Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) is a member of Fabaceae family, and used for making herbal tea. Rooibos tea is also called “South African red tea”. This product is already popular throughout the world. Rooibos tree only grows in a small area in Cederberg Region, Western Cape, South Africa. The leaves are oxidised or fermented to get the reddish brown color, thus creating the name “red rooibos tea”. Yet the green rooibos (the leaves without oxidation process) is also produced.
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Nutritional Value
Let us see the nutrient content per 200 ml (1 cup) of red rooibos tea:
| Components | Every 200 ml Tea |
| Calcium | 1,09 mg |
| Copper | 0,07 mg |
| Fluoride | 0,22 mg |
| Iron | 0,07 mg |
| Magnesium | 1,57 mg |
| Manganese | 0,04 mg |
| Potassium | 7,12 mg |
| Sodium | 6,16 mg |
| Zinc | 0,04 mg |
Red rooibos tea does not contain oxalic acid, so it is safe for people with kidney diseases, such as kidney failure or kidney stones. It also contains great amount of antioxidants. It is free caffeine and low in tannins, so it can be consumed in big amount without fearing the side effects of other type of tea. Thus, here is the health benefits of red rooibos tea.
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Red rooibos tea has many great benefits. It is already traditionally consumed as herbal tea in South Africa from generations to generations. The South African people consume the tea to maintain their health.
1. Rich in Antioxidants
Red rooibos tea contains plenty of polyphenols, which has antioxidant activity. Polyphenols are known to have anti-inflammation, anti-viral, and anti-mutagenic abilities. It also contain quercetins, aspalathin and nothofagin, other type of antioxidant. Antioxidants fight free radicals in our body, thus preventing us to get cancer and other degenerative diseases such as as heart diseases, alzheimer and dementia. Antioxidants also boost immune system, making the healing process much faster and preventing us to get sick.
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2. Free of Caffeine
Red rooibos tea does not contain caffeine at all. It is good to be consumed by people with insomnia. Doctors reccomend drinking a cup rooibos tea to improve quality of sleep. Caffeine is also linked with stress, mood and overall health. So, it is advisable to reduce the caffeine intake to get better mood. Caffeine intake also increases blood pressure, so red rooibos tea is ideal for people who suffers hypertension.
Caffeine is also used in many energy drinks, and the prolonged effects are not good at all, since it is linked with problems above, and it can cause addiction. Million of people have caffeine addiction, and they do not realize it. Therefore, red rooibos tea combined with malt and milk can be a substitute for usual energy drink, with less side effects. Red rooibos tea is very recommended for active people such as athletes, hyperactive children or travellers who need to drink plenty of beverages.
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3. Treatment of Hypertension
From the points above, we know that red rooibos tea can reduce stress, which plays big role in increasing blood pressure. Red rooibos tea also contains muscle relaxants which acts as vasodilator, thus reducing blood pressure. Persistent hypertension can lead to atherosclerosis (stiffening of blood vessels, stroke and heart diseases.
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4. Promotes Healthier Cardiovascular System
Red Rooibos tea contains quercetins, which prevent cardiovascular disorders. Quercetin is anti-inflammation, which fights free radical and reduces blood pressure by absorbing more HDL (good cholesterol) and preventing LDL (bad cholesterol) from binding onto the blood vessels. These activities protect us from developing of cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, strokes and heart diseases.
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5. Promotes Healthy Bones and Teeth
Red rooibos tea contains calcium, manganese, and fluoride. Those 3 minerals are important to maintain strong bones and teeth. We can prevent the risk of getting arthritis and osteoporosis by consuming foods and beverages rich in calcium. Manganese stimulates production of hormones and enzymes which are needed to produce new bone cells and repair bone damages.
Fluoride and calcium is needed to maintain the density of tooth enamels. That is why calcium and fluoride are often added in toothpastes and mouthwashes.
See also:Health Benefits of Calcium – Health Benefits of Sodium
6. Treatment of Colic or Stomach Pain
The first known benefit of red rooibos tea is to cure colic or stomach pain, especially in children. The sweet and nutty flavour, especially after adding some sweetened milk, is liked by children. Many South African mothers admit that red rooibos tea soothes colic suffered by their children. The words spread, and red rooibos tea then studied if it was possible to use the tea to cure other diseases. The anti-inflammation properties in red rooibos tea can soothe the colic in no time.
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7. Prevents Diarrhea
One of the best health benefits of red rooibos tea is to prevent diarrhea. Red rooibos tea has antispasmodic properties, which can soothe abdominal pain and stomach cramps. This is due to activation of K+ ions in the body without countering Ca2+ ions ‘ activity. These properties reduce the hyperactivity of gastrointestinal tract, thus preventing diarrhea.
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8. Treatment of Diabetes
Red rooibos tea contains aspalathin, an antioxidant which can balance the blood sugar. It acts by improving glucose absorbtion by the muscles, boosting insulin production and secretion by the pancreas and preventing insulin resistance. These activities prevent us to get Type 2 Diabetes. These activities also prevent the spikes and drops of blood sugar level in diabetic patients.
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9. Safe for Kidney Stones Patients
Red rooibos tea does not contain oxalic acid, a substance that can form kidney stones. Therefore, petients with kidney stones can drink red rooibos tea as much as they want. Other types of beverages, such as coffee and tea contain oxalic acid, therefore kidney stones patients are discouraged from drinking them.
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10. Treatment of Allergies
Red rooibos tea is used in many parts of South Africa to treat allergies such as eczema, asthma, allergic bronchitis and hay fever. The tea has antispasmodic, anti-inflammation and muscle relaxant properties, which can reduce the allergic reaction. Red rooibos tea powder can also applied to the skin to reduce itching and swelling.
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Thus, health benefits of red rooibos tea is also great for your beauty tricks.
11. Promotes Healthy Skin
Red rooibos tea contains Alpha Hydroxy Acid and Zinc, two compounds which is very important to reduce wrinkles and soothe the skin. We can apply red rooibos tea powder to affected skin, to cure acne, pimples, sunburns, skin rash, or eczema. We can also drink red rooibos tea along with using it topically to get the best effect faster.
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12. Prevents Premature Aging
Since red rooibos tea is high in antioxidant, it is good to delay aging. Drinking 1 cup of red rooibos tea can slow down aging process and boost immune system. We already know that early aging process can be caused by free radicals, therefore antioxidants in rooibos tea will fight them.
The early aging process of the brain and nervous systems can lead to alzheimer and dementia. By drinking red rooibos tea regularly, we can prevent ourselves from those diseases, and stimulate concentration, alertness, and focus.
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Red rooibos tea is very powerful and has many benefits, but it can react to other treatments, for example chemotherapy. The compounds in red rooibos tea also can be harmful for people with kidney or liver diseases, so it is advised to consume rooibos tea moderately (as preventive, not curative) in these patients. Rooibos tea also shows estrogenic activities, which is not good to consume if we have hormone-related diseases, such as precocious puberty, low sperm count, and breast cancer.
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In South Africa, red rooibos tea is often mixed with sugar and milk, but in other places the tea is drunk without any sugar or milk. The tea is said to taste sweet (even without added sugar) and has nutty flavour. The serving is just like usual tea, but it taste better when it is infused for longer time, creating reddish brown liquid, which is then called “red tea”.
Some cafes in South Africa also sell rooibos espresso, which is made of compacted red rooibos and served just like usual espresso (the one made of coffee). The cafes also sell other tea variants made of rooibos espresso, likered rooibos latte and red rooibos capuccino.
In red rooibos, there are some substances which make the drink tastes tangy. To eliminate the tangy flavour, The red rooibos tea bag is infused with hot water for a few seconds, then throw away the first infusion, then infuse the bag again for a few minutes. It needs 5-10 minutes infusion to obtain the reddish brown color.
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From the description above, we can see that red rooibos tea has so many great benefits. If we do not live in South Africa, we can buy rooibos tea online worldwide now. The price is not expensive at all, so most of us can buy it and feel the great benefits of this powerful tea.