Of green tea’s many health-promoting compounds, Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the strongest and most abundant. (R)
EGCG and several closely related other chemicals present in green tea are to thank for the many health benefits of the salutary drink. (R)
Among EGCG’s varied benefits, it is known to protect the brain, counter cancer, and fight pathogens and metabolic disease, (R) as well as boost heart health and assist in weight loss. (R)
EGCG is a potent antioxidant to boot, squelching oxidative damage at the cellular level. (R)
The EGCG I use
How to use EGCG
EGCG is most effective in the body when taken with 40mg of caffeine. (R)
To get the same benefits from drinking green tea, you would need to consume at least five cups a day. (R)
If you’re interested in getting EGCG from tea and not in supplement form, matcha (green tea powder) contains far higher amounts of EGCG than other kinds of green tea. (R)
EGCG boosts mood
After a single dose of EGCG, participants in one study rated being calmer and less stressed when compared to placebo. (R)
EGCG acts on receptors for GABA, the brain’s primary calming chemical, with effects similar to drugs from the benzodiazepine class (which includes Valium, Klonopin, and Xanax). (R)
EGCG benefits the brain
A single dose of EGCG boosted alpha, beta, and theta brainwaves in research subjects. (R)
Green tea flavonoids like EGCG may help in preventing and treating neurodegenerative diseases. (R)
EGCG protects neurons from injury and preserves those that have already been injured. These effects are desirable in diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. (R)
EGCG reduces Alzheimer’s-type plaques in the brain, (R) as well as the prevalence of the amino acids that form them. (R)
In a study of autoimmune encephalomyelitis (in which the body triggers inflammation in the brain and spinal cord by attacking their tissues), EGCG reduced inflammation and thus the degree of the disease. This was accomplished by cutting production of cell-signaling proteins, or cytokines, associated with autoimmunity (namely, IL-17). This outcome led researchers to suggest that EGCG may be effective in treating multiple sclerosis and similar diseases of brain inflammation. (R)
EGCG benefits the heart
Green tea polyphenols like EGCG appear to reduce heart disease risk by lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This occurs because EGCG prevents absorption of dietary fats in the intestines. (R)
EGCG helps metabolic disorders
In a study of overweight animals with insulin resistance and high blood pressure, EGCG treatment dilated blood vessels and lowered systolic blood pressure. These benefits may be to due to EGCG stimulating production of nitric oxide. (R)
EGCG appears to mildly increase the metabolic rate. (R) Caffeine may augment this effect. (R)
EGCG helps preserve pancreatic beta cells and boosts their function – crucial in preventing Type 2 diabetes – and reduces the damage caused by chronic high blood sugar. (R)
EGCG and exertion
EGCG increased physical stamina in animals and improved many markers typically elevated after exertion, including lactic acid, urea nitrogen, creatine kinase, and MDA. It also increased stores of glucose, or glycogen, in the liver and muscles, (R) which are burned for energy during exertion.
A combination of EGCG and the antioxidant quercetin significantly reduced inflammation in athletes exercising heavily. (R)
EGCG is an antioxidant
EGCG is a potent antioxidant; in other words, it prevents oxidative damage to cells. (R)
EGCG increased activity of the body’s key antioxidants, including glutathione and superoxide dismutase, in animals post-exertion. (R)
Green tea polyphenols like EGCG are far stronger antioxidants than vitamins C and E. (R)
EGCG stimulates bone growth, possibly due to its antioxidant activity. (R)
EGCG is antiviral
EGCG fights many different types of viruses, including HIV, influenza, hepatitis B and C, herpes, and adenovirus. (R)
It also, in both capsule and ointment forms, successfully treated HPV-caused lesions. (R)
EGCG is antifungal
EGCG proved effective against several kinds of Candida, a common pathogenic yeast, in some cases proving almost as potent, and in some cases more potent, than various prescription antifungal drugs. (R)
A green tea extract containing EGCG stopped the growth of, and killed,
Trichophyton fungi. EGCG alone, however, was ineffective. (R)
EGCG was successful, however, in fighting the variety of Trichophyton that produces ringworm. (R1, R2)
EGCG and cancer
In cancer, EGCG stops cellular growth and triggers programmed cell death. (R)
Studies have detailed a total of 19(!) mechanisms by which EGCG inhibits tumors. (R)
Various studies have found that EGCG inhibits tumors in many regions of the body, including the liver, stomach, skin, lungs, and colon. (R)
It also stops tumors from developing new blood vessels, a process crucial for tumors acquiring the nutrients they need to grow. (R)
Studies of human populations suggests EGCG protects against hormonal cancers including prostate and breast cancers. (R)
EGCG was rated a “strong positive” or “positive” in preventing cancers of the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, prostate, and bladder. (R)
A study of cervical cancer found EGCG regulates expression of 20 genes to interrupt cell cycles and induce programmed cell death. (R)
In a study of 10 green tea polyphenols, EGCG was found to fight colorectal cancer the hardest. (R)
Other benefits
EGCG chelates (helps clear from the body) metals, including iron (R) and zinc. (R)
EGCG protects skin cells from the sun’s UV rays when applied topically (see contraindication below). (R)
It also protects from ionizing radiation, (R) e.g. X-rays and that produced by nuclear sources.
EGCG’s functions have led researchers to speculate it may treat conditions as diverse as gout and dermatitis in addition to heart disease and cancer. (R)
Contraindications
EGCG reduced fertility in pigs (R) and rats, the latter at high doses only. (R)
EGCG irritates the eyes and skin when applied there. (R)
Safety
A study that gave animals high doses of EGCG for 13 weeks found no toxicity, though massive doses (2000mg EGCG per 1kg of animal) were found to be lethal. (R)
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