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Most doses are standardized against EGCG. Although the amount of EGCG-equivalent varies from one cup of tea to another, depending on many factors (species of tea, length of steeping, time spent oxidizing), one cup of camellia sinensis green tea contains approximately 50 mg of EGCG-equivalent.
The benefits of green tea catechins on lipid oxidation and related fat-burning pathways are achieved in a dose dependent manner. Significant effects in humans are noted only at high doses, such as 400-500 mg EGCG equivalent per day (most Green Tea Extract supplements are roughly 50% EGCG). Fat burning effects are highly synergistic, almost dependent, on not consuming caffeine habitually. *
One cup (eight ounces or 250 milliliters) of brewed green tea naturally contains about 50–100 milligrams of EGCG (and 30 to 40 milligrams of caffeine).
In addition to being found naturally in tea, EGCG supplements are also available over-the-counter.
What’s the best EGCG supplement to take?
Unfortunately, many supplements are not strictly regulated, making it difficult to ensure you get a pure product. Therefore the safest way to consume ECGC seems to be from real food/beverage sources, especially green and black tea.
Drinking one to four cups daily is thought to be healthy for most adults and poses little risk, unless someone is very sensitive to caffeine or oxalates found in tea (for example, because he or she has a kidney issue). Consuming two to three cups per day of high-quality brewed green tea (not bottled, sweetened green tea) is a common recommendation by health experts if you’re looking to benefit from catechins.
If you do decide to take EGCG supplements, how much should you take? There isn’t a standard recommendation, however one meta-analysis found that dosages between 150 and 2,500 milligrams of catechins daily from green tea or green tea extract was capable of helping improve patients’ cholesterol profiles.
Most experts recommend taking up to 400 milligrams in supplement form at first and not more than 800 milligrams before knowing how you react (and ideally with help from a health care provider).
Because there is a big range in terms of dosage recommendations, to narrow down how much you should consume, consider starting with a low dose between 150 and 400 milligrams daily and increasing slowly if needed. One study found beneficial effects on body weight when adults consumed up to 460 mg/day — therefore high doses might not be needed in most instances. *
