Health Benefits of Rooibos Tea

This tea is made using an indigenous South African plant.

Image by Winfried Bruenken (Amrum), CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Rooibos tea (Redbush tea) is a red-brownish South African tea made from an indigenous fynbos shrub (Aspalathus linearis.) Technically speaking it is a tisane or herbal tea.

In this article, I will discuss three of its medicinal properties and share a Rooibos Ice Tea Recipe with you.

History of the Rooibos plant

Botanists recorded the plant for the first time in 1772. Their curiosity was stimulated after they enjoyed a sweet-tasting tea brewed by local people from the plant in the Cedar Berg mountain area.

How is the tea made?

The leaves and stems of the plant are cut and bruised. It’s left in the sun to dry. The drying process turns the leaves and stems red-brownish.

Three medicinal properties of Rooibos tea

1. Caffeine-free tea: Rooibos tea is a soothing caffeine-free tea.
2. Suitable for babies: It is marketed in South Africa as a suitable drink for babies with colic, allergies, and skin problems.
3. High flavonol content: The tea has a high flavonol content. Therefore, it is believed that the tea “supports the…