More popular than coffee, stronger than Coca-Cola, able to start revolutions with a single drop, it is a superfood; and it is green tea. After water, green tea is the most popular beverage in the world.

Green tea became a daily drink in China around the 3rd century AD. But it was used as medicine almost 3000 years earlier. Have you ever heard the expression “I wouldn’t do that for all the tea in China”? Oh well, that’s a lot of tea. Tea plants are native to China. Tea plants grow in tropical and sub-tropical climates all over the world. China is still the world’s number one producer of our superfood green tea.

So what is green tea? And how is it different from back tea?

Green tea and black tea are both mature leaves from Camellia Sinensis plant. Green tea is just a less fermented version. This means it has more antioxidants than black tea has because the fermentation process removes these healthy molecules. Green tea is potent in antioxidants, especially Catechins, an antioxidant compound linked to everything from weight loss to Alzheimer’s prevention. First dried tea is up to 30% Catechins by weight. As tea ferment Catechins loose protein. So go for green tea instead of black tea to reap the benefits such as reducing cancer risk, enhancing the immune system and lowering blood pressure.

The National Institute of Health found that people who drink one cup of green tea each day were 46% less likely to suffer from high blood pressure from those who didn’t drink green tea. An eight-ounce cup of green tea is also almost half of the vitamin C you will need in a whole day. Black tea doesn’t have nearly the amount. Not only will that hot cup of tea soothe you when you are feeling sick, but it will help you keep your immune system nice, strong and healthier.

Green tea comes next after Coffee, another favorite caffeinated beverage. Most people are coffee drinkers or green tea drinkers. Some are both. And both coffee and green tea have proven benefits. But caffeine is also really addictive; and actually harmful when taken in large doses. The male clinic says the consumption of more than 300mg a day can result in everything from insomnia to muscle tremors and hypertension.

Drinking green tea, even a few cups a day will give you that feel-good benefit of dopamine without the ugly side effects.