42 replies to this topic

[niner]

What's the reasoning behind you folks taking your EGCG Green Tea supplement on an empty stomach? Wondering because the bottle I have (NOW brand) explicitly states to take it with a meal. In fact it says "Do not take this product on an empty stomach"

My reasoning is better absorption. I've not seen the NOW warning, but maybe it was a lawyer-driven response to the case report of the woman with liver damage blamed on GTE.

[kingnut]

i currently take Now EGCg (2 x 400 mg) one after breakfast and one after lunch. so a total of 800mg a day. EGCg makes me feel great. i was wondering if anyone using EGCg has had a liver function blood test? i am currently in afghanistan, so i cant get one right now or else i would.

i just started back on EGCg because it does burn fat and gives me energy. im in pretty good physical shape. the reason i stopped is because it was constipating me. but now its fine because i intake alot more fiber.

I really doubt that you'll have a problem since you're splitting the dose and taking it after meals. I've been taking egcg for years, (500mg on an empty stomach) and I get liver enzymes done as part of my routine bloodwork, probably once a year or so. That's just my doctor's standard thing, not because I'm particularly worried about GTE. At any rate, I've never had a problem. It's pretty easy for liver enzymes to get out of range, like if you have a few drinks too close to the blood draw.

thanks for the feedback. makes me feel a little better about my dosage.

[alecnevsky]

I just did like 2g of Green Tea Extract (dissolved in water and chugged bro-style)... experienced the most deathly nausea and probably liver toxicity. I took Artichoke extract to cut my losses but not sure it worked. Fucking a... should've read this first.

Speaking of green tea extract, how do people dose? This is literally the worst tasting powder, after pramiracetam.

[Kevnzworld]

I take 500 mg a day with food. I used to take twice as much but after reading about possible liver toxicity at higher doses I cut back.
LEF says their GTE , 600 mg I think, is a once a day capsule.

[alecnevsky]

I cannot emphasize enough how much those 2g ruined my otherwise productive night. I think I am going to stick with tea from now on. GTE is def not for those with weak stomachs.

[joelcairo]

I take 1.5 g daily of a 50% EGCG extract. Never noticed any problem with toxicity or digestion or any abnormalities in liver function tests which I get regularly.

I honestly don't think you experienced liver toxicity. Not to disparage your experience, but a lot of supplements can cause digestive problems if taken on an empty stomach or with water alone.

Edited by joelcairo, 29 May 2013 - 06:03 AM.

[alecnevsky]

I take 1.5 g daily of a 50% EGCG extract. Never noticed any problem with toxicity or digestion or any abnormalities in liver function tests which I get regularly.

I honestly don't think you experienced liver toxicity. Not to disparage your experience, but a lot of supplements can cause digestive problems if taken on an empty stomach or with water alone.

I've taken all kinds of herbs and research chems on empty stomach including eating a spoon of pramiracetam powder and GTE is the only supplement that fucked my stomach to the point of complete temp debilitation. Moral of the story: be careful, not GTE is bad.

[chung_pao]

Alecnevsky: I experience the exact same effect from high EGCG doses. The nausea can be pretty severe, but I don't think it's dangerous.
I think the body's response is a form of hormesis; the EGCG stresses the body in specific ways, knocking out many enzymes (COMT, MAO), CYP-enzymes and lowering blood glucose. I think many of the benefits of EGCG (such as neurogenesis) are due to the initial stress (hormesis) caused by the polyphenol, and the body's response being that of supercompensation: strengthening the mechanisms that were stressed by the polyphenol.

I use EGCG mainly to decrease fat-retention, so I take it after high carbohydrate meals. (the dose depending on the meal: 500 - 2000 mg)
But I've learned the same as you: never on an empty stomach Taking 2g before breakfast almost ruined a complete day for me.

[niner]

But I've learned the same as you: never on an empty stomach Taking 2g before breakfast almost ruined a complete day for me.

I've been taking GTE on an empty stomach for years and have never had a problem. The difference might be that I take 500mg, not 2g. Liver toxicity has been reported at a dose of less than a gram... I think it was 800mg. A lot of people could take that amount without a problem.

For what it's worth, I take it in capped form. If I was taking powder or solution, I think the taste alone might make me barf.

[Luminiferous]

He says that 10 small cups of green tea per day is fine. But from the other posts I got the idea that each green tea brand has different levels of ECGC. Or does that only apply to supplements?

My grandma from Iran sent me a HUGE stash of green tea (not in teabags), which I brew myself. Usually drink like 20 cups of it within 2-3 hours.
I don't know which brand it is. How many cups should be my maximum to stay below the 800mg? Any way to estimate it?

[chung_pao]

But I've learned the same as you: never on an empty stomach Taking 2g before breakfast almost ruined a complete day for me.

I've been taking GTE on an empty stomach for years and have never had a problem. The difference might be that I take 500mg, not 2g. Liver toxicity has been reported at a dose of less than a gram... I think it was 800mg. A lot of people could take that amount without a problem.

For what it's worth, I take it in capped form. If I was taking powder or solution, I think the taste alone might make me barf.

Thanks for that info Niner. I looked it up and concluded that I should be dosing in the 500-800 mg range. Anything above could cause severe hepatotoxicity.

Luminiferous: You could look up the normal concentrations of EGCG in GT that's available on the market.
Another indicator is that these polyphenols are very noticeable. Anything above 1g makes me extremely nauseous instantly.
I remember getting the same feeling of sickness when drinking fresh, strong green tea in China. I'd feel sick and start sneezing and react very strongly, due to the polyphenols.
IMO, if you're not experiencing nausea or sneezing, or any other symptoms, the amounts of EGCG are probably harmless.

[gg141717]

Thanks for this info. I won't up the dose as much after reading this.

[joelcairo]

Thanks for that info Niner. I looked it up and concluded that I should be dosing in the 500-800 mg range. Anything above could cause severe hepatotoxicity.

Luminiferous: You could look up the normal concentrations of EGCG in GT that's available on the market.
Another indicator is that these polyphenols are very noticeable. Anything above 1g makes me extremely nauseous instantly.
I remember getting the same feeling of sickness when drinking fresh, strong green tea in China. I'd feel sick and start sneezing and react very strongly, due to the polyphenols.
IMO, if you're not experiencing nausea or sneezing, or any other symptoms, the amounts of EGCG are probably harmless.

This all sounds highly doubtful to me. Liver toxicity isn't manifested the same day, it's a longterm process. And as for the sneezing... I have never heard of this symptom. It doesn't sound like a very reliable indicator, and it may not apply to anyone but you.