For many people, a coffee break is not something they want to be a part of. The bitter bite of a cup of coffee is not something they enjoy; others react poorly to the effects that coffee can wreck on your digestive system. But when given a chance to sip something hot, many people who spurn coffee will reach for a cup of green tea. Some people may be reaching simply for an alternative to java; others who routinely eat for energy know exactly how wonderful green tea can be for you.

Now, the words “tea” and “high energy diet” may not be the first association that you would choose, but there are all sorts of high energy benefits to green tea: it could lower your risk of developing certain types of cancers; it can help to reduce levels of bad cholesterol in the body; it can help ease the pain of some types of arthritis; it can aide in weight loss; it can provide an alternative source of caffeine; it can help to prevent food poisoning and tooth decay; it can help to soothe stress and anxiety levels; and many more ways, including wonderful rejuvenating effects when used topically on the skin.

The most exciting research into the benefits of green teas has to be its ability to retard the growth of cancerous cells. While a practical use for this discovery might yet be years away, it is great to know that green tea might help to keep us healthier for years to come.

Many of the other benefits of drinking green tea have been known about for centuries, thanks to its use in ancient Chinese medicine. Back then, green tea was used to treat or cure common ailments like headaches and other aches and pains.

But what is a green tea, anyway? It is a tea leaf that comes from a similar family of plant as many other types of teas, but the main difference is in how it is prepared. Other leaves are fermented to make their teas, converting a certain type of catechin polyphenol found in the leaves into other chemicals. Green teas are not fermented, but steamed to prepare them. The steaming process does not affect the catechin polyphenols in the same way, meaning they stay in the tea leaf intact and do not oxidize. The catechin polyphenol in green tea is what does the good work in cancer research, and offers similar but stronger protections to the body as the polyphenol called resveratrol does in red wine.

But perhaps one of the greatest aspects of green tea is that all of these wonderful benefits are held within a delicious hot beverage. Many people worry that eating for energy can mean having to resort to ingesting foods that they find repulsive or distasteful; neither worry can be found with green teas. Whether you want to improve your body, protect your health, or simply find an alternative to coffee, green teas can be, well, your cup of tea.