Americans are far more sophisticated about beverages than they were 20 years ago. Witness

the Starbucks revolution and you'll know where the trend goes. Now, spurred on by recent studied suggesting that it can cut the risk of cancer and heart disease and retard the aging process, tea is enjoying a similar jolt. Enough chic tea salons are springing up to make even diehard coffee drinkers consider switching beverages.

Tea is available in more places than ever. "Tea was one of the most prolific beverage categories in 1999," with 24 percent more products offered over the previous year, reports Tom Vierhile of Marketing Intelligence Service, which tracks food and beverage trends. And the Tea Association of the United States reports that from 1990 to 1999, annual sales of the drink grew to $ 4.6 billion from $1.8 billion. "Green tea is seen by consumers as a 'functional food' delivering health benefits beyond sustenance," says Vierhile.

Recently published studies point out that not all brews are created equal. Only teas that come from the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis — which, in their raw state are brewed to make green tea, and, with curing, can be turned into oolong and black tea leaves — have been shown to contain health benefits. Other herbal teas and infusions may taste good, yet they do little more than warm up the drinker. But for Camellia sinensis, the evidence is powerful. In a 1998 study, Harvard University researchers found that drinking one cup of black tea a day lowered the risk of heart attack by as much as 44 percent compared with non-tea drinkers, and other studies have suggested that the antioxidants in these so-called real teas can also prevent cancer.

One such antioxidant in green tea is ECGC, a compound 20 times as powerful as vitamin E and 200 times as powerful as vitamin C. "When people ask me for something good and cheep they can do to reduce their cancer risk, I tell them drink real tea." Says Mitchell Gaynor, director of medical oncology at New York City's Strang-Cornell Cancer Prevention Centre.

Among those inspired to become a green-tea drinker is Tess Ghilaga. A new York Writer who took it up after consulting a nutritionist six years ago. "I've never been a coffee drinker." says Ghilaga, 33, "she told me to start drinking green tea for the antioxidant properties." Now Ghilaga and her husband routinely brew tea they order theirs from Inpursuitoftea.com, an internet tea company, which sells a variety of ready-made and raw teas. http://www. alitea.com/ — along with green, black, and oolong tea, this company sells a wide variety of herbal teas and offers a "Tea of the Month" club. http://www. Teasofgreen.com/ — this site sells higher-end green, black and oolong teas and has good tips on proper storage and preparation of tea. http://www. tea.com/ — tea drinkers can find links to sites offering tea lore, such as articles about tea ceremonies in foreign lands. An exhaustive "frequently asked question" file found out the site.

What do recent studies reveal about tea drinking？

A．Many tea houses have sprung up to meet the market demands.

B．Drinking tea can cut the risk of lung cancer in particular.

C．Tea is rather a magical drinking material to slow down the aging process.

D．Many die-hard coffee brewers have developed strong sentiments towards tea.