The Health Benefits of Rooibos...(Red Tea)
Rooibos, Afrikaans for "red bush" is a broom-like member of the legume family of plants.
The plant is used to make a herbal tea called rooibos tea, bush tea redbush tea, South African red tea or red tea. The product has been popular in southern Africa for generations and is now consumed in many countries. It is sometimes spelled rooibosch in accordance with the Dutch etymology, but this does not change the pronunciation.
With its many positive attributes, Rooibos tea is a great choice of drink for health conscious people.
Rooibos tea contains no colors, additives or preservatives, making it a natural beverage. It contains no caffeine. According to studies conducted in South Africa and Japan Rooibos has been shown to aid in health problems such as insomnia, irritability, headaches, nervous tension, and hypertension.
Studies also show that this tea relieves anti- spasmodic agents, which can relieve stomach cramping and colic in infants.
In South Africa Rooibos has been used to treat allergies such as hay fever, asthma and eczema very effectively .
It is also used to treat irritated skin. Rooibos is brewed and placed directly on infected areas. Rooibos contains anti - oxidants which can help slow the aging process and boost the immune system.
Rooibos is a great thirst quencher and is an excellent beverage for active people, including children.
This tea contains no oxalic acid, making it a good beverage for people prone to kidney stones. Rooibos contains the minerals, copper, iron and potassium, calcium, fluoride, zinc, manganese, alpha- hydroxy ( for healthy skin ) and magnesium ( for the nervous system ) are also components of this tea. In South Africa pregnant women and nursing mothers drink Rooibos because it contains no caffeine.
In South Africa it is more common to drink rooibos with milk and sugar, but elsewhere it is usually served without. The flavour of rooibos tea is often described as being sweet (without sugar added) and slightly nutty. Rooibos can be prepared in the same manner as black tea, and this is the most common method. Unlike black tea, however, rooibos does not become bitter when steeped for a long time; some households leave the tea to steep for days at a time. Rooibos tea is a reddish brown colour, explaining why rooibos is sometimes referred to as "red tea". Unlike some higher quality oolong or green teas, rooibos is often only good for a very limited re-steeping as there is a sharp drop off in brewing after the first infusion.
Several coffee shops in South Africa have recently begun to sell red espresso, which is concentrated rooibos served and presented in the style of ordinary espresso (which is normally coffee-based). This has given rise to rooibos-based variations of coffee drinks such as red lattes and red cappuccinos. Iced tea made from rooibos has recently been introduced in South Africa as well, and in Australia as Lipton "Red Tea, Rooibos & Guarana".
Rooibos is becoming more popular in Western countries particularly among health-conscious consumers, due to its high level of antioxidants such as aspalathin and nothofagin, its lack of caffeine, and its low tannin levels compared to fully oxidized black tea or unoxidized green tea leaves.[citation needed] Rooibos also contains a number of phenolic compounds, including flavanols, flavones, flavanones, flavonols, and dihydrochalcones.
Rooibos is purported to assist with nervous tension, allergies and digestive problems.
Traditional medicinal uses of rooibos in South Africa include alleviating infantile colic, allergies, asthma and dermatological problems.
"Green" rooibos (see above) has a higher antioxidant capacity than fully oxidized rooibos. It carries a malty flavour somewhat different from its red counterpart.
While green tea has been getting its name around the block, red tea has taken a little longer to become a household name, but its sales are said to be soaring on the back of its purported health benefits.
Red tea, like green tea, boasts a host of health benefits - research suggests that rooibos red tea may protect against cancer, skin cancer, heart attack, and stroke.
Rooibos is now widely available in the States - exported from South Africa by Rooibos Ltd to be included in brands such as Celestial Seasonings, The Republic of Tea and The Stash Tea Company.
