From Legend to Science: the Health Benefits of Tea Throughout the world, tea and coffee rival each other as mankind's most popular brewed beverages. For thousands of years, however, tea has had one great advantage over coffee: it is believed to have a wide range of medicinal properties. In his book, Tea in China, John C. Evans states that ¡§if tea had not possessed a medical reputation, the beverage we know today might never have …showed first 75 words of 1767 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1767 total…an improper diet ¢». Modern studies of tea A. Health benefits of tea 1. Reduced risk of stomach 2. Reduced risk of lung cancer B. Flavonoids as antioxidants 1. Reduced risk of stroke and heart attack 2. Polyphenols as free radical scavengers IV. Tea studies around the world A. American Chemical Society meeting 1. Eight papers devoted to tea 2. Tea discussed like any other medicine B. The need for exact science 1. Claims about tea often too general 2. Standards and specification required