Rooibos, Red Bush Tea

Rooibos (pronounced roo-ih-bus, or roy-bus) is a plant native to South Africa. Its botanical name is Aspalathus linearis.

Rooibos is commonly known as red bush tea. It is not a true tea, which comes only from plants in the Camellia family, but it has been used as a beverage for centuries.

The needle like leaves are actually green, until they are bruised and allowed to ferment in the sun. This turns them a deep, almost mahogany red. When brewed, red bush tea is also a rich red color.

Rooibos tea is rich in antioxidants, and polyphenols. Antioxidants bind to free radicals to prevent cell damage; polyphenols are a class of antioxidants, which include flavonoids and catechins. The health benefits of green and black tea are due in large part to the polyphenol content, especially the catechins.

Rooibos is naturally caffeine free, and low in tannins. Because of the low tannin content, red bush tea brews a very smooth drink, with a mild sweet flavor.

Rooibos has a history of use as an herbal remedy. Rooibos is safe enough to use in infants, and is used to settle colicky infants, and as a wash to treat diaper rash.

More recently, it is recommended for other skin problems, such as psoriasis, eczema and dermatitis. For these conditions, it is both applied topically, and consumed as a beverage. In Japan, it is also used as a natural remedy for acne.

Rooibos tea helps allergy and hay fever sufferers. Research shows that rooibos affects histamine production, and is also rich in quercetin, which is a natural anti-inflammatory.

Red bush tea is soothing to the digestive system, aids digestion, and improves the appetite, and is recommended for many digestive complaints.

Rooibos also calms the nervous system, and helps relieve insomnia, nervous tension and irritability.

Rooibos, like tea, contains natural fluoride, and many trace minerals.

Animal studies demonstrate some protective effect against some cancers, and against the damaging effects of radiation.

Rooibos tea is enjoying increased popularity and is now widely available. Some older herbal references suggest that Rooibos is hard to find, but that is no longer true. Supermarkets now sell several brands, usually right next to the tea display.

Rooibos is brewed much the same as regular tea, but can be brewed longer without becoming bitter because of the low tannin content. Because it is caffeine free, it can be enjoyed all day, even by those who are sensitive to the caffeine in tea or coffee. Rooibos is a delicious and, because it has a natural, mildly sweet flavor, low calorie way to increase the antioxidant levels in your daily diet.

The information presented here is not intended to diagnose or treat disease. If you have a medical problem, please consult the appropriate medical professional.

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