AOR EGCG Max Capsules
Potent Green Tea Catechins Or Not?

AOR EGCG Max claims to be a high potency green tea extract containing all four catechins. Is it as good as it sounds?

Advanced Orthomolecular Research (AOR) is a Canadian based company specializing in the production of nutraceuticals. Dr. Traj Nibber founded the company after trying and failing to find credibility and quality amongst existing dietary supplement companies.

They have been in business for over 10 years. It is a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certified company. Their aim is to produce highly efficient supplements through the use of research and are able to back their products with scientific literature.

According to the EGCG Max, "nearly all green tea extract capsules contain only a fraction of the green tea cup-equivalents than their manufacturers claim." This is how they explain it:

These companies aren’t flat-out lying, but they’re using the wrong yardstick – or, to be more precise, the wrong cup. The problem is that the amount of EgCG (the main cancer-fighting component) and other goodies in a cup of green tea can vary over a wide range, depending on the kind of green tea, the region where it’s grown, the brewing time, tea leaf, kind of teabag – and, of course, the size of the cup!

By choosing to compare a supplement to the poorest-quality green tea infusions, supplement companies use “creative accounting” to evaluate the potency of their pills. They can inflate the comparison, asserting that their products’ 100 to 200 milligrams of EgCG is equivalent to five to ten cups of green tea.

But this is just misleading. When all of these factors are taken into account, and when you consider that the most consistent research on green tea’s health-enhancing effects in humans comes from drinkers of Japanese sencha, the “gold standard” cup of green tea can contains 150 milligrams of EgCG.

This means, unfortunately, that few green tea capsules even deliver the equivalent of even one full cup of Japanese green tea a day – let alone the ten cups that is most consistently associated with good health and long life.

To summarise, AOR EGCG Max is making three key assertions:

Japanese Sencha contains 150 milligrams of EGCG per cup.
Most green tea extract brands are misleading because they contain only 100 to 200 milligrams per capsule, but claim this is equivalent to many cups of green tea.
To benefit from green tea health benefits, one needs to drink as many as 10 cups of green tea a day.

I wholeheartedly agree with the first two points, as numerous studies have consistently shown that one cup of high quality green tea contains approximately 300 milligrams of catechins, of which half (150 milligrams) is EGCG. Since catechins decrease with leaf age, an early harvested tea (such as a high grade Longjing green tea or Gyokuro) will contain more EGCG than a Sencha, which is harvested later.

But the third point is highly controversial. In fact, one widely quoted large scale Japanese green tea study involving 40,530 Japanese adults over 11 years found that those who drink 5 or more cups of green tea a day are 16% less likely to die from any causes and 26% less likely to die from heart disease.

So, in case you are wondering how on earth can you find the time to drink 10 cups of green tea a day, let me put your mind at ease. You only need to drink 3 to 6 cups a day to benefit from its healing properties. If you feel good drinking more, it is fine too. But you don't have to.

Okay, I am distracting, let's get back reviewing this excellent product.

Chemical Composition

In one capsule:

Green Tea (Camellia sinesis) Extract….700 mg
Total catechins…………………………560 mg
EgCG (epigallocatechin gallate)……….315 mg
ECg (epicatechin gallate)……………… 75 mg
EGC (epigallocatechin)……………….. 30 mg
EC (epichtechin)……………………… 35 mg
Caffeine………………………………. 7 mg

Advantages

AOR EGCG Max recommends taking one capsule a day, which is equivalent to drinking 6 grams of high quality loose tea. Assuming 3 grams of tea can be infused 3 times to make 3 cups of tea, this is equivalent to 6 cups a day.

Although 6 cups a day may not sound a lot, remember you are talking about Japanese Sencha tea, not a tea bag or flavoured tea. Compared to other similar products in the market, I consider it highly potent.

This product contains all four catechins, which I like because scientific studies have found tea health benefits to be greater when all tea compounds are taken together.

There is a small (1%) amount of caffeine, which is a plus because moderate consumption of caffeine has been found to be beneficial, and at this low level it is unlikely to cause problems for most people.

Disadvantages

Though low caffeine is great for some, for others looking for a more effective weight loss aid, 1% may not be enough caffeine. There are no other ingredients that would make this a more effective weight loss aid (such as an appetite suppressant).

There is no evidence that this product is organic (free of pesticides and herbicides).

Recommendations

If you are looking for a high potency product containing all four catechins and a small amount of caffeine, then EGCG Max is a good choice. In fact, I prefer it to 100% pure EGCG as tea compounds are more powerful when they are taken together.

The product is not herbicide free. But at one capsule a day over a few months, it is unlikely to cause any problems.

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