The benefits of green tea use are associated with the presence of natural polyphenols known as catechins, such as EGCG. But how much EGCG is really in green tea products on the market, and how do these products compare in terms of quality, cost, and taste? 

To find out, ConsumerLab recently tested 30 popular green tea supplements, brewable and bottled teas, and matcha powders sold in the U.S., checking their amounts of EGCG and total catechins, which are not always listed on labels, as well as testing for amounts of caffeine, and for contamination with lead, cadmium, and arsenic. ConsumerLab also compared the cost to obtain an equivalent amount of EGCG from the products. 

The tests revealed the amount of EGCG in green tea supplements varied widely, from just 20 mg to 500 mg per daily serving, and one supplement contained only about half of the amount claimed. Three products were found to contain less caffeine than listed on their labels. 

EGCG in brewable and bottled teas ranged from about 20 mg to 80 mg per cup, while matcha powders provided 73 mg to 119 mg per cup (based on about 1 teaspoon of powder). The cost to obtain 200 mg of EGCG ranged from as little as 5 cents to over $6.00 across the products.

Although lead was present in the leaves of brewable green teas, the majority of this was retained in the leaves, leaving little in brewed liquids. The matcha powders were also very low in lead and no product exceeded limits for cadmium or arsenic. 

The findings are available online in ConsumerLab.com’s  Green Tea Review. Among the products that passed all tests of quality, ConsumerLab selected its Top Picks for green tea supplements, brewed teas, bottled teas and matcha powders. 

The Review includes test results and quality comparisons for 30 green tea products: 12 supplements, 10 brewable green teas, four matcha powders, and four bottled green tea beverages. These include 26 selected for testing by ConsumerLab.com and four green tea supplements that passed the same testing through CL’s voluntary Quality Certification Program.

Founded in 1999, ConsumerLab.com provides consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. Membership to ConsumerLab.com is available online and provides immediate access to reviews of more than 1,000 products from over 400 brands. The company is privately held and based in Westchester, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products.