Benefits of White Tea
White tea consists of young leaves that have undergone no oxidation; the buds may be shielded from sunlight to prevent formation of chlorophyll.
White tea is considered to contain the most powerful cancer-preventing properties of all teas. One recent study demonstrated that it removes or prevents even more tumors from the stomachs of specially bred cancer-susceptible rats than green tea, or caffeine alone (although all three were shown to have benefit).
Produced almost entirely in China, white tea is steamed and dried almost immediately after harvesting (in some situations in the fields themselves). It is possible that this method of minimal processing accounts for this tea's added benefits.
Kit Chow notes in All The Tea In China that in hard times, very poor Chinese homes would serve guests boiled water when they could not afford tea. Host and guest would call the water "white tea" and act as if the tradition of serving guests tea had been carried out as usual.