Standardized Extract

What it is

A standardized extract is a botanical (herb) extract processed so that it contains a guaranteed, consistent amount of one or more marker compounds — usually expressed as a percentage. For example, "green tea extract standardized to 50% EGCG" means half its weight is the active catechin EGCG. Standardization exists because raw plants vary batch to batch; standardizing makes the dose of the active reproducible.

What it does

• Ensures consistency. Each capsule delivers a predictable amount of the active compound rather than whatever happened to be in that harvest.
• Makes dosing meaningful. "300 mg standardized to 50% EGCG" tells you there's ~150 mg of EGCG — something you can compare to research.
• Allows fair comparison between products, if you compare the standardized active, not just the total extract weight.

What it does NOT do

• It does not mean the whole product is safe or effective — only that the marker compound is present at a stated level.
• A higher percentage isn't automatically better. More concentrated actives can also mean you reach a risky dose sooner (concentrated green tea extract and liver risk is a good example).
• The marker compound may not be the only thing that matters. Standardization tracks one (or a few) compounds; a plant's full effect can involve others not measured.

Forms and how to use it

• Compare botanicals by their standardized active amount (e.g. mg of EGCG, mg of a named marker), not by raw "extract" milligrams or vague "10:1" ratios.
• Cross-check the standardized dose against doses used in human studies.
• Look for products that state both the extract amount and the standardization percentage.

Sources

1. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Botanical dietary supplements.
2. US Food & Drug Administration. Dietary Supplement Labeling Guide.