Although green tea is an excellent source of green teacatechins (GTCs), results from several studies indicate that GTCs areabsorbed only partially in rat and human intestines (Zhu, Zhang, Tsang,Huang, & Chen, 1997). Two important concepts related to the absorption of antioxidants are bio-accessibility, or the amount of antioxidantsreleased from the food matrix and presented to the small intestine; andbio-availability, or the amount of antioxidants passing through the cellmembrane and available for use within the cell (Wootton-Beard, Moran,& Ryan, 2011). The absorption of polyphenolic compounds is considered to be limited due to their chemical structures; moreover, thefactors involved in the bio-availability of polyphenols are their stabilityunder gastrointestinal conditions and their bio-accessibility(Tagliazucchi, Verzelloni, Bertolini, & Conte, 2010). These may also belimiting factors for the bio-availability of these compounds and theirefficacy in terms of providing the desired beneficial health effects