Update 7/19/22. Green Tea CR is a popular herbal antioxidant supplement advertised on TV in commercials featuring Chris Kilham, the “medicine hunter.” The supplement is said to improve not energy, and heart health and even help your joints feel better. So, does Green Tea CR really work? In this detailed review, you'll learn about the ingredients in the supplement and their proof. Does it have any side effects you should be aware of? You'll learn that too. Let's see what we can discover.
Green Tea CR Benefits
From the website it's said Green Tea CR provides the following benefits:
- Brain Function
- Energy
- Cardiovascular Health
- Healthy Circulation
- Liver Health
- Healthy Metabolic Support
- Joint Comfort
Green Tea CR Research
I searched the website of the company which makes Green Tea CR (PurityProducts.com) for research on the product. Unfortunately, I didn't see any listed. When I searched online for “Green Tea CR Research” and “Green Tea CR Clinical Studies” I likewise didn't see anything either.
Therefore I'm forced to conclude the Green Tea CR- itself – appears to not have been clinically tested in humans. That said, there is research on its ingredients which I'll discuss below.
Green Tea CR Ingredients
The TV commercial specifically mentions these 3 ingredients in the product.
- Green tea extract
- Curcumin
- Resveratrol
This is where the “CR” in the name comes from – Curcumin and Resveratrol.
But, when I went to the product's website, I found supplement has several other ingredients. Each bottle of Green Tea CR has 30 servings. A serving is 2 veggie casuals. So, each bottle has 60 veggie caps.
Here is the Nutrition Facts label for 2 veggie caps for the supplement:
| Ingredient | Amount Per Serving | Percent Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 10 | |
| Calories from fat | 10 | |
| Total fat | 1 gram | 2% DV |
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 60 mg | 100% DV |
| Green tea extract (camellia sinensis ) leaves | 183.68 mg | N/A |
| Grapeseed extract (Vitis vinifera) seed | 10 mg | N/A |
| Pine bark extract (pinus massoniana) bark | 10 mg | N/A |
| Ellagic acid | 10 mg | N/A |
| Citrus bioflavonoids | 10 mg | N/A |
| Licorice root powder (Glycyrrhiza glabra) | 5 mg | N/A |
| Trans-resveratrol (from polygonum cuspidatum (root) extract) | 10 mg | N/A |
| BCM-95 (Bio-curcumin) total curcumoids 215 mg | 250 mg | N/A |
Let's briefly cover some of these ingredients below
Green Tea Extract
Green tea is the first ingredient listed in Green Tea CR and it accounts for most of what makes up the product. Each 2 veggie capsules contain 183.68 mg of green tea extract.
If I'm reading their label correct (I might not be), they tell us that this extract contains 180 mg of polyphenols (which makes up 98% of the product) and 82.65 mg of EGCG (which makes up 45% of the product). But 98% and 45% don't add up to 100%?
In addition, 180 mg + 82.65 mg = 262.65 mg which is more than the 183.68 mg listed. I called Purity Products but unfortunately their customer service rep could not shed light on this.
In the TV commercial, it's said that “green tea antioxidants are some of the most highly beneficial of all the antioxidants in the world.” One thing that makes understanding the research murky is comparing green tea supplements to drinking green tea
While drinking green tea is great, I have been somewhat cautious of green tea supplements in light of some strange reports that appear to link green tea-containing supplements to liver problems.
In many of the cases, green tea was in a supplement that contained other ingredients. S0, was it green tea that caused the liver problems, or is it something else? See this review for more info on green tea and liver problems.
The liver toxicity associated with green-tea-containing supplements appears to be low, but until more research is done, I speak to your doctor or pharmacist for more up-to-date and specific information.
See the review of Supplements and Liver Failure for more research.
Let me be clear. I do not write these words to disparage any supplement or alarm anyone. Rather, I just feel it's important to mention this in the hopes that it helps someone reading these words.
Green Tea And Glutathione
Glutathione is an antioxidant compound that we make. Levels rise and fall as we need it, although some severe diseases deplete it. As we age, though, glutathione levels tend to fall. During the TV commercial, it was mentioned that green tea can raise glutathione levels. Indeed there is some evidence for this.
In one study, both green tea supplements and drinking decaffeinated Bigalow green tea were shown to raise glutathione levels in 35 overweight people who had metabolic syndrome (pre-diabetes) after 8 weeks of use.
Another compound that can raise glutathione levels is N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC). For more on that supplement, see my review of Life Shotz.
Green Tea And Weight Loss
I think the TV commercial danced around the issue of green tea and “healthy weight management.” So, let me try to clear that up: Green tea won't help people lose weight.
In this review, the authors found green tea did not help people lose weight. They noted there might be a small reduction in fat mass but it was not significant -in other words, it might not be real and even if it was, most people would probably not notice it.
Video: Can Green Tea Help Diabetes?
Watch on my Youtube channel if you like
Curcumin
Curcumin is said to be the main active ingredient in the spice, turmeric. The stuff that makes up curcumin are called “curcuminoids.” Curcumin is an antioxidant and there is evidence that curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties. This anti-inflammatory effect is likely at the root of the “joint comfort” claim for Green Tea CR. Two capsules of Green Tea CR provide 250 mg of curcumin.
Curcumin is an interesting spice (and supplement). In addition to its anti-inflammatory effects, it also seems to raise nitric oxide, a compound that helps blood vessels stay healthy.
While several studies have looked at osteoarthritis, one study noted that 500 mg of curcumin also helped people with rheumatoid arthritis too.
Green Tea CR contains a specific, patented brand of curcumin called BCM-95, made by a company called Arjuna Natural Extracts, based in India. BCM-95 is a combination of curcumin and the essential oil of curcumin, called Ar-turmerone.
Resveratrol
Like green tea and curcumin, resveratrol also has antioxidant properties. It also has some anti-inflammatory properties too. Resveratrol is a compound found in grapes as well as other foods. It's the reason why some people say red wine (and grape juice) is good for us.
I liked that Green Tea CR provides the most active form of this molecule – trans-resveratrol.
Note, “trans” has nothing to do with trans fat. The word “trans” is science talk and refers to the different shapes that a molecule can have. Different shapes can result in different effects in the body.
Resveratol, along with green tea and curcumin likely are at the center of the brain and heart health claims of the supplement. There is a LOT of research on resveratrol for many different health conditions, including even the aging process. But, how much resveratrol works best?
I don't think we have this answer to this yet.
For more on anti-aging supplements, see these reviews
Grape Seed Extract
The scientific name for grapes is Vitis vinifera. While they tell us the scientific name, they don't tell us what extract of grape seeds they are using. This makes evaluating it difficult.
Pine Bark Extract
While they don't tell us what extract from pine bark they are using, I wonder if it might be Pycnogenol. They tell us that 95% of this extract is made up of proanthocyanidins, which are a class of phytonutrients. While this is nice, these are not the only things in pycnogenol. My personal opinion is focusing on any single ingredient reduces the effectiveness of what is naturally found in foods.
Regardless, 2 capsules only provide 10 mg of pine bark extract. Will that do anything significant in people? I don't know. In this study of pycnogenol and memory, researchers gave people 150 mg.
Ellagic Acid
If you eat berries, you are likely getting some of this stuff already. It's a type of phytonutrient called a polyphenol. Ellagic acid is an antioxidant and probably has anti-inflammation properties too.
When I wrote this review, much of the research I saw for ellagic acid involved isolated cells or lab animals. That's not to say it doesn't benefit us too – I'm sure it does. I just don't think the human research is there yet.
Citrus Bioflavonoids
They tell us the bioflavonoids come from citrus fruits, but without knowing which bioflavonoids are in the product, I can't comment on it.
Licorice Root Powder
Licorice has anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation plays a role in many degenerative conditions. I'd need to know why this ingredient is present to speak further on it.
BCM-95
This refers to the specific type of curcumin in Green Tea CR. There are many studies involving BCM-95. I covered this ingredient above. Another product that also contained BCM-95 was
Other Ingredients
The product label also lists these other ingredients in Green Tea CR.
| Rice bran oil | Vegetable cellulose (for the veggie capsule) |
| Vegetable wax | Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopheryl) |
| Chlorophyll |
I don't believe any of these plays a significant role in how the product works.
Who Makes Green Tea CR?
Green Tea CR is a supplement from Purity Products. Their website is PurityProducts.com and their company address: 200 Terminal Drive Plainview NY, 11803. If you google this address, you can see that it does indeed show a building that says “Purity Products.” That's good.
I like that Purity Products is a real company. Not all supplement companies actually exist as a physical building. Some exist only as PO Box.
The BBB gave Purity Products a rating of “A+” when the review was updated. See the BBB file for updates and more information.
Contact Purity Products
To contact Purity Product, here is their customer service number of 888 769 7873.
The AutoShip Program
If you purchase Green Tea CR there may be an auto-ship program if you buy it directly from the company. If this is important to you, be sure to ask about it when you order. If you need to cancel the auto-shipments call the company at 888-769-7873.
Buy Green Tea CR
This supplement may be purchased at many familiar stores such as Bed Bath and Beyond, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Costco, Sams Club, and Target among others.
Who is Chris Kilham?
According to his website MedicineHunter.com Mr. Kilham is an educator and on the medical advisory board of the Dr. Oz show as well as Fox News. He's an accomplished author of several books.
Green Tea CR Side Effects
I think if you are healthy, Green Tea CR is safe. That said here are a few things worth mentioning for those who may not be “healthy.” This list is not complete:
- Start with less for the first week to see how you respond.
- Speak to your doctor if you have issues with heart disease, blood pressure, liver problems, breast cancer, ulcers, take blood thinner medications or ANY medications for that matter.
- Stop taking the product at least 2 weeks before having surgery.
- Speak to your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Does Green Tea CR Work?
The ingredients in Green Tea CR are interesting and make some sense. That said, it would take clinical research to know for sure if the
