Rooibos tea is also known as red tea or red bush tea. It is made using leaves from a shrub called Aspalathus linearis, usually grown on the western coast of South Africa.
Consumed in southern Africa for centuries, it has become a beloved drink around the world.
Rooibos is a herbal tea and is not related to green or black tea. Traditional rooibos is created by fermenting the leaves, which turns them a red-brown color.
This article explores rooibos tea’s health benefits. Read on to know.
1. Lowers blood sugar
Want to bring your blood sugar level down? Get brewing up that pot of rooibos tea. For all those people out there who struggle with controlling their blood glucose thanks to type 2 diabetes, rooibos tea can lend a hand. Animal studies came back with the link between rooibos and the antioxidant known as aspalathin. This antioxidant can help keep vascular inflammation down which can contribute to soaring blood sugar levels.
2. High in antioxidants
So many teas come loaded up with powerful antioxidants and rooibos doesn’t disappoint. This herbal remedy is ripe with a range of antioxidants including three of the most powerful kinds. Polyphenols are powerhouses when it comes to fighting free radicals, reducing infection, and giving the immune system a much-needed boost. Aspalathin is all about balancing out your glucose levels, and quercetin can keep your heart ticking and help bring down your blood pressure.
3. Promotes weight loss
If you are on a journey towards healthier weight management, drinking rooibos tea is a low-risk way of helping to fend off unwanted obesity. First of all, rooibos is low in calories and naturally sweet meaning that it can satiate that sweet tooth without loading you up with excess calories. But the research done into rooibos also points to its ability to reduce stress hormones which can stir up hunger pangs and encourage the body to store fat.
4. High in vitamins
Rooibos is brimming with vitamin C which is one of those essential vitamins for fending off colds and flu and all kinds of nasty viruses as this vitamin boosts your immune system. Rooibos also contains low levels of tannins which is great news for all those people out there with low iron levels as tannins are known to interfere with the body’s ability to absorb iron.
5. Naturally anti-inflammatory
From smooth skin to shiny hair and reduced risk of infection, there is so much to celebrate when it comes to anything with anti-inflammatory properties. Rooibos hits high marks on the anti-inflammatory count with this lush deep red tea coming chocked with microscopic antioxidants and polyphenols that are ripe with anti-inflammatory goodness. Because of this impressive ingredients list, you can cut through everything from adult allergies to colic in babies.
6. Improves the immune system
A feel-good tonic loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and so much more – those who feel their immune system needs a solid boost should make sipping rooibos tea part of their daily routine. When our immune system is riding high we are less likely to suffer from seasonal sickness like the cold and flu and our body is so much better equipped to fend off long term ailments too.
7. Lowers risk of cancer
As rooibos tea comes laced with antioxidants and polyphenols some research has shown that drinking this tea may lower your risk of cancer. Antioxidants help to fend off free radicals which are notorious for causing cell damage and contributing to the risk of cancer.
8. Improves digestion
Rooibos tea can help ease digestive problems and will do so with minimal to zero side effects. The compounds stashed within rooibos tea such as quercetin, vitexin, and orientin can all lend a hand to help ease and relax the digestive system while the gentle tannin count in rooibos can also get to work on preventing diarrhea.
