You may love a cup of warm green tea in the morning, but did you know it may also set you up for a calmer, less anxious mood throughout your day? Research shows your coffee substitute may be a mood-booster as well According to “The Book of Tea,” written in 1906 by Japanese scholar Okakura Kakuzō, “Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage.” With that simple yet profound statement, Okakura succinctly explained why green tea has long been celebrated as both a soothing refreshment and health-boosting tonic. Researchers at Kumamoto University in the Kyushu region of Japan studied green tea’s beneficial properties, specifically its ability to calm the mind. Published in the Journal of Functional Foods in 2019, the study examined the stress-reducing function of matcha green tea in animal experiments and clinical trials. Matcha tea is a potent form of powdered green tea, containing more medicinal …