Green Tea Catechins
Supplement Brands Reviewed

Want to buy a green tea catechin supplement? Which is the best brand to buy?

Are you new to the complex world of green tea supplements? If you are, please read my EGCG Frequently Asked Questions Guide. It should resolve most of your questions.

If after reading that article, you think you still want to get a green tea extract, then read on!

In this guide, I reviewed eight catechins supplements. These products can be considered under three broad categories:

Herbal Blend for Weight Loss

This refers to reviews #1, #2 and #3.

They are herbal blend containing many ingredients, of which green tea is a significant component. Designed for fast weight loss, caffeine is often added for increased metabolism and added synergy.

There could be another herb to act as appetite suppressant, such as chromium or hoodia.

The best product to come out in this category is actually Mega-T Green Tea. Remarkably, it also comes with a diet plan and exercise program.

Extracted Using Organic Solvent

This refers to reviews #4, #5

Perhaps the most popular green tea supplement products in the marketplace, these supplements contain high concentration of catechins and are affordable to purchase. Also, firms selling them are very adept at marketing the products.

However, they tend to use an organic solvent such as ethanol to extract the catechins. This method is cheap but could give rise to undesirable side effects if taken in large doses. This is explained below:

Green Tea Supplement Side Effects

Consumers have many choices. Some of them contain caffeine, some don't.

They are also not free of pesticides and herbicides.

Gold Standard

The gold standard supplements are produced by a company called Taiyo, a Japanese based company that is a pioneer in producing tea based ingredients. They own two brands of EGCG extracts: Teavigo and Sunphenon.

Sunphenon is a wholesale product available only to manufacturers.

Covered by Review #6, Teavigo is unique in that it is completely free of herbicide, pesticide and caffeine. It is also extracted using hot water, just like humans infusing tea leaves in water when drinking tea.

Both brands are frequently used in scientific studies so their health benefits are proven and well documented.

Catechins Extract Review #1:
Hoodia 500 Green Tea

According to one clinical trial, Hoodia can help suppress your appetite and reduce your caloric intake by 40%. Combine that with a healthy fat burner such as green tea, and you have a killer combination that can help you slim down drastically - with little or no effort.

Maximum International Maximize Hoodia 500 Green Tea contains the following:

South African Hoodia Gordonii Succulent Complex 500 mg
Green Tea Extract 50% polyphenols 100 mg

However, there is a catch. It is illegal to export Hoodia outside of South Africa, and so far no one has been able to successfully cultivate the plant as a crop.

Hoodia 500 Green Tea - Is This For Real?

Catechins Extract Review #2:
Applied Nutrition Green Tea Fat Burner

This is a product that is designed to cater for people who want maximum weight loss in the shortest period of time.

If you follow the manufacturer's recommendation and take 4 gels a day, you will be getting 640 milligrams of caffeine and 1,600 milligrams of green tea extract a day.

Now, one cup of coffee contains approximately 100 milligrams of caffeine, so that is equivalent to six-and-a-half cups of coffee. If you are in anyway sensitive to caffeine, you are bound to get your jitters.

One cup of green tea may contain 100 milligrams of catechins, so 1,600 milligrams is equivalent to 16 cups of green tea. At such high doses, green tea extract is toxic and can give rise to many side effects.

Unfortunately, the formulation is too aggressive for my liking. This is too much caffeine and green tea extract to consume on a daily basis and you will put yourself at risk to various side effects.

Applied Nutrition Green Tea Fat Burner Review

Catechins Extract Review #3:
Mega-T Green Tea Extract

Mega-T Green Tea Extract supplement contains a diet plan, exercise program and herbal blend of weight loss ingredients.

Strictly speaking, this product should not be regarded as a green tea extract. It is an herbal blend in its own right.

The main ingredient is green tea, which we know help increase metabolism and burn fat. Chromium is an effective appetite suppressant that help prevent food cravings.

We don't how much green tea extract each cap contains. Assuming it contains the same amount as 2010 when we last reviewed the product, this amounts to 3 x 300 mg = 900 milligrams a day.

The daily intake of 750 mcg of chromium a day is also pretty toppy, as some researchers suggest that 1,000 micrograms a day should be considered the upper limit.

The green tea capsules will suppress appetite, raise energy level and burn fat. However, users should use this product with caution and not for extended period of time.

Mega-T Green Tea Supplement Review - A Complete Program

Catechins Extract Review #4:
Active Green Tea EGCG Max

AOR thinks that one needs to drink as many as 10 cups of high EGCG sencha green tea to get sufficient health benefits out of it. This is equivalent to 3,000 milligrams of catechins a day!

This will appeal to those of you who want to take large doses of green tea extract for clinical reasons e.g. Chronic Lymphacytic Leukemia.

However, most manufacturers uses an organic solvent to manufacture green tea extract. When consumes in large quantity, the green tea extract can cause liver poisoning.

I have emailed AOR to ask them to clarify their extraction method and they say they use both ethanol and water, which probably mean this product is not suitable for consumption in large doses.

There is also no mention that the product is herbicide and pesticide free.

AOR Active Green Tea EGCG Max Review

Catechins Extract Review #5:
Three of Amazon Best-Sellers

Here I briefly reviewed three best-sellers from Amazon.com. All three products don't say they use hot water extraction, so they probably use organic solvent. For me, they fall under the "don't use too much" category.

Zenwise Lab - Advanced Green Tea Extract

One capsule contains 725 milligrams of decaffeinated green tea, 95% of which is polyphenols and 45% of which is EGGC. There is a also a small amount (60 milligrams) of vitamin C.

One bottle contains 120 caps and costs only $17. The manufacturer recommends taking 1 or 2 capsules daily. There is also a useful manufacturer guarantee where you can get a full refund if you are not happy with the product.

The manufacturer claims it is "made in USA", but the tea leaves are sourced from China. The product is not certified organic.

There are also large number of users' feedback online to evaluate the effectiveness of the products. A small but significant proportion of users have complained of stomach pain, headache, bitter taste in mouth, nausea and fever.

As you can see, this is a low cost, high potency product that is caffeine free. The popularity in Amazon is probably due to aggressive marketing, as users are encouraged to provide reviews in exchange of discounts. However, beware of the significant side effects.

Zhou Nutrition - Green Tea Extract

One capsule contains 500 milligrams of green tea, 98% of which are dried leaves and 75% of which is catechins and 45% is EGGC.

There is also a maximum caffeine of 5%, which is 25 milligrams and equivalent to 1/4 cup of a coffee.

One bottle contains 120 caps and costs only $18 but bulk discounts exist.

The manufacturer recommends taking 1 or 2 capsules daily. There is also a useful 60-day manufacturer guarantee.

There are also large number of users' feedback online to evaluate the effectiveness of the products. A small but significant proportion of users have complained of jittery, headache, puking and indigestion.

This product is very much like Zenwise, the difference being that it contains more caffeine and less EGCG. It is likely to cost less if you buy more than one.

Now Food - Green Tea Extract

One capsule contains 400 milligrams of green tea, 98% of which is polyphenols, 80% of which is catechins and 50% is EGGC.

There is a also a small amount (4 milligrams) of caffeine but that is unlikely to cause any problems.

One bottle contains 250 caps and costs only $13. The manufacturer recommends taking one capsule daily.

For me, this product is more well thought out than Zenwise or Zhou Nutrition. The dosage is lower and safer for this type of product. The price is also more favorable.

The company is more well established, the marketing is less aggressive and there are also fewer complaints of nasty side effects.

Catechins Extract Review #6:
Teavigo EGCG Extract

According to Taiyo, Teavigo provides EGCG in its purest form with a minimum of 94% purity on a dry basis.

Teavigo EGCG extract is the only green tea supplement that I would wholeheartedly recommend. It is free of herbicides and pesticides. For those who are caffeine sensitive, it is also free of caffeine.

The product might seem costly with each capsule containing just 150 milligrams of catechins.

However, one has to consider that this is the green tea extract that has been used in many green tea studies, so it is scientifically proven. A 2006 research study found that the potency of a supplement is often over-stated, but Teavigo is a brand you can trust.

Teavigo EGCG Extract - The Best Green Tea Extract?

Green Tea Catechins Supplement Brands Reviewed

Amazing Green Tea

Green Tea Catechins
Supplement Brands Reviewed