Herbal Green Tea Vs. Green Tea Supplements

For purity, caffeine and antioxidants, your best bet in green tea is to brew loose leaves at home. Green tea in capsule form offers convenience, and supplements that contain nothing but green tea will provide nearly the same benefits as brewed tea. Some supplements contain added ingredients or fillers, which would dilute health benefits and pose risks to some.

Catechins

Green tea contains caffeine, a well-established metabolism stimulant, but most of the tea's reputation stems from its high amount of antioxidants. The antioxidants, commonly called catechins, may prevent or lessen symptoms of heart disease, diabetes and weight loss. Although catechins can be found in other teas and food sources, green tea is second only to white tea in catechin content. White tea is presumed superior to green tea because of its higher catechin content, but has not been studied enough to document such claims.

Processing

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, green tea brewed from loose leaves contains 127 mg of catechins, more than you'd find in black or oolong tea or in green tea capsules. But the amount of catechins in green tea falls in tea bags, flavored tea and bottled drinks. Tea bags range from 100 mg per cup for organic to just 19 mg for one commercial brand. Decaffeinated green tea contains 56 mg of catechins, flavored green tea has 43 mg and bottled green tea 12 mg, according to the USDA.

Capsules

Green tea capsules don't beat loose green tea for catechin content, but prove superior to many other forms of green tea. One popular brand of green tea capsules contains 90 mg of catechins---twice as many as flavored green tea and nearly as many as the most catechin-rich tea bags---and another contains contain 60 mg, three times as many as in some green tea bags. When checking the labels for catechin content in green tea capsules, note that catechins may be referred to by their full scientific name, epigallocatechin gallate or its abbreviation, EGCG. The label may also simply list the amount of flavonoids, which could refer specifically to catechins or other flavonoids.

Other Capsule Ingredients

Green tea capsules contain more than green tea. One commercial brand, for instance, contains yerba mate, dandelion root, bioperine, bitter orange, dandelion root and guarana as well as green tea. Among green tea capsules, one organic brand contains 94 percent green tea, no pesticides and no caffeine, according to the information website Amazing Green Tea.The only known risks to green tea are derived from its caffeine content, so a decaffeinated green tea would be a safe choice for persons sensitive to caffeine, including pregnant women, for whom caffeine could increase the risk of giving birth to low-weight babies. Check product labels and conduct research to see if you are allergic to any of a capsule's extra ingredients.

Considerations

You may have to drink a lot of green tea---or pop many capsules---to realize substantial weight loss benefits from green tea. Men in a 2009 clinical study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" consumed 660 mg of catechins daily to lose an average of 5.4 lbs. in 12 weeks. Kevin Maki, a U.S. researcher, said the men also followed a calorie-restricted diet. Without drinking green tea, the men could have lost 12 lbs. by reducing their food and beverage intake by 500 calories a day.