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If you are a health addict, chances are you’ve come across a lot of health and fitness products that contain rooibos extracts as the main and active ingredient. This is not surprising given the growing popularity of rooibos tea as a viable alternative for green tea and coffee.
Rooibos tea doesn’t contain any traces of caffeine, an attribute that has further endeared it to a lot of patrons from all over the world. Unlike other forms of tea-based drinks, rooibos tea, also known as Red Tea has a really delicious and unique taste. And of course, there’s the fact that some research studies have proven the health benefits of consuming the drinks.
What Is Rooibos Tea?
Rooibos tea is an herbal brew made from the dried leaves and stems of the rooibos plant. With the scientific name of Aspalathus linearis, the plant is endemic in the hills and bushlands of South Africa.
Dutch settlers started brewing the leaves and stems of the plant as early as the 1700s as a less expensive alternative to black tea.
Although the local population has been drinking rooibos tea for the succeeding centuries, it was only in the 1930s when it was turned into an importable commercial product.
Now, the product is one of the fastest-growing herbal tea drinks in the world. It’s particularly in high demand in Japan, England, Holland, and Germany. Trends also show that the market for rooibos tea is on the rise in Southeast Asian countries.
How Rooibos Tea Is Processed
The system of processing rooibos tea is quite simple. Mature leaves and stems of the plant are harvested and cut by hand and then bound into small bundles. These bundles are further cut and bruised for oxidation purposes.
It’s the oxidation process that brings out the unique taste and smell of the tea. After drying and oxidation, the bundles are then processed for packaging and shipment. Some tea manufacturers use steaming as an alternative to processing the products.
Should You Drink Rooibos Tea?
One of the biggest reasons why the demand for rooibos tea is growing is the availability of research data proving the efficacy of the products. Studies have been done on the products and it’s been shown that rooibos extracts really have very positive effects on the body.
For example, data curated by researchers at the University of Michigan showed that the tea has anti-aging properties. The data also show that rooibos tea has antimutagenic and antioxidant properties which can be helpful in warding off the advance of certain types of cancer-related diseases.
The tea also has the ability to help with indigestion, heartburn, and low stomach acidity. Furthermore, a study done by the U.S. National Library of Medicine came up with the conclusion that rooibos tea is effective in dealing with hepatic tissue injuries. In a nutshell, the scientific community is starting to provide consistent evidence that drinking rooibos tea is healthy.
What Are The Benefits Of Drinking Rooibos Tea?
1.Promotes Weight loss
In recent research, it has been found that the flavonoid content in this red tea (which are a subset of the above-mentioned Polyphenols)can boost Leptin hormone secretion.
Leptin also known as the fat hormone or hunger hormone plays a crucial role in controlling the way your brain perceives the feelings of hunger and satiety so the more leptin secretion the less hungry you’ll feel.
Another study confirms the effect of rooibos tea on fat metabolization and even inhibiting the creation of new adipocytes (fat cells).
2. It has anti-inflammatory attributes
It’s been shown that rooibos tea contains a lot of flavonoids particularly nothofagin and aspalathin . Both of these glucosides are powerful anti-oxidants.
If you are unfamiliar with anti-oxidants, these are natural substances that play a very important role in combating unstable cells and free radicals in the body.
These free radicals are harmful to your body because they attack healthy cells. With that said, more anti-oxidants in your body means you have better protection against bad and unstable cells.
3. It relieves hypertension
If you are suffering from high blood pressure, rooibos tea can help you in dealing with the fluctuations of your blood pressure. What it does is assist in lowering your blood pressure to normal levels. It’s worth mentioning here that hypertension can lead to stroke or heart attack.
These are among the most common causes of death in the world. With that said, drinking rooibos tea would be good for you especially if there’s a history of heart disease and hypertension in your family.
4. It’s good for the bones and the teeth
Rooibos tea isn’t just rich in polyphenols and anti-oxidants, it’s also packed with essential minerals. High traces of fluoride, calcium, and manganese have been found in rooibos extracts.
These are minerals that are very important in the development of maintenance of bones in the body. If you have more of these minerals, then you will develop stronger and healthier bones.
5. It improves the capabilities of the digestive system
As we mentioned earlier, it was scientifically proven that rooibos tea has attributes that can aid in digestion. This is mostly because of the antispasmodic agents that are present in the leaves and stems of the rooibos plant.
These agents are helpful in dealing with digestive problems like indigestion, abdominal pain, and stomach cramps. If you regularly suffer from this problems, it’s recommended that you drink a cup of rooibos tea 30 minutes before you eat your meal.
6. It assists in managing diabetes
Aspalathin, which is found in rooibos tea has the ability to assist in balancing blood sugar, improving insulin resistance, and boosting the insulin secretion of the pancreas. This is very helpful in preventing the drops and spikes in blood sugar for diabetes patients.
7. It has anti-aging properties
We’ve mentioned earlier about free radicals and unstable cells that roam the body. These radicals and bad cells can damage the hair, skin, and bones of your body.
You have better protection against these risks if you have more anti-oxidants in your body. It so happens that rooibos tea extracts are great sources of anti-oxidants.
8. It can help in treating chronic allergies
It’s already an established fact that rooibos tea helps with your immune system. This also means that you will have a better defense against allergies.
This is because rooibos tea contains elements and minerals that aid in strengthening your cells in such a way that they are less susceptible to allergy triggers.
In conclusion, drinking rooibos tea is something that you should do as a habit. As shown above, there are numerous health benefits that you can get as a reward for drinking the herbal product.
Last but not the least, rooibos tea products are affordable and readily available. There’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t start consuming them.
