What Is Epigallocatechin Gallate?

Epigallocatechin gallate seems to be a type of catechin. It also appears to be a natural antioxidant. Green tea may have many antioxidants. However, this appears to be the most abundant and potent one. This substance should help treat and maybe prevent many health conditions. Despite this, it seems to carry some risks if individuals consume too much.

Epigallocatechin gallate seems to be one of the best green tea catechins. This may be a reason why individuals include green tea in their weight loss regimen. The substance appears to be among the natural remedies for weight loss. Green tea capsules for weight loss seem to be common too. Of course, patients may want to understand this catechin fully before taking it.

Possible Sources

Epigallocatechin gallate seems to have many possible sources. Individuals may find it in vegetables, nuts, fruits, and teas. Dietary supplements may contain some of this catechin as well. It appears that the best source, though, is carob flour, which seems to be made from the pods of carob trees. This may be a good alternative to cocoa. Green tea appears to be the best tea source of this catechin, followed by white tea. Black and oolong teas may also have significant amounts, though likely less than the others.

Fruits and vegetables do not seem to be good sources of this catechin. However, some may be better than others. Fuji apples, for instance, appear to be the fruit with the most epigallocatechin gallate. Other decent sources may include plums, raspberries, and cranberries. Some unreliable sources may be avocados, kiwis, peaches, and onions. Finally, it seems that individuals can get this catechin from hazelnuts and pecans.

Continue reading to learn about how this catechin should work next.

How It Should Work

Research seems to indicate that free radicals can trigger significant cell damage. Unfortunately, this damage appears to put individuals at risk of many different health issues. Individuals may be able to protect their body from the free radicals with antioxidants. This seems to be where epigallocatechin gallate can be helpful. This catechin appears to have antioxidant properties, according to studies.

This catechin may help a process called apoptosis. The process is where the immune system should find and remove damaged cells. This substance seems to help make it faster. It may also help with inflammation by suppressing proinflammatory cytokines. These proteins appear to influence the immune system and trigger inflammation.

Discover the potential uses next.

Potential Uses

This catechin may help treat and prevent many health issues. Thus, it appears that several clinical trials are studying it. Epigallocatechin gallate seems to be a natural antioxidant. It may also be antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral. This substance may help with weight loss in obese individuals. Studies indicate that these individuals may see significant weight loss after twelve weeks of drinking green tea with up to 460 milligrams of this catechin daily. It seems to reduce oxidative stress as well. Thus, this substance may reduce an individual's risk of fatty liver disease, premature aging, and some cancers, among other conditions.

It seems that studies are investigating the combination of chemotherapy with this substance. In addition, some evidence shows that it may help prevent some type of brain damage. This may reduce an individual's risk of Alzheimer's disease and similar conditions.

Review the possible side effects and risks next.

Possible Side Effects And Risks

It seems that highly processed sources of this catechin have many possible side effects and risks. Green tea powder and supplements, for instance, may trigger oxidative stress if individuals consume high amounts of them. Patients may then deal with systemic inflammation and many potential diseases.

This substance seems to carry liver damage as a possible side effect as well. Patients may also experience the destruction of the epithelial lining in their body. This lining is supposed to protect many organs. Some researchers also believe that this substance may cause issues for diabetes patients. The reason appears to be that treated mice dealt with a higher mortality rate due to kidney damage. This rate may have been up to sixty percent higher in these mice.

Get the details on the potential dosage instructions next.

Potential Dosage Instructions

The right dosage of this catechin appears to vary significantly. Individuals who drink green tea should be able to consume ninety to three hundred milligrams of this catechin daily. This may be both safe and healthy. Unfortunately, supplements may contain much more than this. In fact, some individuals seem to end up consuming over one thousand milligrams daily. This may be dangerous.

Doctors do not appear to agree upon universal guidelines regarding dosages. However, there seem to be some good precautions. Most of the time, individuals may not want to take epigallocatechin gallate supplements unless a doctor recommends it. In addition, researchers say that they may want to limit their consumption to 338 milligrams daily when it is from a solid form. Higher doses may trigger side effects. Organ damage seems to set in when the doses reach eight hundred milligrams daily.