EGCG content of hot and iced teas put to the test

Many health claims related to tea are linked to its antioxidant content. ConsumerLab, an independent nutritional testing lab, measured levels of the most abundant catechin found in tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), in more than two dozen green tea products. Tested items covered hot teas, iced teas and nutritional supplements. Of the 14 products that listed levels of EGCG on the label, only three contained significantly less than the amount claimed, including Honest Tea Green Tea with Honey, which had only about two-thirds of the 190 milligrams of listed catechins. EGCG content among products without labeling was more varied: Teavana's Green Tea Gyokuro Imperial had 86 milligrams of EGCG per serving, whereas one bag of Bigelow Green Tea contained only 25 milligrams. 200 milligrams of EGCG is the recommend daily intake. It takes hot water 3 to 5 minutes to fully extract the EGCG from the tea leaves.