It is a chemical from green tea that acts as a powerful antioxidant in the human body, protecting our cells from damage.
Also called (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, it is in a group of chemicals called catechin polyphenols. It is the most active of the four primary green tea catechins. The other three are epicatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin.
To date, the richest source in the world is tea. Catechins make up about 25% of the dry weight of green tea leaves, with most of the catechins in the form of epigallocatechin gallate.
The amount of this powerful antioxidant in different teas can vary 8-fold or more with agricultural differences, processing, and preparation of your cup of tea. In general, both green and white tea have the highest amount, with lower amounts in oolong and black tea.
Human research shows that EGCG is responsible for many of the demonstrated green tea benefits.
