Green Tea Phytosome: Meet The Supplement That Promotes Weight Loss & Detoxification

Some of green tea's most impressive benefits, however, are attributed to supplements containing green tea extract, which deliver a higher concentration of health-promoting polyphenol compounds, including epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). But not all green tea extracts are created equal. Increasingly, research suggests that a form of green tea extract known as green tea phytosome may be superior.

Intrigued? Here's a comprehensive rundown of green tea phytosome benefits, potential risks, and who may want to consider taking it.

Here are some specific ways green tea, and green tea phytosome, may enhance health:

Even more promising: Due to the improved bioavailability of green tea phytosome supplements (compared to traditional, non-phytosome green tea supplements), researchers believe3 that people can experience weight loss while taking a lower dose.

In one study4, women underwent a three-month lifestyle intervention in which they all lost weight. Afterward, they were divided into two groups, one of which received a supplement containing 150 milligrams of green tea phytosome for three months, while the other group received a placebo for three months. After two months, women receiving the placebo began to regain weight, while women taking the green tea supplement continued to lose weight and fat mass for about a month, then maintained their weight for the second and third months.

In one study3, patients with borderline metabolic syndrome who took green tea phytosome for three months not only lost weight, but they experienced a drop in blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and triglycerides and experiences an increase in good HDL cholesterol. These positive changes were enough to nudge 68 percent of the patients out of the metabolic syndrome profile altogether. Many of these benefits could be a result of the weight loss; however, the researchers say it's possible that green tea's polyphenols also act directly on the body to yield these results, thanks to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

No studies have been done on the anti-cancer effect of green tea phytosome specifically; however, these supplements do contain polyphenol compounds, which are what scientists believe contribute to green tea's anti-cancer activity. Lab studies of the catechin polyphenol EGCG show that it may cause tumor cell death by interfering with replication of cells and slowing the formation of blood vessels around tumors. Another green tea catechin epigallocatechin (ECG) has been shown to stop leukemia cells from multiplying in the lab. However, more research is needed to understand whether green tea (and its supplements) can actually prevent cancer.

Glutathione has been called "your body's most powerful antioxidant and detoxifying agent" by mbg Collective member Dr. Frank Lipman, M.D. It's concentrated in the liver and helps bind toxins and escort them out of the body via urine or bile. Glutathione has also been shown to protect DNA from damage, reduce inflammation, improve energy, and keep mitochondria pumping out energy effectively.

Green tea is considered safe when consumed in moderate amounts. However, green tea supplements, including green tea phytosome, may carry some risk. According to the National Institutes of Health, liver problems have been reported in a small number of people who took concentrated green tea extracts. It's not conclusive that the green tea supplements caused these liver problems, but experts recommend that concentrated green tea extracts be taken with food to reduce the risk of health issues and that you discontinue use and consult a doctor if you develop symptoms such as abdominal pain, dark urine, or jaundice. Green tea has also been shown to reduce effectiveness of the drug nadolol, a beta blocker used for high blood pressure and heart problems.

Nearly all clinical studies on green tea phytosome have been done with supplements that contain GreenSelect Phytosome, a highly standardized extract of green tea (Camellia sinensis) containing 60 percent polyphenols and 40 percent EGCG. A number of brands offer supplements containing this extract, and it's a good idea to seek one out that's third-party tested to verify that it contains what it says it does—and nothing else. And, as always, ask your health care provider about potential interactions with your current medications before starting a new supplement.

The benefits of green tea phytosome are promising. That said, there's still not quite enough evidence to prove that supplements will adequately treat all of the conditions mentioned in this article. The strongest evidence exists for weight loss, but even then, weight loss was only achieved among people who also reduced calories or made other healthy lifestyle changes. So it's wise to consider green tea phytosome a potentially beneficial addition to an already healthy lifestyle, and to acknowledge that it can't work its magic in isolation.