Press Releases

To Create DR. ANDREW WEIL FOR TEA

Ready-to-Drink and Loose Leaf Teas Capture the Essence of the Tea Tradition that are Simple, Accessible and Modern

New York, NY – For over a thousand years, tea drinking has been cherished and prized as a source of health and healing, a symbol of refinement and a reason to gather with friends. Now, two pioneers in their respective fields have joined forces [delete] to promote a healthy way of life through tea. Drawing on the wisdom of Dr. Andrew Weil and ITO EN’s world renowned expertise in tea, DR. ANDREW WEIL FOR TEA embodies the unrivaled ability to produce unsweetened green tea products which maintain the integrity of the tea, its health benefits and authentic tastes. The line includes ready-to-drink, loose-leaf tea bags, and matcha green teas, as well as a special turmeric tea. The brand’s mantra is InTEAgrate your life!™, which beckons the consumer to incorporate the benefits of tea into their daily health regime.

“I have been a long time proponent of green tea and its restorative properties,” said Dr. Weil, founder and director of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the College of Medicine, University of Arizona. “Visiting Japan frequently and having lived there for a period of time, I am well acquainted with ITO EN and their impressive variety of healthy products, and consider them to be the largest and best producer of tea products in Japan. I am proud to collaborate with them on DR. ANDREW WEIL FOR TEA.”

“There is a tremendous amount of synergy between Dr. Weil’s company’s vision and our own,” said Rona Tison, vice president of corporate relations for ITO EN (North America), INC. “We are both in-tune with living and promoting a healthy lifestyle through the type of products we offer and this venture will enable us to combine our core strengths to bring a new, holistic line of products to market.”

Packaging for DR. ANDREW WEIL FOR TEA evokes a very clean image that communicates the product’s integrity and purity.

As part of Dr. Weil’s integrative approach to health, he has long recommended drinking tea, especially green and white varieties, and believes that the anti-oxidant activity of the naturally occurring compounds in green tea are protective against many diseases. The most important polyphenol in these teas, EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), has been intensely studied for its potent anti-oxidant activity, and undoubtedly contributes to the health benefits of tea demonstrated in studies from Asia, Europe and North America. Tea polyphenols may help protect the body from cancer by addressing the damaging effects of free radicals, and may additionally protect the heart by lowering cholesterol and improving lipid metabolism.

Dr. Weil is the Founder and Director of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the College of Medicine, University of Arizona, where he is also a Clinical Professor of Medicine and Professor of Public Health and the Lovell-Jones Professor of Integrative Rheumatology. Dr. Weil received both his medical degree and his undergraduate AB degree in biology (botany) from Harvard University. He is the author of several best selling books that address healthy living. Dr. Weil will donate all of his after-tax profits from royalties from sales of DR. ANDREW WEIL FOR TEA products directly to the Weil Foundation.

Since establishing their U.S. operations in 2001, Tokyo-based ITO EN has introduced the green tea culture to the American market through the TEAS’ TEA line of all natural, unsweetened ready-to-drink teas, which received the ‘Best Flavor’ and ‘Best Packaging’ awards from the 2005 World Tea Expo. The company also imports and markets Sencha Shot and the award-winning Tea Apple from their line of natural fruit teas. Recently, the company acquired Mason Distributors, a Florida-based vitamin and supplement manufacturer, which gains them entry to the ever-growing U.S. supplement market. The ITO EN Tea Shop, located on Manhattan’s Madison Avenue, has received the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Zagat Gourmet Marketplace award for ‘Best Tea’, and the company also operates the renowned KAI and Donguri restaurants in New York City.

To access more information or order from the entire line of ITO EN products, please visit www.itoen.com/weil

Established in 1966, Japan-based ITO EN, LTD. was founded to market green tea, a traditional Japanese beverage. Today, ITO EN, LTD. is firmly positioned as the world's leading supplier of green tea leaves and green tea beverages, developing a steady stream of new products that specifically address customer needs and lifestyles. Known as a trendsetter in Japan's beverage industry, intensive research and development has allowed the company to cultivate better tea, and positioned them as the first company to create a patented method of bottling green tea in a manner that carefully preserves its distinct flavor and integrity. Additional information can be accessed through www.itoen.com.

Press Contact:
Patrick Morris 518-272-2400, ext. 12