7 Incredible Health Benefits of Rooibos
What is Rooibos? | Benefits of Rooibos | How to Make Rooibos Tea | Where to Buy Rooibos
Rooibos tea isn't as well-known as green or black tea , but like them, it has numerous health benefits . Rooibos contains antioxidants, enzymes, and nutrients that can help with weight loss , strengthen your heart , or make your skin look more beautiful . Read on to learn more about these and other health benefits of rooibos.
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What is rooibos?
Rooibos tea, also known as red bush tea or African red tea, is a tea made from the leaves of the Apalathus linearis plant . Rooibos means "red bush" in Afrikaans and refers to the deep crimson color obtained when infused.
Rooibos or rooibos tea is not actually a tea, as it is not made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, but rather a herbal infusion and therefore does not contain theine.
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Origin
The rooibos plant is grown in the Cederberg Mountains, located about 300 km north of Cape Town. This plant is a national treasure for South Africans , as it is not grown anywhere else in the world.
Guys
There are two main types of Rooibos tea: red Rooibos (which we simply call Rooibos in Spain) and green Rooibos . Both varieties come from the same plant, but undergo different production methods .
In red rooibos the leaves are harvested and oxidized.
In green rooibos, the leaves are not oxidized and undergo a production process similar to that of green tea, with the leaves being harvested and dried to prevent oxidation.
Flavor
Rooibos tea has a flavor and color similar to hibiscus tea, with floral notes , a slightly acidic finish, and a dark red color.
Depending on the oxidation process the rooibos leaves undergo, the flavor of your infusion will tend toward smoky, sweet, or woody flavors . It may also have notes of honey, caramel, or vanilla .
Green rooibos has a more vegetal flavor than traditional rooibos, with herbal notes and a fresher finish. Its infusion is lighter and fuller-bodied than traditional rooibos.
7 Health Benefits of Rooibos
- Helps you lose weight
- Protects the heart
- Eliminates free radicals
- Helps control diabetes
- Improves the appearance of the skin
- Build stronger bones
- Relieves allergy symptoms
1. Helps you lose weight
Drinking rooibos tea can help you lose weight faster . Since it's calorie-free, it's a perfect alternative to sugary sodas and juices. Its slightly sweet taste is enough to fill you up and eliminate unnecessary calories.
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2. Protects the heart
Rooibos tea has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce inflammation in blood vessels. This improves circulation, lowers blood pressure, and helps reduce the risk of heart attacks.
Studies also show that rooibos tea can improve cholesterol levels. In a trial of overweight adults, those who drank rooibos tea daily reduced their bad cholesterol, or LDL, and increased their good cholesterol, or HDL.
Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels provides additional protection against various heart diseases, heart attacks, and strokes.
3. Eliminates free radicals
Like green tea, rooibos tea contains powerful antioxidants that help eliminate free radicals from our bodies. Free radicals cause oxidative damage to cells and have been linked to numerous diseases and aging.
The antioxidants in rooibos tea may also help eliminate toxins from the body. These effects have been demonstrated in animal studies, but more evidence in humans is still needed.
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4. Helps control diabetes
Rooibos tea doesn't cure diabetes, but it can help reduce insulin resistance and improve symptoms when consumed regularly. This is due to its content of a polyphenol known as aspalathin.
The aspalathin present in rooibos tea absorbs glucose and suppresses the increase in fasting glucose levels that can cause blood sugar spikes in diabetics.
5. Improves the appearance of the skin
Rooibos tea naturally contains alpha hydroxy acids, which are one of the main ingredients in skin care treatments . These acids are not common in foods.
In a 28-day clinical study, a 10% improvement in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles was demonstrated in people receiving a green tea and rooibos tea-based formula. Rooibos tea produces a soothing effect, reducing irritation, resulting in more even skin tone .
Rooibos tea also contains superoxide dismutase, an enzyme with anti-aging properties that works to produce healthy skin cells.
6. Build stronger bones
Rooibos tea contains minerals such as calcium, manganese, and fluoride, which help strengthen bones. These minerals increase the activity of osteoblasts, the cells responsible for bone growth and development.
Many teas and infusions contain these essential minerals that help protect bones and prevent diseases such as osteoporosis and arthritis, but rooibos tea also contains luteolin and orientin, two flavonoids that are even more beneficial for bone health , as they have the potential to increase the mineral content in bones, making them stronger.
7. Relieves allergy symptoms
Rooibos tea contains a bioactive flavonoid called chrysoeriol, which has a bronchodilator effect. For this reason, rooibos may help relieve symptoms caused by allergies and asthma.
Another compound present in rooibos tea, quercetin, helps prevent allergies from developing. Quercetin blocks mast cells, which are responsible for releasing histamine, the main trigger of allergic reactions.
While rooibos tea is not a substitute for medical allergy treatments, drinking a few cups of rooibos regularly can limit the overactive immune response that causes allergies.
How to prepare rooibos tea?
Step 1: Prepare the rooibos leaves. Add one or two teaspoons of rooibos tea leaves to each cup, depending on how strong or weak your infusion is.
Step 2: Prepare the water. Since rooibos doesn't contain tea, there's no risk of making the infusion bitter by steeping it too long. Bring the water to a boil and let the rooibos leaves steep for at least 5 minutes.
Step 3: Consume. You can drink it as is or add a little milk, just like you would with black tea.
Where to buy rooibos?
You can find rooibos tea in any supermarket, although the rooibos you'll find in these larger stores is of low quality. If you want to buy good quality rooibos, we recommend buying it from specialty tea shops.
At Replantea you can buy top-quality organic rooibos tea in various combinations, such as rooibos with vanilla and calendula , rooibos with lime , superior rooibos or rooibos chai .
Sources
- Persson, I., Persson, K., Hägg, S., & Andersson, R. (2010). Effects of green tea, black tea and Rooibos tea on angiotensin-converting enzyme and nitric oxide in healthy volunteers. Public Health Nutrition, 13 (5), 730-737.
- (2010) Oxidative stress and Alzheimer's disease: dietary polyphenols as potential therapeutic agents , Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 10:5, 729-745.
- (2018) Protective effects of fermented honeybush ( Cycopia intermedia) extract (HU-018) against skin aging: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study, Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 20:5, 313-318.
- Gregory L Hostetler, Robin A Ralston, Steven J Schwartz, Flavones: Food Sources, Bioavailability, Metabolism, and Bioactivity , Advances in Nutrition , Volume 8, Issue 3, May 2017, Pages 423–435.
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