Rooibos: the Red Tea
Properties and benefits of my favorite tea
What is the Rooibos?
The word Rooibos comes from Afrikans, a typical South African language, and it means “red bush.”
The Aspalathus Linearis is a shrub plant that belongs to the legume family and grows only in the Cederberg region and has been used by the native peoples of those areas for a long time.
The red tea is prepared by collecting leaves and twigs, which are chopped with wooden pestles and subsequently fermented.
It is a delicious and naturally sweet drink, caffeine-free that contains a modest amount of tannins and it remains South Africa’s national drink.
Properties of the Rooibos
The red tea contains minerals and vitamins essential for the body, such as:
- vitamin C
- magnesium
- phosphorus
- zinc
- calcium
- iron
Rooibos is free of theine, a difference from green tea and black tea.
Benefits of drinking the Red Tea
The red tea has relaxing properties and helps in case of anxiety and stress: drunk before bed promotes sleep while consumed in the morning it has refreshing properties. For this reason, it is suitable both to face energy losses and to rest better.
It contains antioxidant able to act effectively against the harmful effects of free radicals. Free radicals are primarily responsible for the premature aging of the tissues. This red tea is considered a long-life elixir thanks to antioxidants and tannins, which makes the tea sweet.
Another quality of Rooibos is its antiviral property, which supports the immune system and encourages it to act quickly to fight infections.
Rooibos also helps to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides in the blood. In essence, it helps to normalize the presence of fats in the blood, when elevated, protecting the heart, and fighting cardiovascular diseases. Rooibos performs digestive and antispasmodic intake, and can also be taken by children in case of nausea, digestive, or intestinal disorders.
Rooibos has positive effects against hypertension and contains few calories, 0.6 per 100 ml of product, for this reason, it is a drink also suitable for those who follow a low-calorie diet: it is also an excellent hunger-breaker to drink during the day.
African red tea also contains quercetin, which, together with polyphenols, gives anti-cancer properties and this precious drink. It can be consumed in pregnancy, both thanks to the presence of antioxidants and rutin, which counteracts capillary fragility.
