CHICAGO -- "Our trend reporter, Amy Tara Koch, has discovered that a certain beverage is actually making people feel better and look younger," NBC5 morning anchor Ellee Pai Hong said Tuesday.

Amy Tara Koch: "Green tea is not only tasty but has incredible medicinal properties. Since ancient times, Asian cultures have relied upon teas to cure health problems. Now, studies are proving that tea's antioxidants can treat migraines, menstrual cramps, poor digestion, stress and even weight loss.

"But there is another side to this trend. Tea is also one of the hottest anti-aging ingredients in beauty products. Its antioxidants help revive dying skin -- a veritable fountain of youth.

"Americans are putting away the pills and putting on the kettle.

"Evidence of the tea trend is everywhere. Taking a cue from Los Angeles, tea bars are cropping up all over Chicago.

"Even Starbucks has expanded its beverage roster to include Chai tea lattes, bagged and loose leaf teas and bottled ice teas.

"Style havens like Barney's on Oak Street carry 10 different beauty products containing tea. And exclusive day spas like the Peninsula Hotel offer a green tea body treatment to exfoliate, detoxify and revive the body.

"Ginseng is great for exhaustion; mint tea helps headaches; ginger -- 'Chinese penicillin' -- is used to treat colds; chamomile and hibiscus are used to relax and are good for calming down active kids.

"Green tea is the mother lode of teas and is used to treat stress, high cholesterol, tooth decay, and heart disease, and to speed up the metabolism for weight loss.

"And fennel tea magically shrunk my postpartum stomach after I had a baby.

"I should mention that teas do have about half of the amount of caffeine that coffee has, so make sure to read the ingredients. Decaf versions are available.

Tonight, when you slip into bed to watch NBC, slap on a green tea mask, and sip some chamomile.

Trend Talk Tip: Recharge with tea, inside and out.

Beauty Products On Tea-Time Segment

Arcona Toner Tea Bar -- $35, available at Ruby Room, 1920 W. Division (773) 394-9999

Nuxe Body Nourishing Lotion -- $28, available at sephora.com, Barney's, Nordstrom

Nuxe Firming Body Cream -- $39, available at sephora.com, Barney's, Nordstrom

June Jacobs Green Tea Seaweed Gommage -- $34, available at Peninsula Hotel

Jason Tea Time Anti-Aging Moisturizing Creme -- $12.60, available at health food stores

Sonya Dakar Green Tea Mask, available at UrbanShe, 1 E. Oak S. 2W (312) 988-9299

Gilchrist and Soames Energy Therapy Spirit Lifting Bath Foam with Green Tea -- $9.99 at gilchristsoames.com

Products Shown At Barney's

Nars, Phillip B, Red Flower, L'Artisan Fragrance, Aesop, Tracie Martyn, Sjal, Kiehl's, Sue Devitt. Nuxe, Fresh, Natura Bisse.

Fragrance: Te by Beth Terry -- $62; Route de The -- $55, by Barney's New York.

Candles: The by Diptyque -- $45; Mariage Freres (5 varieties) -- $58.

Teas Shown On Tea Time Segment

Yogi Tea Calming Tea; Yogi Tea Lemon Ginger; Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat; Ten Ren Ginseng Tea; Ten Ren Green Tea; Alvita Fennel Seed Tea; Argo -- Hibiscus, Masala Chai.

Most basic teas available at Whole Foods and other health food stores. Try Sun Sun Tong (2260 Wentworth Ave) Ten Ren (2247 Wentworth Avenue) or Argo (958 W. Armitage) for more exotic teas.

Green Tea Spa Treatments

Peninsula Hotel -- green tea body treatment, $120, (312) 573-6861

Janet Sartin -- Facial with green tea skin clarifying mask, $89 for 1.5 hours (312) 397-1550

Groovy Tea Bars

Aion -- 2135 W. Division (773) 489-1534

Argo -- 958 W. Armitage (773) 388-1880

Ten Ren Tea and Ginseng Co. of Chicago -- 2446 S. Wentworth (312) 842-1171

Watch Trend Talk At 6:55 AM Tuesdays.