Green Tea is an ingredient that increasingly pops up when discussing men’s health concerns. Although it’s been utilized for hundreds of years for medicinal purposes, it seems like new benefits are being revealed all the time. According to numerous scientific studies, the effects of green tea are currently being considered for treatment of a number of health conditions, from several forms of cancer to mental alertness to weight loss to cholesterol maintenance.

To help you understand the importance of this ingredient’s role in both skincare and nutritional capacities, we’ve broken down the many benefits of this ingredient:

Powerful Antioxidant: Green Tea contains high levels of phenolic acids and catechin—antioxidants which play a major role in protecting the body against free radical damage. Free radicals can cause cellular oxidation and damage, which contribute to health problems associated with aging.

Goodbye Jitters: Because Green Tea contains tannin, it produces an energized feeling and increased alertness for extended periods of time. However, unlike caffeine levels in coffee, tannin provides a gentle increase in energy, without the jitteriness or rapid decline in energy associated with this type of caffeinated reaction.

Fat-Burner: Recent studies are being conducted on the increased health benefits of Green Tea for men looking to lose weight. Consuming Green Tea increases the metabolic rate, causing greater fat oxidation and better weight management. In fact, several studies reveal that the potential weight-loss properties of Green Tea go well beyond its ability to simply accelerate metabolism.

Clean & Complete: Green Tea has been utilized throughout the world as a cleansing agent. For more than 5,000 years, Asian cultures have used Green Tea for its healing and cleansing benefits, and Green Tea continues to be a major ingredient in many treatments.

The Full Treatment: Green Tea is also being studied for its potential role in the fight against cancers, heart, joint and liver diseases.