EGCG
/ee-jee-see-JEE/
The most-studied antioxidant in matcha.
Also known as: epigallocatechin gallate, catechin
EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) is a catechin — a class of antioxidant — and the most-researched compound in green tea. Matcha contains EGCG at roughly 60 mg per gram, far more than steeped green tea because you ingest the whole leaf. EGCG is studied for cardiovascular, metabolic, and neuroprotective effects; the science is promising but not conclusive. Practically: matcha is one of the more antioxidant-dense things you can drink.
In practice
- Epigallocatechin gallate, the most abundant and most studied catechin in green tea. Matcha carries roughly 50–70 mg per gram.
- Because matcha is consumed as whole leaf, one bowl delivers substantially more EGCG than a cup of steeped green tea, where much stays behind in the leaf.
- It is a major contributor to astringency — the drying, puckering sensation, distinct from bitterness.
- Hot water extracts it faster, which is the chemistry behind the advice not to brew above 80 °C.
The common mistake
Treating concentrated extracts as a stronger version of the same thing. Regulators have flagged liver-injury cases associated with high-dose green tea extract supplements, at intakes far above anything reachable by drinking tea. The dose makes the difference, and a bowl of matcha is not a supplement.
Questions people ask
Does EGCG survive being whisked into hot water?
Yes. Catechins are reasonably heat-stable at brewing temperatures — the water temperature affects how fast they extract and therefore how astringent the drink tastes, not whether they are present. Prolonged high heat, as in baking, does degrade them.
