Green tea extract is a concentrated formula of leaves, available in supplemental form. The benefits of tea extracts are the same as you get from drinking the tea, but extracts offer numerous advantages. Just one capsule can provide more antioxidant capacity than three or more cups of tea.

Catechins. Green tea extract is a rich source of flavonoids called catechins. There are five distinct catechins that are especially beneficial; of these, the catechin named epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) has the highest level and widest range of antioxidant properties and benefits. When you're comparing one tea extract product to another, EGCG content is the most important factor to consider.

EGCG provides powerful antioxidant protection, guarding healthy cells from the damaging effects of free radicals. Research has found that the catechins in tea extract are 100 times more powerful as an antioxidant than vitamin C, and over 20 times more powerful than Vitamin E.

Specific Health Benefits of Green Tea Extracts

The catechins in tea extracts reduce the risk of heart disease, regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, and fight against viruses and bacteria. They also have a stimulating effect on the immune system because they boost production of immune system cells.

Weight Loss. Benefits of tea extracts also include weight loss support. They can help boost metabolism, producing fat- and calorie-burning effects, while also suppressing appetite. There is no wonder why they are commonly found as a main ingredient in many fat-burning supplements.

Cancer Prevention. Green tea extracts have also been associated with prevention of several different types of cancer, including lung, breast, pancreas and stomach cancer. That has now been expanded to include all of the digestive system cancers like those of the esophagus and colon. Digestive cancers now account for one-third of all cancer deaths in the USA.

Advantages of Green Tea Extracts

More Potency than Drinking Tea. Green tea extracts have been shown to provide more antioxidant protection than drinking tea. While the antioxidant levels in different brands of tea can vary significantly, green tea extracts are available in standardized formulas that guarantee their potency. This assures you of getting consistent amounts of antioxidant protection from each capsule.

What to Look For in a Supplement. When comparing different brands of standardized green tea extracts, look at the levels of catechin and EGCG content, usually specified as a percentage. Any quality supplement will list these numbers; the higher, the better.

Some products on the market do not use a standardized extract, because they're much cheaper to produce. But beware - you don't know if these products contain enough active ingredient to offer you the full benefits available.

No Caffeine. Tea contains a significant amount of caffeine. Since at least 3 cups or more a day are necessary to get its beneficial properties, that means that you're getting a significant dose of caffeine on a daily basis. Decaf tea has only half the antioxidant capacity of regular tea, so you'd need to drink twice as much - 6 cups a day, at least. That's a lot of tea, especially if you're not fond of the taste.

Tea extracts are also available in decaffeinated formulas, but they have the full potency of antioxidants. Every capsule of a high-quality, decaf tea extract provides all the benefits of 3 or more cups of tea.

Convenience. Many people miss out on the benefits of tea because they don't like the taste, or they don't want to bother with brewing it several times a day. Bottled tea typically doesn't offer the full benefits of brewing your own, and can be very costly if you're drinking several bottles a day. They also often contain undesirable ingredients. This make tea extracts the most appealing option of all.