What Is Egcg? Egcg In Green Tea And Benefits Of Egcg

EGCG or Epigallocatechin gallate is one of the main catechins that can be found in high amounts in the green tea. Black tea also contains EGCG but in much lesser amount. Black tea contains all the catechins in lower amounts including Epigallocatechin gallate because of the extensive fermentation. Epigallocatechin gallate has strong antioxidant properties and it provides outstanding health benefits.

The catechins in green tea or any other tea is responsible for many health benefits. Among all the catechins, EGCG is considered most beneficial for the health.

What is EGCG?

When we talk about EGCG, we must know about OPC. OPC

stands for oligomeric proanthocyanidins; it’s a class of bioflavonoids that can be found in vegetables and fruits. OPC is a strong antioxidant. Probably it is more powerful antioxidant than Vitamin C and E. OPC contains four molecules- epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Among all these epigallocatechin gallate contains highest amounts of antioxidant properties. Strong antioxidant properties are responsible for unique health benefits of epigallocatechin gallate.

Why is EGCG good for the health?

EGCG plays an important role in cancer prevention. It works with the other flavonoids to prevent and treat brain, prostate, cervical and bladder cancers. It has chemo preventive properties. This unique

catechin also contains anti-atherogenic properties and that’s why it is good for controlling cholesterol & triglycerides levels. It also helps to lower the high blood pressure levels. Another advantage of EGCG is it can reduce inflammation and thus help fight Alzheimer's disease.

Strong antioxidant properties in it help to fight free radicals and protect the body from the free radical damage. It is good for the skin and slows down the aging process. EGCG helps to regulate glucose levels and good for the diabetes patients.

The major sources of EGCG are green tea, Black tea, white tea and Oolong tea. But the best source of epigallocatechin 3-gallate is green tea. As we all know the popularity of the green tea is on a high and it’s mainly because of the presence of epigallocatechin 3-gallate or epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG. Other than green tea, tablets and capsules are also available containing standardized extracts of EGCG.

Three or four cups of green tea per day can give you immense health benefits.