The Growing Co.

The Japanese have been doing it right all along, and the rest of the world is just starting to notice. Green Tea (and Green Tea Extract) contain a very powerful antioxidant called EGCG (short for epigallocatechin-3 gallate). Antioxidants are thought in the science world to combat free radicals in your body, which are leading causes of diseases such as cancer by causing damage to our tissues at the cellular level. Antioxidants are molecules which can safely interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged (as in Vitamin C), or seek out and scavenge free radicals ( as in Vitamin E ). This is where it can be noted that research has indicated that one of the main antioxidants found in green tea ( epigallocatechin 3-gallate a.k.a. EGCG ) has been found to be much more powerful than both Vitamins C and E. Compared to other known antioxidants, EGCG was found to be 100 times more effective than vitamin C, 25 times more effective than Vitamin E and twice as powerful as resveratrol at neutralizing free radicals.

How much Green Tea should I be taking to help?

The answer? It really all depends on how potent the Green Tea you are taking is. Check the label. If the polyphenols are around 90%, then 1,000mg is probably a good daily dose. If the polyphenols are less than 90%, I’d recommend going with 1,500mg daily.

How should I be taking Green Tea?

If you like the tea itself, by all means feel free to make yourself a good old fashioned cup of tea a couple of times per day. If you’re like me and don’t like to drink tea, you can pick up a good green tea extract supplement and take them throughout the deal. I recommend taking them before your meals, as they do contain a bit of caffeine and I didn’t feel right taking them on an empty stomach. Feeling was similar to drinking coffee in the morning and not eating breakfast. Nothing harmful about it, just didn’t feel “right”.

Here’s to green tea and here’s to a healthier you!