Green Tea vs Green Tea Extract: Which one is Better – Differences & Similarities

You might have heard of all the benefits green tea extract has. Some people treat it like a superfluid – something that will solve all their problems! Bitter blend or not, the herbal health benefits make green tea the show-stopper.

You might find yourself asking if green tea has more benefits than its extract, maybe because many brands may process the leaves in artificial ways. Isn’t it better to consume it in a pure form?

For centuries, we have been told that green tea is linked with weight-loss, but is there any scientific basis to that claim? Is the idea of concentrated supplements just a gimmick? Is green tea better than its extract? Is it safe? All these questions might have popped up in your head when you started reading this article.

Let’s breakdown what makes this unique tea exceptional and what doesn’t! We’ll answer whether consuming it in its pure form carries more health benefits or a more concentrated form, like its extract. So read on!

All about Green Tea

What is Green Tea? What is it used for? We’ll answer all your questions under this section as we dive into the world of tea.

Tea is consumed everywhere in the world. There are so many different kinds of teas; chai lattes are trendy in India. There’s kratom tea, chamomile tea, which is loved in the US and other parts of the west. However, one type of tea that is loved everywhere around the world is green tea. People, even physicians, say many things about green tea and its benefits. However, is there any truth to those claims? Let’s find out.

What is Green Tea?

This particular kind of tea comes from Camellia Sinesis, which is a type of leaf. Camellia Sinesis is prepared in the peroxidation phase. This means that the leaves and buds of the plant are not dried out before processing. Green tea is unique because manufacturers make it with fresh leaves. Other types of teas, like black tea and oolong tea, need brewing.

Polyphenols are micronutrients that are great for your health. Catechin is a type of polyphenols that are present in most fruits and vegetables. So you might want to incorporate fruits and vegetables with catechin polyphenols in your diet.

If you are not a fan of fruits, however, you can always try herbal tea. It is packed with polyphenols since its primary ingredients are fresh tea leaves. When the tea leaves go under the oxidation process, they lose all the polyphenol goodness. So it is better to consume tea made out of fresh leaves instead of dried leaves. Try to get all the technical information you can about its composition!

Does Green tea have any health benefits?

Green tea is known for its countless health benefits. Some people claim that it can cure cancer. Others say it will make your skin glow. However, a skeptic would look for any scientific evidence behind these claims. You can never be sure, right?

Here’s a list of scientifically proven benefits of our favourite tea for all you skeptics out there:

1. It can’t cure cancer, but it can help prevent it

A study by Chung S. Yang and Xin Wang shows that green tea can help stop human cancer. Catechins prove to help reduce many different types of tumors in man and animals alike. That includes skin, bladder, liver, lungs, etc. So, here’s one reason why you should make yourself a nice cup of herbal tea every once in a while.

2. It will help your skin glow

It’s time to throw out all those highlighters and splurge on a pack of high-quality green tea bags. That is because research shows that its ingredients can help with skin problems! Polyphenols have anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties, which can help with acne subside.

3. It will keep you awake and highly energetic all day long

Despite the supernaturally great ingredients, green tea is still tea at the end of the day. Like any other type of tea, it also has caffeine to keep your energy levels high. So a couple of swigs of your favourite brand of tea before work or studying are just the extra boost you need!

Can Green tea help you lose weight?

Scientifically speaking, green tea accelerates weight-loss and helps in weight maintenance. There are, however, many other factors into play. We’ve found out that your ethnicity and regular caffeine intake play a significant role as well.

A high dosage of catechins doesn’t affect the body weights of chronic, excessive consumers. Nonetheless, the benefits of green tea are still undeniable! It affects your overall metabolism in subtle ways.

All about Green Tea Extract

Now that we know all about green tea, let’s move onto its extract and benefits.

What’s green tea extract?

Green tea extract is a more concentrated form of green tea. Extracts and supplements have all the goodness of tea packed into a tiny capsule. You’ll witness a dynamic change in health after maintaining a regular intake.

Can you make Green tea extract at home?

If you don’t want to spend on supplements or have some green tea leaves lying around, make your own extract! Home-made ones are best stored as fluids. This process will take a month or so-keep that in mind before committing.

Here’s what you need to do to make your own green tea extract:

• Take a bowl full of water.
• Add about seven tablespoons of fresh green tea leaves.
• Stir the mixture.
• Let the mixture sit for as long as you can. This can take from 1 hour up to 40 days; the longer you let it sit, the better. Give the leaves enough time to release all of their extracts into the water.
• When ready, sift all the leaves out of the extract. Voila! It’s prepared and ready to use!

Manufacturers use a similar process to make green tea extract. Instead of water, however, they use alcohol. Switching to extracts isn’t an easy decision-you must know if it’s worth it. Maybe these points will help clear your doubts:

Does Green Tea Extract help with weight loss?

Biologists are actively studying the effects of green tea extracts. Did you know that they’re great for cholesterol control? It’s a scientifically proven fact! That’s not all-the extracts helped with fat-control in obese patients. Studies suggest that it can help reduce weight by 4.6% in three months. A long-term, nourishing solution to your weight problems, indeed!

All this, without making any changes to your lifestyle-green tea extracts sound like a keeper. They also have antioxidants, which help with cancer, heart risks, and many other conditions.

Is Green Tea Extract safe?

These tea infusions are generally safe to consume. There are, however, some precautions that you must take during supplement consumption. Listen up, EFSA has something to say!

Excessive use of supplements may cause liver damage in some people. The risk is rare, but there. The European Food Safety Authority has suggested companies to warn consumers right on supplement packaging.

Pros and cons of Green Tea and Green tea extract

You’re well aware of the benefits of both of these products. It’s time to pit the two against each other and see whether green tea or its extract will come out on top!

What is the difference between Green Tea and Green tea extract?

Green tea is a pure form of the peroxided plant Camellia Sinesis. Its extract, however, is a concentrated version of green tea. The extracts tend to have more potent polyphenols called catechins and other nutrients.

As mentioned before, you can get green tea extracts by submerging the leaves in water and letting them sit. The process releases extracts into the water.

Is Green tea extract better than green tea?

Green tea is, without a doubt, the best kind of tea out there. It’s full of nutrients! However, green tea extract tops the charts in vitality. They have all the goodness of green tea but on steroids! Green tea extracts have a higher concentration of catechins for cholesterol reduction and weight loss.

You do want to be extra careful when consuming the supplements, though. As we discussed above, these supplements have links with liver diseases when taken excessively. This might be the only drawback associated with the extract version of green tea. Green tea extract is excellent for you; otherwise, it’s definitely worth your while!

The Final Verdict

If you want to reduce weight or control your cholesterol, green tea extract is your best friend. You just have to be a moderate consumer. We hope we could cover everything you need to know about green tea vs. its extracts. If you have any questions, please leave them down in the comments! We’d love to hear from you.