There are plenty of ingredients on the market that claim to have amazing health benefits and one of the most popular is green tea extract.

Green tea extract is made from a plant called the Camellia sinensis. While many people enjoy the benefits of drinking green tea, an easy way to get the advantages and health benefits is with green tea extract, which comes in a variety of forms like pills, capsules, liquids, or powder.

The History of Green Tea

The background of green tea reaches as far back as 2737 BC during the reign of Emperor Shennong, where it was first steeped for the mythical sage. Even document writings about green tea reach back to 600 AD, where the book Tea Classic was penned by Lu Yu.

It was invented in China but is produced and manufactured in Southeast Asia where it also has roots, as well as all across the continent of Asia. It wasn’t until the 19th century that green tea was brought west by European settlers and quite soon after, it made its way to America.

And while it is native to India and China, and was used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine, it has been just recently that green tea has been hailed for its health benefits nationally.

What Are the Health Benefits of Green Tea Extract?

The benefits of green tea extract are many. Not only is it good for physical health, but mental health as well.

According to Cancer.Gov:

A defined, decaffeinated green tea polyphenol mixture isolated from Camellia sinensis, a plant native to Asia, with antiviral and antioxidant activities and potential chemopreventive activity. Green tea extract contains antioxidant compounds, including flavonoids, vitamins and polyphenols such as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which may have antineoplastic properties. Consumption of green tea extract may confer chemopreventive protection against various cancers including those of the prostate, stomach, and esophagus.

As you can see, even the site for cancer has a recommendation about green tea.

Here are just a few of the many advantages of taking green tea extract on a regular basis and while all of these are not substantiated by clinical trials, they are easily quantified by research and history.

• Mental alertness
• Helps with depression
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Bone loss
• Weight loss
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Possible cancer prevention
• Headaches
• Stomach disorders
• Heart disease
• Kidney stones
• Parkinson’s disease
• Low blood sugar
• Cavities

Here is more about how green tea extract helps specifically for certain health issues that include mental health and body health, including aiding in minimizing some major health issues.

Antioxidants

One of the reasons green tea works so well for our mental and physical health is that it is extremely rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants work to relieve stress by attacking cell damage caused by free radicals.

The antioxidants in green tea extract promote heart health by decreasing inflammation that leads to high blood pressure. Studies have shown that it also works to lower LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Polyphenols

Another component in green tea extract is Polyphenols. These molecules may be helpful in a variety of ways including preventing inflammation and swelling, lessening joint degeneration, protecting cartilage between bones, reducing the growth of abnormal cells in the cervix, and the ability to fight human papillomavirus (HPV) infections.

Catechins and Caffeine

Additional components of green tea extract are catechins and caffeine. Both work to help with weight loss by enhancing thermogenesis and regulating hormones.

Lowering blood sugar is another area where catechins help the body. In one study, it was shown that green tea enhanced insulin sensitivity while regulating blood sugar production.

Liver function may be improved due to the reduction in inflammation that is present in some liver diseases such as NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). Minimized enzyme levels were present in a study conducted, and showed a healthier liver function.

Another way that the caffeine is relative to health benefits is more than that – it is the amino acid L-theanine, which is more than simply caffeine like you find in coffee. This amino acid increases the production of alpha waves in the brain, increases dopamine, and maximizes the activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, which works as an anti-anxiety effect.

Green tea’s biggest benefit? “It’s all about the catechin content,” says Beth Reardon, RD, a Boston nutritionist. Catechins are antioxidants that fight and may even prevent cell damage. Green tea is not processed much before it’s poured in your cup, so it’s rich in catechins.

Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG)

This is one of the antioxidants in green tea and helps protect the brain cells from oxidative stress. This may help a decline in brain function and help minimize problems like Parkinson’s Disease or dementia.

The epigallocatechin gallate in green tea works to possibly help reduce cancer risk. This is because it seems to affect the balance of cell production and death in a favorable way and cancer occurs when this is out of balance.

For mental health, the EGCG antioxidants decrease the action of heavy metals that damage brain cells such as copper and iron. This helps increase memory function and task performance.

What About Fat Burning?

One of the major questions about green tea extracts is how well it helps to burn fat. In human trials, it has been shown that green tea not only boosts metabolism but also increases fat burning. While results will depend on variables such as the individual, in some studies there was an increase in fat oxidation by almost 20 percent and energy expenditure was raised by almost 5 percent.

This is why you will find that most supplements for weight control or fat burning will have green tea as an ingredient.

Metabolism is what allows our body to convert drink and food to usable energy. What green tea does is allow our metabolism to work better or be more efficient.

What Are the Compounds in Green Tea Extract?

There are many beneficial compounds found in green tea extract including:

• Antioxidants
• Flavonoids
• Folate
• Vitamin B
• Magnesium
• Theanine
• Vitamin C
• Catechins
• Fluorine
• Saponins
• Minerals
• Amino acid GABA
• Chlorophyll

What Do These Compounds Do?

Here are a few benefits that each compound gives in green tea extract. Some were mentioned earlier in more detail while this breaks them down into easier references.

• Catechins work for body fat reduction, as an antioxidant, helps prevent bad breath, helps with blood cholesterol, and more.
• Caffeine increases alertness, works as a mild diuretic, increases stamina, and decreases fatigue.
• Theanine is helpful to lower blood pressure, works to relax the body, and neuronal cell production.
• Vitamin A is an antioxidant that helps with healthy skin.
• Vitamin B2 also helps with healthy skin and mucus membranes.
• Folic Acid aids in preventing arterial sclerosis and fetal neural tube defects (NTD).
• B-Carotene works to aid with night vision.
• Vitamin E is an antioxidant and it’s good for the skin.
• Saponins work to prevent influenza as well as lowering blood pressure.
• Fluorine is an element whereas fluoride is the fluorine ion but both work to help prevent tooth decay.
• Y-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) lowers blood pressure as mentioned before.
• It includes minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, and more and these are biological regulators.
• Chlorophyll is one component that has a deodorizing effect.

How Is It Made?

Green tea is grown and processed and there are two ways it is grown – in shade and in the sun. This all depends on the type of green tea that is needed and to ensure that there is the optimum amount of volatile organic compounds and polyphenols.

The green tea grows in rows which are pruned to create shoots, then harvested around three times each year.

The dried leaves and leaf buds of Camellia sinensis are used to produce various types of teas. Basically, it is a type of tea that has not undergone the same process of oxidation and withering that is used in teas like black and oolong. So, while all tea uses Camellia sinensis, it is the processing itself that makes it green tea – or black tea, for example.

Processing Fundamentals

These green tea leaves are then soaked in an alcohol solution to process and then these concentrations are made into capsules, liquids, powders, and tablets.

There are a few methods of processing green tea but are broken down into modern and artisanal. For the artisanal processing, there is charcoal firing, sun drying, pan firing, and basket ways that are typical. For modern processing methods, tumbling, steaming, and oven drying are common.

Processed green teas are known as aracha. The aracha has not been refined yet so it is kept in refrigeration that has a low humidity. A final firing must take place before the aracha is selected, blended, and packaged and this re-firing is meant to ensure a longer shelf life and more pleasing taste. Once that is done, the final stage is to re-dry, sift, grade, blend, and then package for sale.

How to Take It and the Recommended Dosage

As with any supplement, it is imperative to incorporate it into your diet safely. It is recommended to drink plenty of water when using green tea extract supplements. Not only is water good for you anyway, but green tea extract works as a diuretic due to the caffeine and some of the ingredients.

To maximize the performance of green tea extract, it is easily paired with quercetin and fish oil, which can be found in supplement form as well or naturally in some foods. The reason to pair up your supplements is that the fish oil and quercetin have synergistic benefits which maximize the green tea extract’s bioavailability.

Dosage Recommendations

As with any supplement, check the recommended amount applicable for your age and weight. It is cautionary to note that taking too much green tea extract can cause stomach discomfort so you should never take more than is recommended. Just because one dose is good and works well doesn’t mean that doubling the dose will work twice as well.

In fact, some are not as tolerant as others and may experience anxiety, heart palpitations, and other feelings of being “off.”

Things to Be Aware of With Green Tea Extracts

There aren’t a lot of health risks with green tea but there are a few things to be aware of:

-If you are taking any kind of blood thinner you may want to avoid green tea extract due to its Vitamin K content. This is because it minimizes the blood’s ability to clot and could be a problem with those on medications like Coumadin or Warfarin.

-If you are sensitive to caffeine be advised that it may cause the aforementioned anxiety or racing heart.

-Last but not least, if taken with other stimulants it can increase the heart rate and blood pressure.

According to Medical News Today:

Green tea supplements are unregulated by the FDA and may also contain other substances unsafe for health or with unproven health benefits. Always check with a doctor before starting any herb or supplement regimen.

What are the Sources of Green Tea?

Green tea extract that is found in a pill form and is equal to the same active ingredients as a normal cup of green tea. However, you can get green tea in liquid form, powder form, and tea bags, loose-leaf, capsules as well.

Conclusion: Is Green Tea Really Worth It?

Green tea extract is an excellent way to supplement your diet with something natural that has a wealth of health benefits. With all of the ways you can incorporate it into your lifestyle, it is as easy as simply adding a capsule or powder to your diet and then receiving a plethora of advantages for both your physical health and your mental health.

While there is no magic cure for everything that may ail you, green tea extracts as a form of personalized vitamins are a natural and healthy way to help the process. The jury is still out on a definitive answer in some of the helpful benefits but the science is there when it comes to the ingredients. Whether it’s the antioxidants or the catechins in green tea, there is no mistaking that it has components that are good for your health.