In America, a 7th-grader’s experiment has gone some way to proving that chemicals in green tea can help fight cancer.

In the tests, flatworms were injected with cancer cells and then exposed to the epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) chemical found in green tea. After two months the flatworms that were exposed to the chemical were found not to have grown any tumors in comparison to those without the antioxidant.

Countries, such as Japan that have a high consumption of herbal tea also have a reduced rate of cancer. Asia as a whole consumes 21,629 million litres of tea, 9,896 million litres of which are green tea.

Black tea, although still healthier than many drinks, pales in comparison to its green cousin because most of the benefits get destroyed during fermentation. Black tea does have useful antioxidants, but these become obsolete when milk and sugar are added.

Other benefits of green tea, apart from potentially reducing cancer include reducing stress levels, which is very attractive to American consumers who have an active lifestyle. For those that dislike the bitter taste, additonal flavours are also being added, making it more appealing to American palates.

Green tea is set to continue expanding in the west as its healthy qualities become more apparent.