One reason that tea may have health benefits is because of the weight loss effects seen with regular consumption. The exact reason for this is not fully understood, but a number of mechanisms have been described including the ability of caffeine to raise metabolic rate, the ability of L-theanine to cause a calming anti-stress effect, as well as the fact that when a person consumed tea, they are obviously not consuming high amounts of energy. Tea is also often drunk with milk, which may also be a weight loss food. However, tea contains flavonoids and tannins and evidence suggests that these phytochemicals may interact with starch and sugar in the gut and delay or inhibit its absorption. In rats for example, tea extracts can inhibit the α-glucosidase enzyme responsible for the breakdown of maltase. In cell culture experiments, epigallocatechin (a flavonoid in green tea) has been shown to inhibit human sucrase activity. Therefore, regularly consuming tea may have significant effects on the absorption of carbohydrates.
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