| Rooibos or Red Bush Tea as it is also known is not a | | | | health problems. It relieves digestive problems, |
| true tea but an herb which is indigenous to the | | | | nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and constipation. |
| Cederburg area of South Africa. Due to its widely | | | | Having a calming effect it helps with irritability, |
| publicized health benefits it has grown into a billion | | | | insomnia and depression. |
| dollar export industry since the mid twentieth | | | | Both pre natal and breast feeding Mothers |
| century. | | | | supplement their intake of manganese, calcium and |
| The tea has no caffeine and only half the tannin of | | | | fluoride drinking Rooibos and therefore promote |
| ordinary tea. Apart from being refreshing to drink, in | | | | strong teeth and healthy bones in their babies. |
| place of ordinary tea and coffee, it has the | | | | Rooibos, when applied at every nappy change, |
| advantage of containing minerals and powerful | | | | relieves nappy rash and when drunk by the baby |
| antioxidants. Having no oxalic acid it also does not | | | | relieves colic. |
| irritate the kidneys. | | | | Preparation of Rooibos is the same as ordinary tea. |
| The Japanese scientists, who did studies in the | | | | First warm the tea pot with boiling water and then |
| 1960's, discovered Rooibos contains a powerful | | | | place one teaspoon of tea or tea bag per cup |
| antioxidant similar to SOD which is thought to retard | | | | required in the pot. Pour over boiling water and let |
| aging and quercetin which is believed to have potent | | | | infuse for a few minutes. The longer it is left before |
| anti-inflammatory properties. Besides that Rooibos is | | | | drinking the more antioxidants the tea will contain. |
| also found to contain aspalathin which counteracts | | | | Can be served plain, with hot or cold milk or lemon. It |
| the atherosclerotic processes that result in heart | | | | can be lightly sweetened with honey or sugar or just |
| disease. Due to this the Japanese promote it as an | | | | left without any sweetening. Rooibos also makes a |
| Anti-Aging Tea and import large quantities of the tea. | | | | wonderful ice tea. |
| Research was done elsewhere where the French | | | | In South Africa Rooibos Tea is often used in day to |
| found that hair lotion containing Rooibos promoted | | | | day cooking as not only does it add important |
| faster hair growth with improvement in the hair | | | | minerals and antioxidants to the diet and help |
| condition and caused no allergic reactions. In South | | | | digestion, it also enhances the flavors of the cooking. |
| Africa research found that the polyphenol content in | | | | Just replace the water in a recipe with the tea. |
| Rooibos is similar to green tea. Polyphenols help | | | | Next time you are in your health shop or in a |
| protect the body from damage by free radicals. | | | | department store stocking specialty teas, why not |
| Rooibos has been found to be helpful with general | | | | pick up a packet and try it out? |