Ingredient profile
Green Tea Extract in Sodaslim: 98 mg of Catechins, Explained
Each Sodaslim capsule has 130 mg of green tea extract, about 98 mg of catechins and 58 mg of EGCG, with under 4 mg of caffeine. Cochrane trials used 141 to 1,207 mg of catechins, and outside Japan the weight effect was about zero (Cochrane: Green tea for weight loss). Extract pills are a known, uncommon cause of liver injury (LiverTox: Green tea).
Written by the Sodaslim editorial teamUpdated
The basics
What is green tea extract?
Green tea extract is a concentrated powder made from tea leaves. It packs the leaf's catechins, mainly EGCG, into a small dose.
Catechins are plant compounds called polyphenols. EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) is the most concentrated one, and it is the one most often studied (LiverTox: Green tea). The extract also carries a little caffeine.
Sodaslim's label is unusually precise. It lists "Green Tea Extract (Camellia sinensis)(leaf)(98% polyphenols, 75% catechins, 45% EGCG, <3% caffeine)" at 130 mg. From those percentages, one capsule gives about 98 mg of catechins, 58 mg of EGCG and under 4 mg of caffeine.
| Label name | Green Tea Extract (Camellia sinensis)(leaf)(98% polyphenols, 75% catechins, 45% EGCG, <3% caffeine) |
|---|---|
| What it is | Camellia sinensis leaf · Plant extract (catechins) |
| Position on the label | Printed with its own amount |
| Amount per serving (1 capsule) | 130 mg, printed (about 98 mg catechins, 58 mg EGCG) |
| Amount used in research | 141-1,207 mg of catechins a day in trials |
| Strength of evidence | About zero outside Japan |
| Why it is used | Concentrated green tea catechins such as EGCG |
| Main caution | Extract pills are a known, uncommon cause of liver injury. |
Dose check
How much green tea extract is in Sodaslim compared with studies?
Sodaslim gives about 98 mg of catechins a day, just under the lowest dose in the Cochrane trials, 141 mg. The highest trial dose was 1,207 mg (Cochrane: Green tea for weight loss).
| Source | Catechins | EGCG | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sodaslim green tea extract, 1 capsule | About 98 mg | About 58 mg | Under 4 mg |
| Cochrane weight trials, per day | 141 to 1,207 mg | Varied | Varied |
| Minnesota trial, per day for 12 months | Not given | 843 mg | Not given |
| Brewed green tea, 12 fl oz | Not in our sources | Not in our sources | About 37 mg |
The green tea extract adds very little caffeine. Nearly all of Sodaslim's roughly 140 mg comes from caffeine anhydrous, at 138 mg.
At a glance
Green tea extract in Sodaslim in five numbers
Evidence
Does green tea extract help you lose weight?
Outside Japan, the effect was about zero. The Cochrane review pooled six non-Japanese trials with 532 people and found an average change of 0.04 kg, which is not significant (Cochrane: Green tea for weight loss).
The trials ran for 12 to 13 weeks. Eight trials in Japan reported losses of 0.2 to 3.5 kg, but they differed too much to pool. Two trials on keeping weight off found no benefit (Cochrane: Green tea for weight loss). The Cochrane authors concluded that the small loss was unlikely to matter clinically.
NCCIH, part of the NIH, says catechins and caffeine together may have a modest effect on body weight (NCCIH: Green tea). That word "together" matters. Much of any effect may come from caffeine, which Sodaslim already supplies.
Sodaslim's 98 mg of catechins sits below every dose Cochrane reviewed. If the higher doses did little outside Japan, a lower dose is unlikely to do more.
Tea or extract
Is green tea extract the same as drinking green tea?
No, and the difference matters for safety. NCCIH says liver injury from green tea is linked mainly to extract tablets and capsules, not to brewed tea (NCCIH: Green tea).
An extract delivers catechins in one concentrated dose. LiverTox notes that green tea extract appears in many over-the-counter weight-loss products, and that is where most liver cases come from (LiverTox: Green tea).
A 12-ounce cup of brewed green tea has about 37 mg of caffeine (FDA: How much caffeine is too much). If you drink green tea while taking Sodaslim, count that caffeine toward your daily total.
Liver safety
Can green tea extract hurt your liver?
Yes, uncommonly. LiverTox gives green tea extract an "A" score, meaning a well-established cause of liver injury, with more than 100 cases reported (LiverTox: Green tea).
Injury usually began 1 to 6 months after starting. It looked like hepatitis. Most people recovered after stopping, but fatal liver failure has occurred (LiverTox: Green tea). EGCG is the catechin most often blamed. A weight-loss extract called Exolise was pulled from sale in Spain and France in 2003 (LiverTox: Green tea).
A Minnesota trial gave 843 mg of EGCG a day for 12 months and saw liver enzymes rise in some people (NIH ODS: Weight-loss supplements (HP)). Sodaslim's 58 mg is about one fourteenth of that. NCCIH adds that people with a certain immune gene variant, 5 to 15% of Americans, appear more prone to this injury (NCCIH: Green tea).
Dark urine, yellow skin or eyes, belly pain, nausea or unusual tiredness. Most people never have these signs. If they appear, stop the capsules and get your liver checked.
Medicines
Does green tea extract interact with medicines?
Yes, with a few. NCCIH says green tea can lower blood levels of nadolol, a blood pressure drug, and atorvastatin, a cholesterol drug. It also lists an interaction with raloxifene, a bone medicine (NCCIH: Green tea).
- Nadolol: green tea may lower the amount in your blood
- Atorvastatin: green tea may lower the amount in your blood
- Raloxifene: an interaction is reported
- Any medicine: the label says to ask a physician first
Other side effects
Extract users have reported nausea, constipation, belly discomfort and raised blood pressure (NCCIH: Green tea). Cochrane found side effects in trials were mostly mild (Cochrane: Green tea for weight loss). The Sodaslim side effects page puts these together with the caffeine effects.
Our view
Is the green tea extract in Sodaslim worth it?
It is the best-labeled ingredient in the capsule, and among the least likely to change your weight. The dose is below trial levels, which also keeps liver exposure lower than in the case reports.
In its favor
- Full standardization printed: catechins, EGCG, caffeine
- 58 mg of EGCG, far below the 843 mg linked to raised enzymes
- Adds under 4 mg of caffeine
Against it
- Below the lowest Cochrane trial dose
- About zero effect on weight outside Japan
- Extract pills are a known cause of rare liver injury
For the full liver story, read our post on garcinia and green tea extract liver safety.
FAQ
Green tea extract in Sodaslim: common questions
Is 58 mg of EGCG a day safe?
No study sets an exact safe limit, but 58 mg is low. Each Sodaslim capsule gives about 58 mg of EGCG. A Minnesota trial that raised liver enzymes in some people used 843 mg a day for 12 months (NIH ODS: Weight-loss supplements (HP)), about 14 times more. Rare reactions can still occur.
Does green tea extract help with belly fat?
No good evidence shows that. The Cochrane review found an average change of 0.04 kg in trials outside Japan, which is not significant (Cochrane: Green tea for weight loss). None of the trials showed fat loss from one body area, and Sodaslim's dose is below every trial dose.
How common is liver injury from green tea extract pills?
It is uncommon, but well established. LiverTox counts more than 100 reported cases and rates green tea extract a known cause of liver injury (LiverTox: Green tea). Most people who take it have no problem. Stop and see a doctor if you get dark urine, yellow eyes or belly pain.
How much caffeine is in Sodaslim's green tea extract?
Under 4 mg per capsule. The label says the extract is under 3% caffeine, and 3% of 130 mg is 3.9 mg. Most of Sodaslim's roughly 140 mg of caffeine comes from 138 mg of caffeine anhydrous.
Can I drink green tea while taking Sodaslim?
Usually yes, if you count the caffeine. A 12-ounce cup of brewed green tea has about 37 mg (FDA: How much caffeine is too much). Healthy adults should stay under 400 mg a day from all sources. Brewed tea is not the form linked to liver injury (NCCIH: Green tea).
Does green tea extract interact with statins?
It can. NCCIH says green tea can lower blood levels of atorvastatin, a common statin, and of nadolol, a blood pressure drug (NCCIH: Green tea). If you take either, ask your doctor or pharmacist before starting Sodaslim.
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
Plain-language pages built from the bottle label, the order page and linked public health sources such as NIH, FDA and CDC.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by a U.S. retail desk for Sodaslim, not by the manufacturer. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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Caffeine anhydrous
138 mg of caffeine anhydrous, about one cup of coffee. What it does, how long it lasts and who should skip it.
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Side effects
Caffeine effects, medicine interactions, the rare liver signs to know and a quick check before you start.
Read moreLicensed U.S. retail desk for Sodaslim
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