SupplementsHerbs & MushroomsGreen Tea Extract
Green Tea Extract
95% polyphenols, 50% EGCG
A cup of green tea and a capsule of it are not the same thing, and this page is about why that matters.
- Builds up
- Weeks for cholesterol
- In your body
- 2 to 5 hours
- Per 1 capsule
- 500 mg
- 30-day supply
- $4.85One capsule a day, plus packing and delivery
What is green tea extract?
Green, black and oolong tea all come from the same plant. Green tea leaves are steamed or pan-fried rather than fermented, which keeps more of their natural protective compounds, the catechins. The main one is called EGCG.
Ours is a concentrated leaf extract, standardized to 95% polyphenols and 50% EGCG. That works out to about 250 mg of EGCG in every capsule.
People in Europe who drink green tea get about 90 to 300 mg of EGCG a day on average, so one capsule is similar to a day of tea. It reaches your body differently, though, all at once rather than sip by sip.
What it does
- CholesterolHelps maintain cholesterol already in the healthy range.
- HeartSupports heart health, as part of a healthy lifestyle.
- AntioxidantProvides catechins with antioxidant activity.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
What people take it for
Some evidenceCholesterolAcross 31 studies and 3,321 people, LDL fell by about 4.5 points. It's a small change. HDL didn't move.
Some evidenceBlood pressureAcross 36 studies, blood pressure fell by about 1 point on average. That's small, and some people on extracts see it go up.
MixedWeightThis is what it's most famous for, and it's probably oversold. Outside Japan, 6 studies found almost no change in weight.
How long it takes
EGCG doesn't stack up at normal amounts: it's in and out within a day. Anything you'd see on a blood test takes weeks or months of regular use.
- About 2 hoursHighest level in your blood
- 10 daysAt up to 400 mg a day it held steady. At 800 mg a day it built up
- Weeks to monthsWhen studies looked for changes in cholesterol
How long it stays in your body
It peaks in your blood 1.3 to 2.2 hours after you take it, and half is gone 2 to 5 hours after that. At very high amounts, around 800 mg a day, your body falls behind and it starts to build up.
What's in a capsule
One capsule holds 500 mg of extract, about 250 mg of EGCG. One safety review set 338 mg of EGCG a day as a safe level for capsule-type products. Studies found liver enzymes rise from 800 mg a day. So keep count if you also drink a lot of tea or use other products with it.
Why your liver cares how you take it
For most people this is fine, but you should know about the liver. Rare cases of serious liver injury, a few of them leading to liver failure, have been linked to green tea extract, far more often than to tea itself. Case reports span a wide range, from about 140 to 1,000 mg of EGCG a day, because people differ a lot, and one capsule sits inside that range. Between 5 and 15 percent of Americans carry a gene variant that appears to make them more prone.
How you take it seems to matter as much as how much. Taking a concentrated amount on an empty stomach sends more EGCG into your blood. The liver problems line up with solid doses taken fasting, not with tea or extract taken with food. That's why the US Pharmacopeia, which sets quality standards, requires this on its own decaffeinated extract: do not take on an empty stomach, take with food.
Our label doesn't list a caffeine amount. Green tea naturally contains caffeine, so assume there may be some in the capsule if you're sensitive to it.
What it interacts with
- Nadolol (a blood pressure medicine)Green tea can lower how much of this reaches your blood, so it may not work as well.
- Atorvastatin (a statin)The extract can lower blood levels of this cholesterol medicine.
- Raloxifene (an osteoporosis medicine)A study showed an interaction with this one too, so check with your doctor.
- Bortezomib (a cancer medicine)In lab and animal work, green tea compounds blocked this medicine from working. If you're having cancer treatment, ask before taking this.
- WarfarinIn one study, people who often used herbs, including green tea, had less stable clotting results. Ask first.
- IronEGCG can reduce how much iron you absorb from plant foods and supplements. In women with low iron stores, absorption was about 27% lower at 300 mg, with a smaller dip at 150 mg. The authors didn't expect it to matter much if your stores are normal.
Goes well with
Side effects
- Nausea, constipation and stomach discomfort.
- Higher blood pressure in some people.
- Rarely, liver injury. Stop and call your doctor if you notice stomach pain, dark urine, or yellow skin or eyes.
Check first if
- Liver problems: don't use it.
- On an empty stomach: avoid it. Take it with food.
- High blood pressure: extracts raised it in some people, so keep an eye on yours.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding: keep caffeine moderate, and check with your doctor. The extract is far more concentrated than a cup of tea.
- Low iron or anemia: talk to your doctor, since it can reduce how much iron you absorb.
- Taking regular medicines: check first, since it can change the levels of several.
- Other products: green tea and caffeine turn up in other supplements, and EGCG adds up. Check the labels.
The blood tests that go with it
- ALTA liver enzyme that rose in studies at high amounts, and in the rare cases of injury.
- ASTRead with ALT.
- Total bilirubinRises when the liver is under real strain. It's behind the yellow skin warning.
- LDL cholesterolThe number that moved in studies.
- Total cholesterolAlso fell a little in those studies.
- FerritinYour iron stores, since EGCG can lower iron absorption.
Work it out
Supplementation
Find Green Tea Extract in a ready-made protocol.
Start from one of these, or add it to your own. Everything comes in one pouch each morning.
Body & skin
Put heart health in focus.
30-day pack · 7 a morning · 210 pills
$84.54 / month
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Build your own pouch.
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- cGMP-certifiedFacilities
- FDA-registeredFacilities
- Accredited labsIndependent testing
- Non-GMOIngredient options
- OrganicIngredient options
- VeganFormula options
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Want it more precise? Get the app.
A page can only tell you about Green Tea Extract. The app tells you about you: whether it fits, when to take it, and whether it's working.
- Checked against your blood work and everything you already take
- On your daily timeline, around your sleep, training and meals
- Followed over time, so you can see what moved
Green Tea ExtractOPEN 09:00Green Tea Extract against your blood work, your sleep and what you already take.
AIYour ALT is steady since you started green tea extract. Your LDL has come down a little too.
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Questions
What is green tea extract good for?
Mostly small changes in cholesterol and blood pressure. It's famous for weight loss, but that effect is small at best.
How long does green tea extract take to work?
It peaks in your blood in about 2 hours, but any change on a blood test takes weeks to months.
What are the side effects of green tea extract?
Nausea, constipation, stomach discomfort and higher blood pressure in some people. Rarely, liver injury.
Who should not take green tea extract?
Anyone with liver problems should avoid it. If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, low in iron, or on regular medicines, talk to your doctor first.
Can green tea extract damage your liver?
Rarely, yes. It's uncommon, but serious cases have been reported, mainly with capsules and tablets. Take it with food, and stop and call your doctor if you notice stomach pain, dark urine or yellow eyes.
Does green tea extract help you lose weight?
Not by much. Studies outside Japan found almost no change. Studies in Japan looked better, but varied a lot, and the review concluded that the effect probably doesn't matter in practice.
Does green tea extract have caffeine?
Green tea naturally contains caffeine, and our label doesn't list an amount. If you're sensitive, assume there may be some.
Is it the same as drinking green tea?
No. Tea is sipped slowly, usually with food, and safety concerns are very rare. An extract delivers a concentrated amount all at once.
Can I take green tea extract every day?
Studies have, for months at a time. Keep an eye on your total EGCG from all sources, and a liver test is a sensible check.
Sources
- NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Green tea.
- NIH LiverTox. Green Tea.
- EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS) et al. Scientific opinion on the safety of green tea catechins. EFSA J, 2018.
- Hu J et al. The safety of green tea and green tea extract consumption in adults - Results of a systematic review. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol, 2018.
- Oketch-Rabah HA et al. United States Pharmacopeia (USP) comprehensive review of the hepatotoxicity of green tea extracts. Toxicol Rep, 2020.
- Ullmann U et al. A single ascending dose study of epigallocatechin gallate in healthy volunteers. J Int Med Res, 2003.
- Ullmann U et al. Plasma-kinetic characteristics of purified and isolated green tea catechin epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) after 10 days repeated dosing in healthy volunteers. Int J Vitam Nutr Res, 2004.
- Ullmann U et al. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) (TEAVIGO) does not impair nonhaem-iron absorption in man. Phytomedicine, 2005.
- Xu R et al. Effect of green tea consumption on blood lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr J, 2020.
- Rezaei M et al. Effect of green tea supplementation on blood pressure in adults: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Blood Press, 2025.
- Jurgens TM et al. Green tea for weight loss and weight maintenance in overweight or obese adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2012.
- Chan HT et al. Effect of herbal consumption on time in therapeutic range of warfarin therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol, 2011.
- Golden EB et al. Green tea polyphenols block the anticancer effects of bortezomib and other boronic acid-based proteasome inhibitors. Blood, 2009.
Written by LifeFrom from these sources, and not yet reviewed by a clinician. Talk to your doctor before starting a supplement.
