the statistics?

    Tea may have pycnogenols and free radical scavengers, but it also has caffeine and is enormously dehydrating. Most everyone I know who is out of the caffeine habit has a real bad reaction when they drink it.

  • Greenie…that reaction is unusual. There are millions of people who consume green and white teas and feel fine. Green and white teas contain some of the most potent antioxidants known. If consumed in large quantities, green and white teas can indeed be dehydrating so balance is key. If you are sensitive to caffeine, green and white teas may be a problem. But I agree with humanimal that for many, the caffeine in green and white tea do not present the same problems that coffee and soda can. I beg to differ about the assertion that most of the beneficial research is based on population studies. If you go to www.pubmed.gove, you will see many in vitro studies showing the benefits of green and white teas…mostly focusing on inducing apoptosis. (programmed cancer cell death).

    I still suggest Rooibos tea, since it is packed full of antioxidants and has almost no tannins. (it also makes a great face rinse, since it contains alpha hydroxy acids)

  • I love Rooibos tea! They do a wonderful Earl Grey version here in the UK. Mmm.

  • greeniegreenie Raw Newbie

    forrestlyone:

    Thank you for that link. I went there thinking ‘Aha! I’ll bet they did studies on one or more elements of the tea, not the tea itself’ but I was wrong. There was plenty of good research showing benefits of those teas.

    Those millions who consume teas and feel fine are used to them. Take them off tea and put them on a purer diet for a while and they’ll be more sensitive to what it’s doing to them. There are also millions who consume big Macs and feel fine, too; which doesn’t mean the big macs are good for them.

  • Point well taken and an interesting analogy Greenie, although I wouldn’t compare green tea to a Big Mac. :-) The difference is that eventually, those people who consume Big Macs daily will wind up with multiple health problems (whether they feel fine or not). Just rent “Super Size Me”. While those who consume green or white tea daily are very unlikely to wind up with health issues as a result. Many people who consume green tea are already eating a purer diet. I have many friends that eat very pure, healthy foods that drink these teas will no ill consequences …I would just be cautious in labeling green or white tea as “toxic” to the body…I simply disagree with that.

  • The key here is to stop consuming the toxic substance for a good length of time and then trying it again. Of course if you consistently drink tea you will not notice anything, try to stop all caffeine for at least 6 weeks and then try a cup of green tea. The body has a defense mechanism to avoid harm, even when harmful substances are introduced it will shield itself from them, the more it is exposed to toxins the more shielding it will do until you stop noticing the reactions. Do you think it is healthy to not have reactions to a toxic substance? If one person abuses alcohol and can consume 1 liter of strong rum without feeling anything, but another person who has never drank alcohol in his life tries just one 8 oz glass and has many reactions does that mean the abuser is healthier? Caffeine is a toxin and doesn’t belong in our body in any amount from any source.

  • “Caffeine is a toxin and doesn’t belong in our body in any amounts from any source.”...Tell this to the many centarians who have consumed green tea for the majority of their lives.

    This is your opinion and I respect it but indeed it is not a fact. Your opinion of green or white teas is actually contrary to the numerous studies that have shown health benefits. I am NOT arguing that caffeine does not have toxic qualities. Much of this debate surrounds what we consider to be “toxic” and in what quantities substances need to be in to be considered “toxic”. There are “toxic” substances in many raw foods, including spinach, potatoes, sprouts, onions and nuts to name a few. Common food antioxidants such as flavonoids have toxic properties in large amounts and have actually shown to be mutatgenic. We of course still consume them for there valuable properties to the body. Quercetin, a powerful flavonoid antioxidant is found abundantly in many fruits and vegetables and has been shown to be toxic in large amounts. The same thing can be said for green and white teas. They are healthy, and SAFE beverages if consumed daily in reasonable amounts. In fact, studies have shown that caffeine over 650mg per day may be toxic to the body. One cup of green tea contains between 15-75mg of caffeine. I am sorry, but these are the facts.

    Actually, I did just what you suggested with green tea….I stopped and re-introduced after about 2 months and had zero problems. Maybe I’ll ttry again as an experiment and see.

  • My experience tends to agree with SocaL’s. I tried reintroducing 12oz of white tea on a full stomach after nearly a month off of all teas. And, although my reaction to the reintroduction was not as severe as SocaL’s, I was a nervous wreck. My reaction was less like a severe hangover and more like a panic attack.

    Also, when considering the health benefits of green tea, keep in mind its high fluoride content. Some white teas may have less.

  • Does red tea have the same antioxidant properties as white or green tea?..or is the reason that you guys drink it because it’s a warm beverage and because you like tea?

    Also, is there less fluoride in red tea?

    Also, those who had adverse reactions to tea, were you drinking fresh and organic teas?

    Just curious, thanks all!

  • I agree that too much caffeine is not good, and of course everyone has his or her own opinion of how much is too much. But I was under the impression that caffeine is naturally-occurring in some foods – not just tea and coffee. I think almost anything can be labeled “toxic”. We all react to things differently. What is good for one person may not be good for someone else. Grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables. My advice is to not drink tea if it makes you feel poorly. But don’t assume that because it didn’t work for you, it won’t work for others.

  • Thank you Japan Love for this rational response. I agree totally. As for the fluoride content..this should never be a concern with green tea. The fluoride in tea is organically bound and chemically different from the fluoride you find in commercial toothpastes.

    RawLifestyle…red tea has very powerful antioxidants, but does not have the same kinds of antioxidants. green tea polyphenols have been researched more for there effects on cancer. Red tea does contain numerous antioxidants, including SOD..one of the most common and potent free radical scavengers known.

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