Check the back of a bottle of diet pills or any other fat burning supplement and it’s very likely you’ll see “green tea extract” listed as one of the ingredients. This, of course, is because green tea extract has many of the same weight loss benefits as green tea.

What is Green Tea Extract?

To make green tea extract, the powerful antioxidants of green tea (more specifically EGCG catechins) are isolated using water or steam, then condensed before spray drying. This results in a powder that can be put into a tablet, a capsule, or made into a liquid.

Because of its concentrated form, green tea extract contains many more catechin antioxidants than could be found in a cup of green tea.

What to Look For

Green tea extract is fairly inexpensive. However, look for a product that is standardized to a minimum of 90% polyphenols and 55% EGCG. Using this standard, a 500 milligram capsule will contain 275mg EGCG. Many researches say that four cups of green tea per day will give you the maximum benefit. This works out to about 3 capsules of green tea extract.

Safety

Since it’s super concentrated, it’s entirely possible to consume the equivalent of a hundred cups of tea a day using green tea extract. Some research indicates this would completely negate any positive effects may even be harmful.

The Final Word on Green Tea Extract

If you hate the taste of green tea, green tea extract might be for you. However, we find that when trying to lose weight, actually drinking the tea fills up the stomach and helps control appetite much better. Drinking green tea also helps to hydrate your body and replaces other less helpful beverages.