In India, ancient legend tells the tale of Siddhartha Guatma, the founder of Buddhism, despairing after falling asleep during meditation. He was so upset with himself that he ripped off his eyelids and threw them to the ground where they rooted and grew into the first tea plant, with the shape of its leaves resembling the eyelid. Whether you believe any of these stories or not, we do know that the leaves from this evergreen shrub have been consumed for over 4,000 years and that they have always been known for health. Some historians assert that tea was first consumed in China to flavor water that was boiled to protect people from bacterial contamination.
Tea has the extraordinary power to prolong life.
Anywhere a person cultivates tea, long life will follow. In ancient and modern times, tea is an elixir that creates the mountain dwelling immortal. The sixteenth-century European explorers who first tried tea reported that it was used to treat fever, headache, joint pain, and stomachache. Today, green tea is getting the majority of the press for its positive effect on health. This is due to the power of its constituents, which include carotenoids , chlorophyll, polysaccharides, fats, vitamins C and E, manganese, potassium and zinc.