Health conscious people or those who regularly drink 1-2 cups of green tea in a day often ask which green tea varieties have the highest concentration of EGCG. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the most potent antioxidant present in green teas and is also the most widely studied catechin variety. Catechin is the single most important group of chemicals that can be found in green tea.
Four kinds of catechins are found in green tea, namely: Epicatechin, Epicatechin-3-gallate, Epigallocatechin and Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (also known as EGCG). The one that forms the highest concentration in green tea is the EGCG. It is 100 times more powerful than Vitamin C and 25 times more effctive than vitamin E in neutralizing free radicals.
However, the EGCG content in green tea greatly varies depending on the area of cultivation, diversity of plants used, harvesting season and processing techniques.
What is the meaning of Epigallocatechin-3-gallate? Epigallocatechin gallate is one group of plant phenols also known as tannis. They are named so because these compounds have long been used to tan leather. They give tea its mild astringency, which makes your mouth feel clean and fresh feel after you drink green tea. EGCG compounds are “bioactive,” which means they can interact with molecular and cellular processes in your body. This is the reason why researchers find EGCG so very interesting.
How much catechins are there in the green tea? Green tea leaves do not undergo the same fermentation process as black or oolong teas, therefore the level of catechins in green tea is especially high. The catechin level in green tea ranges from 59.3 to 103.2 milligrams per gram of tea as compared to 21-68 mg/g in black tea.
Also, the amount of catechins present in green tea depends on when the tea was picked and what is the age of the leaves. The tea leaves that have been plucked during the Spring season contain 12-13 percent of catechins, those plucked in Summer months have 13-14 percent catechins. Younger leaves also have more catechins than older leaves.
What is the most effective way to take catechins? The most effective way to consume catechins found in green tea is by brewing it and then drinking it. One thing you need to keep in mind is that green tea should not be steeped for too long as its taste may become bitter which is difficult to enjoy.
Although it is recommended not to add milk to green tea, yet some people like to add milk into their cup of green tea. But one should not because the proteins in milk form chemicals which make the catechins indigestible, on a temporary basis. Catechins are health beneficial for almost every system in the body.
Recommendation
All types of green teas including Meng Ding Gan Lu Green Tea have a maximum concentration of EGCG. However, the level might vary! There is no prescribed maximum dosage for consuming EGCG or catechins. Just have a cup of green tea every day, and you’ll surely get a good dose of EGCG.
Tags: Meng Ding Gan Lu Green Tea
Category: Meng Ding Gan Lu Green Tea
