Post 205  

Green Tea, EGCG & Catechins

What is the Birthplace of Tea?

CHINA

What Regions in China & Japan is Tea Grown?

China: Provinces of Zhejiang, Shandong, Shanxi, Fujian and Anhui

Japan:  District of Shizuoka, a region which lies in the shadow of Holy Mount Fuji. This region is responsible for about half of Japan’s tea. The other important regions are Kagoshima on the Island of Kyushu and Kyoto’s District of Uji. Fun Fact:  Japan’s green tea, especially Matcha, has the highest level of antioxidants compared to the same tea grown in China. The highest quality Matcha is Japanese Ceremonial Grade Premium Matcha Powder.

What is EGCG?

EGCG is a compound found in tea leaf. EGCG is abundant in Green Tea Leaf. It is not present in fermented teas, so Black Tea being fully fermented, doesn’t contain these valuable antioxidants. Oolong contains some, especially a Green Oolong (such as Slimming Jade), but not as high as Green. White Tea contains the highest concentration of EGCG’s being the least processed.

What Type of Tea Has the Highest Levels of EGCG’s?

Yes, there is a lot of talk about the health benefits of catechins. But where are they and how can we get the most of them? Here are some fun-facts about EGCG’s.  EGCG is found in varying levels in tea leaf exclusively, not herbal. When a tea is fermented, it has less, when it is unprocessed, it has more. Mature tea leaf have more catechins than the less mature harvests. Specifically, the highest EGCG is found in mature green tea leaf. Oolong being partially fermented has less EGCG than green, and Black Teas being fully fermented, have the least. Everyone should drink a cup of green tea every day. It doesn’t have to be caffeinated to capture the EGCG’s. So if caffeine, even though it is low in Green Tea as compared to coffee, is a problem for you, feel free to use a high quality decaffeinated Green Tea. Bear in mind however, fresh high quality tea matters. Old tea that has been sitting around for a long time has less catechins than fresh. The longer it sits around, the less EGCG’s it will contain– so know your source. If you are choosing a decaffeinated tea, select CO2 processing so chemicals are not part of the process and quality is high.

Where Does Tea Come From?

• • China (about 80% of the world’s tea)

• • Japan (only about 7%) (Japanese teas are considered more premium and contain higher levels of these compounds than Chinese)

• • Indonesia (exports more tea than Japan)

• • Vietnam (exports more tea than Japan)

• • India

• England- many people still actually think tea comes from England- such as English Breakfast, or from Ireland- Irish Breakfast, or even Scotland- Scottish Breakfast– So let’s clear this up right here- No, it is not grown here. They are importers not exporters

Chinese Tea Verses Japanese

The most obvious difference you will find here, and the debate is never-ending, Chinese tea will brew a more yellow infusion and Japanese a more green infusion. Japan only corners about 7% of the world market, even less than Indonesia and Vietnam, yet Japan exports the most premium tea. Japanese tea being the highest quality, costs more than the others, so expect to pay more. The highest quality Matcha, a ceremonial tea powder, comes from Japan. The highest quality white tea, Silver Needle, is also from Japan. Don’t let this distract you however, all green tea is an excellent source of EGCG’s and whether it is from Japan or China, enjoy them both. Japanese tea can be cost prohibitive probably more because they control so little of the world stage as compared to China with a 80% share of all exports. With the current tariffs (March 2018) being placed on China, look for an increase in the cost of tea at the retail level very soon. Since Japan is an allie of the United States, maybe tea from here may become more economical as a result of the political upheaval.

Proven Health Benefits of EGCG & Drinking Tea

• • Weight Loss

• • Reduces Heart Disease Risk

• • Reduces Stroke Risk

• • Reduces Risk of Diabetes

• • Rich Levels of Antioxidants Reduces Cancer Risk

• • Improves and Promotes Brain Health (caffeinated is best for this effect as opposed to decaf)

• • L-Theanine Found in Green Tea is Nature’s Anti-Depressant (caffeinated green tea carries this amino acid to the brain)

• • Anti-Inflammatory

• • Anti-Bacterial

• • Cleanses the Liver and Improves Liver Health

• • Reduces Risk of Stomach Cancer

• • Reduces Risk of Prostate Cancer

• • Reduces Risk of Colorectum Cancer

• • Reduces Risk of Esophageal Cancer

• • Reduces Risk of Lung Cancer

• Reduces Risk of Atrophic Gastritis

Weight Loss & Green Tea

So what does Green Tea do for us specifically regarding weight loss?  The EGCG compound is an effective stimulator of thermogenesis. This is the biochemical process which takes fat in our body and “burns” it to produce energy (who doesn’t want more energy!)

When should we drink it to derive the more benefits for weight loss?  There are two ways;  First a Green Tea Rx Extract with high EGCG (90% is excellent) is taken at the start of a meal. Secondly, a regular Green Tea Extract (1 capsule) or 1 cup of Green Tea (2 grams) is consumed 1 hour following a meal. Think of this as a metabolic reset. Any of these items are available on this site. For more ideas for weight loss, see Post 154 for in depth information on Skinny Tea. This tea contains 5 types of tea leaf as well as Guayusa and Yerba Mate.

How Much Tea Do We Need Every Day?

So how much tea do we need?  In search of EGCG’s, select a loose leaf green tea in a serving that is not less than 2 grams. If you want more EGCG’s, increase the amount of tea you steep at a serving. For example, the average serving of tea is 1 teaspoon which is about 2 grams. This will in most cases contain about 80mg of EGCG.  If you use a tablespoon of tea every day, you are likely to get about 240mg of EGCG’s.  This can be spread out throughout the day or simply use more tea when steeping your cup(s).

How To Steep Tea For Maximum Extraction of EGCG’s 

Always repeat steep. Most of the caffeine is out in steep number one. As you repeat steep, you are extracting more of the catechins- polyphenols, antioxidants, and anti-cancer compounds in the leaf. Never throw away your tea leaf after one steep, always steep it at least a minimum of 3 times. Yes, it is weaker, but the value is still to be considered. The first steeping should truly follow the rules;  if you over-steep the first cup in particular, it will be bitter!  The longer you steep this first cup, the greater the amount catechins you are capturing. Catechins are bitter, so pacing yourself with proper steeping will result in a more enjoyable experience and either way, with repeat steeping you will extract all of the benefits of EGCG’s with a few cups. The second steeping is not so important because even if over-steeping, it will not be bitter but you will lose more flavor for that 3rd cup. By cup number three, for certain, just leave the tea in the water. Most people find that with cup number 2 or 3, they leave the tea leaf in the cup and just continue to add water until they discard it. The extra benefit of steeping your tea this way is that you consume more fluid and we all need to get at least 8 glasses of water per day or about 2 liters (just a bit more than 2 quarts). Also, the hotter the water, the better the extraction of EGCG’s from the leaf. We all know by this time that if the water is too hot, the result is a more bitter infusion. Well, that is because you are extracting more of the catechins. So, for the 1st cup, stick to the rules

Brewing time

Every type of tea has an ideal number of minutes for steeping, Green Tea is 3 minutes.  The longer the steeping time, the more catechins (and caffeine) are extracted from the leaves. For Japanese green teas are considered for the most part to be premium quality.  Because catechins are bitter, the longer you let it steep and the hotter the water, the worse the taste becomes. This is why we always limit steeping in cup number 1 to 3 minutes. After this, the leaf is less touchy. After cup number one, be sure your water it hot and steep accordingly as discussed for maximum extraction of the EGCG’s.

Temperature

Bring filtered water to a boil, remove it from the heat and let it set for a few moments, then add your tea leaf.  The ideal temperature is 180 degrees.  After the 1st steep, cup number 2 forward, the hotter the water the more catechins you extract from the leaves.

What Green Tea Leaf is Known to Contain the Highest Levels of EGCG?

Most people agree that no specific type of green tea has the exclusive bragging rights to be the highest in EGCG, however, the best indicator is freshness, maturity of the harvest, and quality of storage.  If you have to pick, those of high reputation include;  matcha, genmaicha, gyokuro, silver needle, houjicha, many white teas and those with more mature harvests. Here is a list in descending order of highest to lowest, of general tea harvests and catechin contents-

1. Kaihua Longding (green)
2. Zhenghe Baimudan (white)
3. Fuding Premium Silver Needle (white)
4. Zhenghe Silver Needle (white)
5. Huangshan Maofeng (green)
6. Dinggu Dafang (green)
7. Fuding Baimudan (white)
8. Bashan Queshe (green)
9. Mingshan Shihua (green)
10. Tianshan Yinya (green)
11. Wuyuan Mingmei (green)
12. Biluochun (green)
13. Sencha (green)
14. Uji/Yeme Gyokuro (green)
15. Xihu Longjing (green)
16. Linhai Panhao (green)
17. Mengding Ganlu (green)
18. Anji Baicha (green)

Fun Facts and Benefits of Catechins in Green Tea

1. Cognition:  360mg catechins to 60mg theanine
2. Learning & Memory:  270mg
3. Mood & Anxiety:  270mg
4. Piperine (from black pepper) is a potentiator for catechins in green tea
5. Quercetin (found in leeks and onions) has been found to be benificial combined with catechins and may have more effect when taken together
6. Ginkgo Biloba is synergistic with green tea and increases its antioxidant activity
7. CFS- 25-100mg per 2 lbs of body weight
8. High LDL Cholesterol (bad type) 5 grams tea powder or 1 gram catechins reduces LDL oxidation- a key improvement factor in atherosclerosis
9. Increases the production of Nitric Oxide
10. 500mg per day of EGCG benefits insulin resistance
11. 456mg of catechins per day improves insulin resistance in 8 weeks
12. 300mg EGCG along with 200mg of naturally occurring caffeine burns fat more than with caffeine alone
13. Weight loss while taking an EGCG supplement improves lean body mass in 27 weeks when coupled with exercise
14. 218mg EGCG per day increases aerobic endurance
15. Green tea incorporated into mouthwash has an antimicrobial effects on the gums and mouth lining
16. Women in Japan who drink more green tea have a greater bone density than those who don’t
17. EGCG increases the activity of NK Cells (natural killer) (cancer prevention)
18. DNA damage is reduced in those consuming higher fat diets and diabetics
19. 400-800mg EGCG daily reduced Hepatocyte Growth Factor in breast cancer
20. Catechins from green tea extend lifespan
21. Green Tea Extract applied externally and in creams, toners, and cleansers helps to reduce acne outbreaks and blackheads due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial compounds
22. 856mg of EGCG per day taken internally, reduces acne outbreaks
23. Vitamin C + EGCG is synergistic as an anti-cancer
24. Capsicum + EGCG is synergistic as an anti-cancer
25. CoQ9 (a metabolite of CoQ10) increases the antioxidant activity of EGCG and increases CoQ10’s protection of the liver
26. Curcumin(active ingredient in turmeric) is synergistic with green tea catechins in the reduction of colonic tumor progressioin
27. EGCG in green tea may improve zinc uptake
28. Sardines combined with catechins inhibits the ACE enzyme which has potential to lower blood pressure
29. Green tea contains L-Theanine. Taking additional L-Theanine along with Green Tea can reduce cognitive decline and help with memory retention
30. Whey Protein lowers green teas ACE inhibiting benefits
31. Green Tea is toxic to dogs and increases in the liver, intestines, and kidneys
32. Add a squeeze of real lemon into your cup of green tea and increase the activity of EGCG’s by as much as 34% !!  Lemon also detoxifies the liver and makes the body more alkaline. Yes lemon is an acid but it turns to an alkaline ash in the body which makes your body less acidic and helps to balance your pH to around 7. Perfect human body pH is 7.3 to about 7.45. A lemon a day keeps the doctor away.