Archive for the ‘Rooibos tea health’ Category

Green rooibos tea

Organic green rooibos tea leaves. Photo taken ...
As red Rooibos tea gets fermented and oxidized after harvest, in the green variety of Rooibus tea the fermentation and oxidation are skipped. The tea gets withered and steamed immediately thus preventing oxidation. This results in a lighter and more aromatic taste and a deep green color of the beverage.

As green rooibos tea is “freezed” in its more natural and fresh state in conserves even more of its healing properties.

The amounts of antioxidants and flavonoids are also much higher than in the red variety of rooibos tea. As a consequence green Rooibos tea has increased health benefits over red Rooibos tea.

The other nutrients contained in Rooibos tea remain unaltered. So green Rooibos tea is still a rich source of minerals and microelements.

Rooibos gift set

Steeping

Being very low in tannine green Rooibos tea can be steeped or brewed for much longer than regular tea at a much higher temperature. This way the active ingredients can be extracted in much higher quantities. The same leaves can be used for a second steeping.

The latest research has shown that vitamin c significaly increases the absorbtion of antioxidants in the body. Just 30mg of the vitamin in a cup of tea is enought to greatly improve the absorbtion of beneficial substances from the tea. Vitamin c is however destroyed by heat so it should only be added to cold tea.

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Rooibos chai recipe

Chai or more precisely Masala chai is a very popular drink in South Asia and particularly in India. The main ingredients of chai are a very strong black tea, milk and various spices among which cardamom, cinnamon and ginger. The result is a very sweet drink <a style=’display:none;’ href=http://rooibos-benefits.com > Rooibos tea </a> full of spices that some regard almost as food.

Many of us might be put of by the high amount of caffeine of chai. Fortunately this is where Rooibus tea comes in.

Rooibos tea with is strong aroma can stand its ground to black tea and thus it can be used as a substitute in a variation on the chai recipe. This time we get a very similar strong beverage without the caffeine content.

Ingredients: ( 4 servings )

4 cups of water

1 cup of whole milk

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

2 slices of ginger

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon of whole cloves

1/2 tablespoon of whole black peppercorn

2 tablespoons of rooibos leaves

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients together and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir ocasionally boiling for another 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Alternative: Mix together all the ingredients except the milk. Boil for 20 minutes. Store in fridge. Add hot milk before serving.

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Rooibos tea for babies: A nature’s boon for your infant and child

Have you heard that rooibos tea is great for your baby? The health benefits of a balanced Rooibos Tea Diet are countless. It will not only provide your baby with a vital source of essential minerals, but also relieve a host of allergic symptoms such as colic, insomnia, stomach cramps, abnormal stools, chronic diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and cradle-cap. During pregnancy or breastfeeding, Rooibos offers harmless, soothing refreshment to mother’s nerves, but it doesn’t end there.

Not only is Rooibos good for pregnant and breast-feeding mothers, Rooibos tea has many anti-allergic properties and has become a tried-and-tested cure for crying infants. If your little one is suffering from allergic symptoms like colic, insomnia or stomach cramps, this will surely come as great news. Rooibos also offers precious relief from nappy rash. Due to natural soothing and calming powers of Rooibos,  your baby will benefit from better digestion and untroubled sleep.

The fact that Rooibos is very low in tannin is very important. Because of this, it doesn’t deplete your baby’s iron reserves during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and ensures unaffected absorption of protein. But there’s more: its calcium traces help strengthen the youngsters teeth and bones, while its zinc and magnesium contents promote a healthy skin and a well-developed nervous system. So for many reasons Rooibos Tea is a real boon for your baby.

 

Rooibos tea caffeine content? None.

Rooibos tea, known also as red tea, is actually a caffeine-free tisane made <a href=”http://www.rooibos-benefits.com/”>rooibos tea benefits</a> from the leaves of the rooibos plant Aspalathus linearis.

If you are looking for a caffeine-free tea, you should definitely try African Rooibos tea. Since it is not harvested from the tea plant Camellia sinensis, it is entirely without caffeine. But there is more to it than just being caffeine free. To make decaffeinated tea, a decaffeinating process is required, but this process nullifies antioxidant qualities of the tea. Rooibos on the other hand retains all these vital compounds because it is naturally caffeine free.

Because Rooibos has no caffeine and is low in tannin, it can be enjoyed all day long without any unpleasant side effects. It also makes it a great tea for pregnant women and nursing mothers.

 

Rooibos tea and pregnancy

The question frequently arises among pregnant woman. Is it ok to drink rooibos tea during pregnancy? Well first of all rooibos is technically not a tea, thus not derived from the tea plant camellia sinensis. Rooibos is in fact a legume from the aspalathus family.

As a consequence of this rooibos is naturally caffeine free and very low in tannins which brings many health related benefits to everybody drinking it. Especially pregnant women should keep an eye on their health and the health of their baby.

The strong and aromatic taste makes it a natural substitute for coffee especially in the time of pregnancy when caffeine intake should be limited or avoided completely.

The tannins present in large amounts in teas can cause a lower iron absorption in the blood stream. As anemia is quite frequent in pregnancy or breastfeeding the low tannins in rooibos can be quite beneficial to this cause. Some studies have shown that adding vitamin C to Rooibos tea can greatly increase the body’s capacity to absorb iron and antioxidants.

Aside from that Rooibos tea can have a major role in the life of a pregnant woman, easing many symptoms that come with particular state.

Rooibos can be beneficial in states of constipation, nausea or stomach cramps. Further it can improve liver function and help in states of anxiety and depression.

A word of caution however. In many cases Rooibos is mixed with other herbs and those herbs might cause some undesired effects during pregnancy.

 

Rooibos tea health benefits

Rooibos, Aspalathus linearis (N.L.Burm.) R.Dahlgr.
Chinese teas have always been praised for their health benefits. The health conscious individual would however limit the intake of those teas as their composition inherits some less beneficial substances. Same goes for coffee and its high amount of caffeine.

Rooibos is the substitute for teas and coffee. With its composition rooibos proposes a balanced mix of minerals with an unparalleled amount of rejuvenating antioxidants, thus offering a wealthy host of health benefits.

Starting with the absence of caffeine the red tea is suitable for people with hearth conditions. Additionally it can be consumed in large quantities as it does not cause hypertension. The low oxalic acid content makes it suitable for individuals who are prone to kidney stone and artery clothing.

Antioxidants - antiageing, detoxication

Where rooibos really shines is its full spectrum of antioxidants and flavonoids. Apart from the usual  orientin, rutin, qurcetin, chrysoeriol, iso-orientin, luteolin,  and nothofagin it also contains aspalathin a flavonoid that is not found anywhere else. The antioxidants and flavonoids have known health benefits and are essential for helping the body to fend off free radicals that are a cheif source of aging of the skin and internal organs.

Placed directly on the skin it can help to reduce wrinkles and other signs of aged skin.

Rooibos and pregnancy

Pregnancy has always been a delicate period for women.  The absence of caffeine and tannine makes Rooibos tea one of those rate aliments that can be consumed by pregnant women without any limitations or ill effects. Its antiinflamatory and antialergenic properties also help with some symptoms in this period of a woman’s life.

Rooibos and breastfeeding

Following on the pregnancy theme Rooibos tea is also indicated for the breastfeeding mother and her newborn child. Helping with insomnia, colic, stomach cramps and allergies Rooibos tea is the perfect complement to mothers milk.

Minerals - teeth, sport, brains

Rooibos is also a goldmine of minerals rarely found in such abundance anywhere else. Iron for the blood and as a precaution against anemia. Calcium and fluoride for strong teeth and magnesium for active people. Also rich in copper, zinc and potassium very important minerals for the body.

Rooibos and infants

Since the begining of their existence the Kohi tribe have been giving rooibos to infants in order to aleviate colic, stomac cramps and as a soothing beverage before bed time. Its also been found that it can play an important role in curing asthma and other respiratory deseases. Applied localy on the skin it can aleviate eczema, sunburn and diaper rush.

Rooibos diet

Being rich in essential nutrients rooibos is perfect for the dieting individual. As in a strict diet the intake of minerals and vitamins is often neglected. Additionally as it is traditionally consumed without sugar it can be a natural boost to ones dieting efforts.

 

Organic Rooibos tea

Rooibos, Aspalathus linearis (N.L.Burm.) R.Dahlgr.
Being full of antioxidants means that organic rooibos tea can “take care of itself” when it comes to decay. The rooibos tea antioxidants antioxidants that we acquire by drinking rooibos tea and other teas are used to fight free radicals which are the main cause of ageing and decay.

The same antioxidants can be used to fend off bacteria and fungi in rooibos itself. So it is clear that organic rooibos tea can be preserved for a longer period of time without resorting to preservatives. Additionally it can be cultivated without the use of pesticides and can be offered to the consumers as natural organic Rooibos tea. This also contributes to a sustainable farming and enhances the quality of environment that we leave for future generations.

In this fasion we get in our cup a pure brew of the finest organic rooibos tea without any additives. Rich in minerals and health preserving substances.

 

Rooibos tea

Red, black and green tea

Rooibos tea

In latter years rooibos tea health benefits have propelled the tea beyond the tea.

Full of antioxidants and flavonoids the plant’s extracts are used in shampoos, rejuvinating products and a host of other cosmetics products.

Calming and refreshing it is indicated for all kinds of health problems. Nausea, constipation, stomach cramps, insomnia to name just a few. Highly commanded in situations where caffeine and or tannine intake are not recommended. With its strong taste and aroma it is particularly indicated in pregnancy to women who find it difficult to give up tea or coffee.

Only in recent year has rooibos achieved its deserved fame. With inventions like red espresso a healthy alternative to coffe

a healthy cup of rooibos

e which expresses the full body and aroma of coffee without the ill effects of caffeine and with a very high amount of antioxidants.

History

Rooibos tea. A delicious concoction, a golden-red beverage consumed for centuries by the

Southafrican Khoi tribe. It has been discovered by the westerners only in the seventeenth century.

A swedish botanist Carl Thunberg observed the natives of the Cape area making tea from a plant harvested in the surrounding Caderberg mountains. The plant was called red bush and later rooibos.

The plant’s fine leaves were cut, rolled into bags and transported into the valley with the help of donkies. The leaves were than chopped and bruised on rocks and left to dry in the sun. The dried leaves were then brewed much like tea or coffee in hot water to obtain sweet red drink with a strong aroma. It would then be used as a casual drink and to aleviate many ailments.

The tea was quickly adopted by the Dutch colonists as a replacement for black tea which was already an expensive as it relied on trade from Europe.

In the early twentieth century a russian settler Benjamin Ginsberg exploring the Cape mountains rediscovered the red beverage and the many uses the natives had for it. Being fascinated with the tea he ran a host of experiments perfecting the harvesting and fermentation of rooibos. When he discovered the potential market for the tea he gave locals incentives to cultivate the plant on their farms. His bet payed off.

The rooibos market became one of the most lucrative spice businesses of the time. Since then rooibos tea grew in popularity. It is also mentioned in Alexander Mccall Smith’s detective novels The No.1 ladies Agency as Mma Ramotswe’s favourite drink - the red bush tea.

 

Rooibos tea and breastfeeding

Breastfeeding an infant
In a previous post we covered the implications of drinking Rooibos tea in pregnancy. As a good alternative for mothers who try to keep away from caffeine while pregnant Rooibos tea is also an excellent drink for the breastfeeding mother.

Lets take a look at all the benefits that a young mother with her newborn can get from Rooibos tea.

Being a young mother can be a stressful so staying calm and sleep well it’s a must. It is important not to start drinking coffee in this stage as it can lead to irritability and insomnia. As in pregnancy Rooibos tea can help in this situation. Naturally sweet and soothing its aroma will help a young mother stay calm and sleep well.

It is well known that everything the mother ingests gets to the newborn trough the milk. Another benefit of Rooibos tea, being free of preservatives and additives helps providing the mother and child with a natural and healthy supply of minerals and vitamins without the damaging effects of additives.

Rooibos tea can help preventing anemia, a common simptom among breastfeeding mothers. The tannine levels in Rooibos tea are just around 3% well below the levels found in other teas. Rooibos tea is a good source of iron itself and with the low tannine levels the iron can be absorbed in the blood completely.

Finally Rooibos tea can help alleviate some of the simptoms in newborn babies. Such as stomac cramps, colics, alergies. It is even used against diaper rush.

 

Rooibos tea and cardiovascular diseases

Rooibos Tropica Tea (Teavana)

The benefits of Rooibos tea are well known to the peoples in South Africa where the tea has been consumed for ages. But despite folk wisdom up to this date there is little empirical evidence that Rooibos tea can have an impact on human health. All the tests and studies are conducted in vitro or on mice at best.

A first ever study on humans has been conducted lately in South Africa. The focus of the trial was on the possible role of Rooibos tea on alleviating and possibly preventing some cardiovascular diseased. Those being the major cause of death in the western world.

The study was conducted in South Africa’s Oxidative Stress Research Centre at Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town. It comprised 40 individuals aged betweed 30 and 60 years. Each individual had some cardiovascular disease related factors ( smoking, increased cholesterol, increased blood pressure, increased body-mass index,…).

The participants ingested 6 cups of Rooibos tea per day. The cup of tea was standardized to deliver the exact amount of beneficial substances. To keep the trial conditions under control the participants were required to follow a strict diet to reduce significant antioxidant intake from other food sources.

The preliminary results of the trial are encouraging. The participants had an average 21% decrease in lipid peroxidation products, substances that accumulate in the human body as a result of oxidation of fats. Those substances are directly related to the rise of vascular diseases.

The full report will be released sometime at the end of this year but the first results show that Rooibos tea might have an important role in keeping cardiovascular health in check.

Source:
herbalgram.org