You may absorb more powerful antioxidants by taking green tea extract capsules and supplements than sipping on green tea or black tea, according to new research.

What antioxidant?

Polyphenols, antioxidants found in green tea, are thought to be responsible for the benefits of green tea. In a new study, antioxidant activity over 8 hours was small but significantly greater after taking green tea extract capsules compared to drinking green tea, says researcher Susanne M. Henning, with the Center for Human Nutrition at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The Study

“Green and black tea polyphenols have been extensively studied as cancer chemopreventive agents,” she writes. Many lab studies have shown green and black tea to have antioxidant activity, but it’s unclear how much of an effect this has in humans.

Some studies have pointed out the effectiveness of green and white tea in the prevention of colon cancer, while other studies have shown the effectiveness of black tea in the prevention of heart disease by lowering LDL or bad cholesterol.

Green tea and green tea supplements contain higher amounts of polyphenols than black tea. “However, Darjeeling and Ceylon black tea contain unusually high amounts of polyphenols.” she writes. The black tea mentioned were the ones used in her studies.

However, few studies have looked at whether or not the body’s absorption of these polyphenols is affected by drinking green tea or taking tea extract supplements.

Green Tea vs. Black Tea

Her study examined the absorption of liquid green tea or black tea and green tea extract supplements in a group of 30 healthy men and women under the age of 40. Each was assigned to drink green tea, black tea or green tea extracts – one week for each type of drink or supplement.

Volunteers came to the UCLA lab for their daily green tea. UCLA staff carefully prepared the hot black and green tea, using 4 black tea bags or 3 green tea bags added to 15 ounces of water and steeped for 5 minutes. The number of tea bags was chosen to provide the same amount of polyphenols found in green tea capsules and supplements.

Cups of tea were served immediately with or without sugar or milk. After each week of daily tea, volunteers had a “no-tea” week. Blood levels were collected before and hours after drinking the tea or extract.

Even though liquid green or black tea had more polyphenols than the supplements, more polyphenols was absorbed by the body with the supplements.

Green tea capsules and supplements contained the highest amount of antioxidants in the blood compared to the liquid black or green tea.

The researchers say that the study shows the potential of future therapies in chemoprevention with supplements of tea polyphenols.