LifeStyle

As any health conscious beverage drinker will know, rooibos tea is one of the most effective and natural teas available, with no caffeine and a wide range of health benefits to be enjoyed in every cup. Grown in South Africa, with the scientific name of Aspalathus linearis, rooibos means ‘red bush’ in the local Afrikaans dialect. This tea is known for its powerful antioxidants and health properties which are also found in regular Camellia sinensis tea plants, such as polyphenols, the antioxidants that protect against cell damage and counteract diseases such as age-related decline, cancer and heart disease. Rooibos does not contain caffeine however, which makes it even more effective as a healthy immune booster.

Additional health benefits of rooibos include far lower tannin levels compared to fully oxidized black tea or un-oxidized green tea leaves. This tea also contains a number of phenolic compounds, such as flavanols, flavones, flavanones, and dihydrochalcones. Rooibos is known to assist with a wide range of health problems, including nervous tension, allergies and digestive problems. In Africa the tea is used medicinally to treat symptoms ranging from infantile colic to allergies, asthma and dermatological problems.