Rooibos Red Tea

Rooibos (red) tea (Aspalathus linearis) is a native plant exclusive to the Cedarburg Mountain region of South Africa and has been used traditionally for over 300 years by the Khoikhoi natives. The name rooibos (pronounced “roy boss”) is a Dutch word meaning “red bush”. The name comes from the color of the leaves after fermenting. Commercially the leaves and stems are cleaned, extracted, and then concentrated and dried. Rooibos contains polyphenols, such as: dihydrochalcones, aspalathin and nothofagin.1 Rooibos red tea has a mild, sweet fruity taste.

Health Benefits

Traditionally, Rooibos Red Tea is used to ease symptoms in allergies, asthma, or infantile colic.2 Rooibos Red Tea may benefit heart health by reducing blood lipid oxidation and bad cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) level while increasing good cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol).3 Preclinical and lab studies have suggested that Rooibos may have antioxidant effect and aid in immune function.1,4

References

  1. McKay DL, Blumberg JB. A review of the bioactivity of South African herbal teas: rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia). Phytother Res. 2007 Jan;21(1):1-16. Review. PubMed PMID: 16927447.
  2. Joubert E, Gelderblom WC, Louw A, de Beer D. South African herbal teas: Aspalathus linearis, Cyclopia spp. and Athrixia phylicoides–a review. J Ethnopharmacol. 2008 Oct 28;119(3):376-412. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2008.06.014. Epub  2008 Jun 22. Review. PubMed PMID: 18621121.
  3. Marnewick JL, Rautenbach F, Venter I, Neethling H, Blackhurst DM, Wolmarans P, Macharia M. Effects of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) on oxidative stress and biochemical parameters in adults at risk for cardiovascular disease. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Jan 7;133(1):46-52. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.08.061. Epub 2010 Sep 15. PubMed PMID: 20833235.
  4. Kwak S, Han MS, Bae JS. Aspalathin and nothofagin from rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) inhibit endothelial protein C receptor shedding in vitro and in vivo. Fitoterapia. 2015 Jan;100:179-86. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2014.12.002. Epub 2014 Dec 12. PubMed PMID: 25510322.