Green Tea Complex Organic Powder
What's The One Thing Missing
Green Tea Complex has everything. Only one thing is missing.
At first reading, you can't help being impressed. To quote the manufacturer, Kina®:
"Green Tea Complex is the first 100% organic whole food green tea supplement. It is processed from hand-harvested Japanese green tea grown in Nara Prefecture."
What follows is even more impressive:
"Other green teas are processed which can destroy about 85% of the healthful ingredients in green tea."
"Because of a patented process, this is the only product that contains the full tea complex. Research indicates that a full tea complex is more healthful than extracts, brewed or processed green tea products."
Conventional processes use either steam or hot water to extract tea nutrients. To turn tea extract into powder, freeze or mist drying is often used.
According to
Green Tea Complex, this lengthy process often results in 85% nutrition loss.
This figure is consistent with other studies I came across comparing catechins content in highly processed green tea products such as decaffeinated or bottled green tea.
Their new patented process is unique in that the leaves are crushed in less then one second at a very high temperature of 200 degrees Celsius.
Due to the sudden evaporation of 90% of the moisture, the dry tea leaves turn to powder. The enzymes become inactive and the valuable antioxidants, catechins and polyphenols remain intact.
This new process allows them to claim the product to be whole food, rather than just extract.
Green Tea Complex comes in capsule form, which can then be broken to get powder if needed. Capsules can be swallowed "as is".
The powders can be mixed in cold to warm water. Kina® claimed that the powder has a "fresh clean taste that everyone finds highly refreshing and satisfying".
Interestingly, you can only brew Green Tea complex powder in cold to lukewarm water, as hot water destroys the antioxidants.
I don't think this suggests brewing loose green tea in hot water destroys the antioxidants, but rather, processed green tea powders are more sensitive to hot water as they are more exposed.
This product is 100% certified organic Japanese green tea packaged in a vegetable-based capsule.
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Certified in Japan to be 100% organic. Tea is grown on a pristine plantation in Nara Prefecture.
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Tested to be free of all pathogenic bacteria, chemical and pesticide residues.
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Powder can be added to any drink or food to enhance flavour and enjoyment, as long as the beverage is not hot.
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No chemicals, solvents, or alcohol is used in the manufacturing process resulting in a much ‘cleaner’ product that exceeds conventional organic standard.
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According to Kina®, Green Tea Complex contains only 11 grams of polyphenols per 100 grams, or 11%. This seems exceptionally low and represents poor value for the money.
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Price averages 40 cents a dose so daily cost ranges from 40 cents to 1.20 dollar.
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This is a whole green tea powder. It won't contain any appetite suppressant or fat metaboliser that may help you lose weight more easily.
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Hot water can destroy antioxidants causing products to lose potency.
Green Tea Complex has everything I am looking for in a green tea powder. Only one thing is missing - potency.
It feels weird. They talk so much about a new-patented process that minimises nutrition loss. The end product? A polyphenol level of just 11%.
According to scientist Graham Harold, dried tea extract typically contains 30% to 40% polyphenols. Now, Chinese and Japanese green tea have lower polyphenol content than black tea. However, even allow for that, the potency of Green Tea Complex is still too low.
This is important because polyphenols consist mainly of catechins, and about half of catechins are EGCG - green tea's most potent antioxidant and weight loss ingredient.
Put it another way: 1 gram of Green Tea Complex powder contains just 11 milligram of catechins
Now, compare this to the comprehensive USDA study, which indicates that 1 gram of regular green tea yields 127 milligrams of catechins. This is an average, some green tea will contain more catechins than others but still, it contains 10 times more catechins than Green Tea Complex!
If you are buying this green tea powder thinking that you are getting the benefits of many cups of tea, you may be disappointed. However, if you are looking for a green tea powder for baking or applying to your skin, it may be something to consider.
Harold N, Graham PD (1992). Green tea composition, consumption and polyphenol chemistry. Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene. 1992 May;21(3):334-50.
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