Rooibos: healthy characteristics and use of the African red tea

The rooibos is a tea-like beverage, also known as red tea, which is obtained from the dried leaves of the rooibos plant from South Africa. It is a powerful antioxidant, it lowers cholesterol and more. Here are all its characteristics!

Rooibos, also known as red bush or African red tea, is a beverage that comes from the rooibos plant that is native to South Africa and belongs to the legume family. In the local language, the Afrikaans, rooibos means "red shrub" and it grows mainly in the Cederberg region: natives of the place started preparing it as a beverage and now it is considered the official drink of South Africa, where it is prepared as a thirst-quenching infusion with the same methods of tea.

Healthy characteristics of rooibos

Rooibos does not contain theine and it also contains few tannins, which give this beverage a sweet taste; rooibos is also rich in vitamin C, and important mineral salts such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc and magnesium. Rooibos has antioxidant properties similar to those of green tea and black tea: it manages to act effectively against the harmful effects of free radicals, this thanks also to the presence of tannins, which is why it is considered a long life elixir. Rooibos also helps to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides in the blood: in fact it helps to normalize the elevated presence of fats in the blood, protecting the heart and fighting cardiovascular diseases. Rooibos also acts positively on the immune system thanks to its antiviral properties that help the organism fight infections. Rooibos provides a digestive and antispasmodic action, and it can also be taken by children in case of nausea, digestive or intestinal disorders. Since it does not contain theine, African red tea has relaxing properties and it helps in case of anxiety and stress: if you drink it before going to sleep it facilitates sleep while, if consumed in the morning, it has invigorating properties. This is why rooibos is suitable both for dealing with energy drops and for resting better. Rooibos has positive effects even against hypertension and contains few calories, 0.6 per 100ml of product, so it is also a suitable drink for those who follow a low-calorie diet: it is also excellent against hunger, to be consumed during day. African red tea also contains quercetin, which, together with polyphenols, provides anti-cancer properties to this precious beverage. Rooibos can also be consumed during pregnancy, thanks to the presence of antioxidants and rutin, which counteracts the capillary fragility.