Rooibos tea has also been linked to weight loss, as featured in Channel 4's Food Unwrapped series. In the programme, they looked at ongoing research and discussed 'the secret ingredient in redbush tea that could help us burn fat'. Rooibos tea is ideal as part of a healthier lifestyle as it contains no sugar or dairy when consumed on its own and is wonderfully hydrating and gentle. HOW TO DRINK ROOIBOS TEA Tea's popularity as a wholesome, invigorating drink first spread throughout China and Japan. The first book on tea, Ch'a Ching, was written by the Chinese author Lu Yu in the eighth century. A definitive, poetic manual that covers the cultivation and production of tea, it is credited with helping tea become China's national drink long before it was ever tasted in the West.

In one small 2010 study, blood levels of antioxidants increased by 6.6% when participants drank red rooibos and 2.9% when they drank the green variety ( 15). Over the long term, antioxidants may also reduce your risk of certain chronic conditions, such as heart disease and cancer ( 13, 14). The tea we drink is derived from Camillia sinensis, an evergreen tree of the Theaceae family. As Camillia sinensis is indigenous to China and parts of India, each culture has a claim to the discovery of this popular beverage. Rooibos is associated with health benefits due to its high levels of health-promoting antioxidants, which include aspalathin and quercetin ( 10, 11). In a study in 17 people, drinking rooibos tea inhibited ACE activity 30–60 minutes after ingestion. However, this did not translate to any changes in blood pressure ( 18).

BENEFITS OF ANTIOXIDANTS IN ROOIBOS

Rooibos is also known for being rich in powerful antioxidants, most notably aspalathin, a flavonoid antioxidant particular to rooibos. It is thought that regular consumption of antioxidant-rich substances can help prevent the destructive effects of free radicals, which have been linked to conditions such as heart disease, stroke and cancer. Antioxidants could therefore help boost the body’s immune system and internal defences against disease. Studies also suggest that rooibos might have anti-inflammatory properties and that drinking rooibos tea could contribute to more balanced blood sugar levels, so important in type 2 diabetes for example. ROOIBOS TEA SOOTHING BENEFITS This is possibly because the antioxidants in rooibos are short-lived or inefficiently absorbed by your body ( 16, 17). Caffeine is not necessarily bad for you. It is a natural stimulant which consumed in moderation can have some benefits especially when it comes to short-term alertness. However, when consumed in excess it can also lead to a number of adverse side effects, including palpitations, high blood pressure and anxiety. It can also affect our sleep, both in quantity and quality, contributing to insomnia and poor sleep patterns. We are then more tired in the morning and so drink more caffeine to try to stay alert. Children and pregnant women are commonly advised to avoid drinking caffeinated drinks, and so rooibos is a delicious and natural option for the whole family - especially as a tea to drink before bedtime. ROOIBOS BENEFITS AS A LOW TANNIN TEA In a 2011 study in 40 adults with overweight at high risk of heart disease, drinking 6 cups (1,420 mL) of rooibos tea daily for 6 weeks decreased LDL (bad) cholesterol while boosting HDL (good) cholesterol ( 20). India's legend originates with a saintly priest named Bodhidharma. About 1,900 years ago, the eventual founder of Zen Buddhism was in the fifth year of a seven-year sleepless contemplation of Buddha. Finding himself dangerously close to falling asleep, Bodhidharma snatched some leaves from a nearby bush and chewed them. He was immediately revived. Bodhidharma turned to these leaves—the leaves of a wild tea tree—whenever he again felt drowsy, and was thus, according to legend, able to complete his seven years of meditation.

In South Africa, rooibos tea has also long been known for its soothing properties and for generations has been given to infants with colic as well as those with stomach cramps and other kinds of digestive and gut health issues. This soothing aspect has also made it useful for anxiety, as well as for inflammation, asthma, allergies and dermatological problems such as eczema, and even sunburn. ROOIBOS TEA BENEFITS WEIGHT LOSSOn the other hand, an older study in 12 healthy men determined that rooibos tea had no significant effects on blood antioxidant levels compared to a placebo ( 16). First, drinking rooibos tea may have beneficial effects on blood pressure by inhibiting angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), according to one older study ( 18).