What can you say about green tea extract in your ads and on your site?

The library supports 2 wordings for green tea extract; the strongest is “Provides antioxidants that help protect cells against free radical damage” (moderate, up to 690 mg total catechins a day). Avoid wording that names or implies a disease, a drug or a treatment, such as “Prevents breast or prostate cancer, outside FDA’s qualified wording”.

Also called: Green tea, Camellia sinensis, EGCG, Epigallocatechin gallate, Green tea catechins

Reviewed 15 October 2026

Not legal advice. This guide shows the wording that published evidence supports at a daily dose, from the sources linked below; it is not a ruling on any claim. Your own product, its form and dose, and your own evidence still need to match the wording you use.

Supported wordings

What you can say.

Moderate evidenceWording 1

Claims Facts

“Provides antioxidants that help protect cells against free radical damage.”

Daily dose	up to 690 mg total catechins a day
Support	Health Canada lists it at up to 690 mg of total catechins a day; no other listed source covers it.
Dose details	Adults 18 and older. Health Canada: not more than 690 mg of total catechins a day, including at most 300 mg EGCG and at most 150 mg caffeine; take with food; ask a health care practitioner for use beyond 12 weeks.
Form	Standardized green tea leaf extract (Camellia sinensis), counted as catechins, EGCG and caffeine
Source	Health Canada monograph: Green Tea Extract

Moderate evidenceWording 2

Claims Facts

“Used with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity, helps in weight management.”

Daily dose	136-300 mg EGCG a day
Support	Health Canada lists it at 136-300 mg EGCG with 75-150 mg caffeine a day; no other listed source covers it.
Dose details	Adults 18 and older. Health Canada: 136-300 mg EGCG and 75-150 mg caffeine a day, at an EGCG to caffeine ratio of 1.8:1 to 4:1, and not more than 690 mg of total catechins; take with food; ask a health care practitioner for use beyond 12 weeks.
Form	Standardized green tea leaf extract (Camellia sinensis), counted as catechins, EGCG and caffeine
Source	Health Canada monograph: Green Tea Extract

How strong the evidence is

Strong evidence: At least two listed sources support it independently at a comparable dose and form, and none disagrees.
Moderate evidence: One listed source supports it as an evidence-based use at that dose, and no listed source disagrees.
Limited evidence: The only support is traditional use, the sources disagree, or the source itself calls the evidence weak.

Wordings to avoid

What to leave out.

Claims Facts

Ingredient: Green tea extract

Wording to avoid	Reason
“Prevents breast or prostate cancer, outside FDA’s qualified wording”Names cancer. FDA’s qualified claim on green tea and these cancers has set wording (see fda_health_claims).	Disease
“Lowers cholesterol or blood pressure”Names medical conditions.	Disease
“Works like a prescription weight-loss drug”Presents the product as a drug.	Drug

Disease: names or implies a disease. Drug: names a drug or presents the product as one. Treatment: promises to treat, cure or prevent a condition.

Sources

Where this comes from.

All ingredient guides

Check the claims on your own site. Free.

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