Compounds found in tea, called theaflavins and thearubigins, prevent obesity

But don't drink your tea with milk! A study by scientists in Japan, which is published this month in the journal of Nutrition, reveals that extracts from tea leaves inhibits the absorption of fat in the gut of rats being fed high fat diets. These rats also had less fat tissue on their bodies and lower fat content in their livers. The researchers now believe this could explain why people in Britain appear not to benefit from the healthy affects of tea despite being among the world's biggest consumers of the beverage. Dr. Devajit Borthakur, a scientist the Tea Research Association, in Jorhat, India, said: "When tea is taken with milk, theaflavins and thearubigins form complexes with the milk protein, which causes them to precipitate. "It means that we don't get the health benefit from these compounds nor from milk protein. Therefore, it is always advised to take tea without milk.