# EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate)

EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) is the most abundant catechin in green tea. It is a polyphenol. It has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and AMPK-tuning activity. Observational data link green tea drinking to lower heart and all-cause death. Trials of EGCG supplements show only small effects. They nudge your cholesterol, blood pressure, and body weight. But high-dose extracts can harm the liver. Doses above about 800 mg of EGCG a day have been tied to raised liver enzymes and liver injury. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) flagged that threshold as a safety concern. And the EU has capped EGCG in food supplements. Direct evidence that isolated EGCG extends human lifespan is still limited.

## Sources

- EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens. (2018). Scientific Opinion on the safety of green tea catechins. EFSA Journal. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5239
- Du GJ, Zhang Z, Wen XD, Yu C, Calway T, Yuan CS, Wang CZ. (2012). Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the most effective cancer chemopreventive polyphenol in green tea. Nutrients. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu4111679

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