 • Rooibos (Roy-boss) is completely pure and natural. It contains no additives, preservatives or colorants and is calorie free.
• Rooibos is low in tannin and therefore does not prohibit the absorption of iron and proteins into the body.
• Rooibos supplements the daily amounts of calcium, manganese and copper.
• Rooibos contains zinc and alpha-hydroxy acids that promote healthy skin and also magnesium which is necessary for a healthy nervous system.
• Since Rooibos contains no oxalic acid, it can be drunk freely by people suffering from kidney stones.
• Rooibos has been used by people suffering from irritability, headaches, disturbed sleeping patterns, insomnia, nervous tension, mild depression or hypertension.
• Stomach and digestive problems like nausea, vomiting, heartburn, stomach ulcers and constipation can be relieved by drinking naturally caffeine-free Rooibos.
• Rooibos has anti-spasmodic properties. It relieves stomach cramps and colic in infants and has been used by cancer patients undergoing treatment.
• Rooibos in known to benefit in the management of allergies like hay fever, asthma and eczema.
• Rooibos has a soothing effect on the skin, relieving itching and certain skin irritations like eczema, diaper rash and acne when directly applied to the affected area.
Preventing Cancer
Japanese research from 1993 shows that Rooibos suppressed malignant cell changes in vitro for two reasons. First, Rooibos contains natural antioxidants, which protect against the creation of mutated genes. Second, Rooibos specifically quercetin, a flavonoid shown to act as an anticarcinogen to a variety of cancer cell types, including cancer of the breast, colon ovary and leukemia as well as squamous cell, endometrial and gastric cancer.
Controlling Diabetes – Blood Glucose Levels
Luteolin, quercetin and rutin, inhibit aldose reductase – considered to be a target enzyme for pharmacological control of diabetic complications. Rooibos also contains pinitol, which possesses hypoglycemic anti-diabetic properties.
Reducing inflammation
Quercetin is a strong, natural anti-inflammatory agent. Its ability to reduce inflammation in the airways and prevent the release of histamine suggests it may be useful in relieving asthma and possible hay fever and sinusitis. It appears to black allergic reactions to pollen as well.
Maintaining liver health
In vitro research conducted in Japan proved hepatoprotective and anticirrhotic effect of Rooibos. Rooibos tea significantly suppressed the increase in plasma activities of aminotransferases (ALT, AST), alkaline phosphates and billrubin concentrations, which are considered markers of liver functional state.
Lowering blood pressure
Rooibos contains the flavonoids orientin, iso-orientin, vitex and iso-vitexin, which may lower blood pressure.
Regulating Circulation
Rutin enhances the stability and permeability of capillary arteries, which explains the positive effects of Rooibos when used to relieve tired legs, cramps and various circulatory disorders.
Immune system Support
Rooibos tea extract may facilitate antigen specific antibody production through selective augmentation of IL2 generation both in vitro and in vivo. Rooibos tea may be a valuable prophylaxis of the disease involving a severe defect in Th1 immune response such as cancer, allergies AIDS and other infections.
Lowering Cholesterol Levels
Quercetin prevents the oxidation of vitamin E in LDL, regenerating already oxidized vitamin E. Quercetin thus prevents the increase of LDL cholesterol.
Caring for Skin
Rooibos has many uses in skin care. Flavonoids in Rooibos possess antibacterial and antifungal properties, explaining the beneficial effects when a Rooibos solution is used as face wash. The alpha-hydroxy acid in Rooibos in an important ingredient of beauty creams and therapeutic preparations for dermatological diseases.
Maintaining Brain Function
In vitro studies in Japan show that Rooibos suppresses age-related brain deteriorate.
A 300 Year History of the Rooibos Herb
The mountain-dwelling people of the Khoi tribe were the first to develop a method for making tea from Rooibos over 300 years ago. Though the process has become more automated, the steps remain the same: the leaves (and sometimes twigs) are picked, bruised, fermented, and then dried in the sun. It is the bruising step, in which the leaves are hammered or crushed, that gives Rooibos its distinct red color.
The botanist Carl Humberg first reported the resulting beverage in 1772. But its commercial exploitation really began in 1904 when Benjamin Ginsberg, an immigrant from Czarist Russia, realized that Rooibos had trading potential. Ginsburg’s family had been in the tea business for many years, and this provided him with the expertise to market what he called “mountain tea”
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