Rooibos Tea Health Benefits

Unmatched health benefits of rooibos

Health Benefits of Rooibos Tea

• Provides a natural anti-oxidant to protect the body against free radical agents
• Caffeine free
• Relieves stomach and indigestive problems
• Has anti-spasmodic agents that can relieve colic in infants
• Effective in the management of allergies
• Has a soothing effect on the skin
• Aids in kilojoule restricted diet
• Contains no oxalic acid
• Excellent health promoting beverage for pregnant women and children

Rooibos Tea In Depth

Rooibos (Afrikaans for 'red bush'; pronounced 'ROY-BOSS; scientific name Aspalathus linearis) is a member of the legume family of plants, and is commonly used to make a tisane (herbal tea). It belongs to the Aspalathus plant group, which consists of more than 200 species originating in the Cedarberg mountains of South Africa (rooibos grows exclusively in the Cedarberg Mountain region and around Clanwilliam and Citrusdal, due to the specific climatic and geological conditions of the region).

Large-scale cultivation and industrial processing of the plant started during the 1930s. The leaves of the bush are harvested, bruised and finely chopped, wetted and left to ferment in rolls or mounds, finally they are dried in the sun. The fermentation process enriches the flavour and gives to the leaves their distinctive red colour (rooibos is often marketed as red tea). The resulting product is then boiled or steeped like tea to make a beverage that is enjoyed both hot and cold. In its native South Africa, many people consume it with milk, similar to the British tradition of drinking black tea with milk.

This bush tea is prominently featured in the The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. It is reported that the sales of rooibos have greatly increased as a result of being mentioned so often in this series.

Rooibos has also found its way into health and beauty products, and is widely claimed to have been used by the ancient Bushmen (San people) of the region. It is free of caffeine, and contains Aspalathin, a flavonoid present in medicinal herbs used to treat skin and circulatory disorders. It is low in tannin, which inhibits absorption of minerals, at 4.4 percent. It contains traces of fluoride, calcium and manganese.

Japanese research into the effects of oligosaccharides, also found in Rooibos, indicates that these compounds may aid the immune system in fighting viral infections.

Rooibos extracts may have also been shown to have anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic effects.

Rooibos is rich in flavonoid antioxidants which mimics the activity of Super Oxide Dismutase (S.O.D.), by scavenging free radicals.

Other purported benefits include:
Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties, relief of hay fever, asthma and allergies, relief of insomnia and nervous tension, relief of constipation, stomach cramps and colic in infants, easing skin conditions including acne, eczema and nappy/diaper rash. (Information sourced from: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) & Our Product Development Team in Cape Town, South Africa)

More about Rooibos Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Aspalathus
Species: A. linearis
Binomial name Aspalathus linearis
Spotlight on Honeybush Rush: Honeybush (Cyclopia spp.) is indigenous to the cape of South Africa (1, 2). It is used to make a beverage and a medicinal tea, having a pleasant, mildly sweet taste and aroma, somewhat like honey. It has become internationally known as a substitute for ordinary tea (Camellia sinensis). With the dramatic growth in the use of honeybush during the past five years, export of honeybush tea products is now a major industry, following up on the success of another tea substitute from South Africa-rooibos. Learn more about honeybush tea here.

If you are interested in a sample or learning more about acquiring Cape Rooibos Tea or any of our tea options, send us an e-mail at clifford@southafricans.com.

Cheers to healthy drinking!