**3. Metabolism of polyphenols in tea**

Many scientists are curious about the metabolism of green tea after it has been taken by humans. Human participants were given 500-mL bottles of green tea, and over 24 hours, urine and plasma samples were collected for the study. Green tea includes flavan-3-ols, (−)-epigallocatechin, (−)-epicatechin, (+)-gallocatechin, (−)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), and (−)-epicatechin-3-O-gallate (EgCG) [24].

The major epicatechin conjugates identified in the blood sample were (−)-epicatechin-3′-O-glucuronide, (−)-epicatechin-3′-O-sulfate, and 3′-O-methyl-(−)-epicatechin-O-sulfate.
