FYI

Enjoying a cup of Chinese tea is like drinking a history lesson. Jasmine tea, produced by layering premium spring leaf with jasmine during production, originates from the Sung Dynasty 700 year ago. It is believed that Chunmee has its roots in the 10th century. Many other classic teas were developed in the interim between the two and amazingly, the techniques used to produce them remain unchanged since ancient times.

HEALTHY TIP

Drinking 10 Japanese-sized cups (120 ml/4 ounces) of green tea per day may delay the onset of cancer. In Japan, a 10 year study of 8,553 men and women who drank at least 10 cups of tea per day, found that women lived 7.3 years longer and men 3.2 years longer than those who drank only 3 cups per day. A subsequent study by noted researcher Hirota Fujiki at Tikushima Bunri University also found that green tea can act as a cancer preventative. Source: Current Cancer Therapy Reviews 2005, I, 109-114

In May 2006, researchers at the Yale School of Medicine theorized that 1.2 litres of green tea consumed daily by many Asians contributed greatly to the high levels of polyphenols and antioxidants in their diets. Researchers believed these compounds worked to improve cardiovascular health, prevent blood platelets from sticking together and lower cholesterol levels. Speaking of cholesterol, the researcher also found that green tea may prevent the oxidation of LDL or "bad cholesterol, reducing the build-up of arterial plaque.