Green Tea | Camellia sinensis

The Latest Green Tea Extracts

In GreenSelect®, a special phytosome form produced by Indena, the Green tea extract is bound to phosphatidylcholine. This provides increased absorbability, bioavailability and higher plasma levels in the blood and tissues.

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What is Green tea?

Green tea is one of the oldest beverages in the world, with a history dating back some 5,000 years. Green tea is particularly popular in China and Japan. As more and more is known about the health effects of green tea, it is also becoming increasingly popular in the West. Green tea is prepared from the leaves of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), which grows mainly in Southeast Asia. It is an unfermented type of tea, which retains the highest content of natural polyphenols. During the fermentation process of tea leaves (the way black tea is made), these polyphenols, the most important of which in tea are catechins, are largely lost through oxidation. Research has shown that these very catechins are responsible for tea's beneficial health effects. The most powerful catechin in green tea is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

Health effects

Several health effects have been attributed to green tea. The catechins from green tea have been found to be beneficial for cardiovascular health and contribute to responsible cholesterol levels. Green tea is also known to contribute to weight management. Research shows that catechins support fat breakdown and reduce fat absorption from the gut by inhibiting lipase from the pancreas (lipase is an enzyme that helps digest fats from our diet). Use of an extract from green tea may therefore be useful in tackling obesity, of course as a supplement to a healthy diet and adequate exercise.*

From green tea to extract

When making an extract from green tea (in this case using water as the solvent), the active ingredients are concentrated so that less of the green tea product needs to be used to benefit from its beneficial effects. In addition, an extract allows for standardization. A cup of green tea naturally contains far fewer catechins but the amount also varies depending on the quality of the tea leaves and the method of tea preparation.

* EC approval health claim(s) pending.