Health benefits of red bush tea

Rooibos

Red bush (also known as rooibos or Aspalathus linearis) is ared bush shrub native only to the Cederberg Mountains in South Africa. The bush can’tgrow anywhere else on the planet, needing the specific conditions on thesemountains. Usually, one plant can be harvested just 3 to 4 times during its lifetime.

The tea is still harvested on the same way as it was forcenturies, manually. Thin, thorny leaves of rooibos need to be bruised, left toferment and then dried in the sun.

Benefits of Rooibos

The Cederberg Mountains are ecologically pure and the tea is grown without fertilizers, which makes rooibos an eco-friendly, highquality natural product.Rooibos is caffeine free and because of that it does not have side effects that caffeine has (anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, highblood pressure, etc.). It contains 50% less tannins than black tea and is suitable for both children and women.It is sugar-free, so it can prevent teeth problems.Rooibos is full of antioxidants. Rooibos containssubstances called flavonoids. All flavonoids , especially quercetin, have anti-inflammatory,anti-allergenic and hypotensive effects, and they increase the efficiency of vitaminC. Because of that, South African doctors prescribe rooibos to lower high blood pressure, and to ease vomiting, diarrhea, different abdominalproblems, prostatitis and cystitis. Rooibos is recommended for people prone to kidneystones since it has low amount of oxalic acid.In Japan, this tea is considered to be ananti-aging product.The tea contains 9 minerals, including iron,potassium, sodium, zinc, manganese, magnesium, calcium, copper and fluoride. Thismakes rooibos tea an ideal drink for rehydration, especially among athletes.Useful in many skin conditions, rooibos can helpwith eczema, nappy rash, acne and even psoriasis. You could add some rooibos tothe bath, face or body mask or skin toner and use it on your skin.

Preparations

Rooibos tea must be brewed forthree minutes or more, for best flavor and aroma. Use one teabag for one cup. Thistea has special taste, different from any other black or herbal tea. Some liketo add milk or sugar, but it can be used without it and it is pleasant todrink it. Even if you leave the tea bag in the cup, it won’t get bitter like otherteas.

You could drink rooibos tea at anytime of the day. It has no caffeine and won’t affect your sleeping so it could be used at bedtime.

It is recommended to drink 5 cups of thistea every day to maintain good health.