Catechins – what are these compounds and where can they be found?
Emilia Szymańska
2026-03-18
3 min. read
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Fruits, vegetables, seeds, and herbs are not only nutritious and flavorful, but they also serve as rich sources of bioactive compounds with well-documented health benefits. Among these, flavonoids stand out due to their diverse beneficial properties, including diuretic, spasmolytic, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-ulcerative, anti-fungal, and antioxidant effects. Additionally, they contribute to the reinforcement of capillary walls. Catechins belong to a subgroup of flavonoids [1].
Catechins
Catechins are also a group of compounds. They include: epicatechin, epikatechin galusan, epigallocatechin and epigalocatechin gallusan. They have a beneficial effect primarily on the cardiovascular system (cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death in Poland). They are antibodies, i.e. they prevent pathological changes within the blood vessels caused by the aggregation of blood platelets, which occurs during inflammation of the blood or when the blood plaque is ruptured.
The catechist's performance
Of course, other teas also contain these compounds, but in smaller quantities. 1 litre of green tea contains an average of 420 mg of catechin and 250 mg of black tea. It is worth remembering the correct proportion of green teas. Depending on the type of tea, the exact method of production is important. Catechins are sensitive to fermentation, so their precious source will be green tea. Other teas of course also contain those compounds but in small amounts. 1 liter of Green tea contains on average 420 mg catechin, while black tea contains 250 mg. It's worth noting the proper proportion of tea.