5 Reasons You Should Drink Rooibos Tea

Rooibos. A tea that is rapidly growing in popularity because of its versatile-tea. It’s rich in vitamins and minerals, has a deliciously sweet flavor, and caffeine free. But there’s so much more that it can do...

What is Rooibos Tea?

Rooibos is an herbal tea that originated from South Africa and has a naturally sweet and earthy flavor. There are two kinds of rooibos: green and red. They come from the same plant and have plenty of the same health benefits, but what differentiates them from each other is their curing processes. Red rooibos is oxidized while green rooibos is dried right after it is picked. In fact, both green and red rooibos are exceedingly rich in antioxidants. These antioxidants are extremely versatile and bring a ton of healthful benefits to your body.

5 Reasons to Drink Rooibos Tea

We’ve done our research, and there are a few things on this list that we can all relate to which makes this tea even more relevant to you. Check it out:

Rooibos Tea for Weight Loss

Rooibos tea is naturally sweet, so if you’re looking to cut down on your sweets intake, rooibos will help you control that appetite and satisfy your candied cravings. It’s also low in calories and caffeine free which reduces the stress hormones in your body that trigger hunger and fat storage (that’s why it’s called “stress-eating”). One last thing, green rooibos is a bit more of a diuretic than red rooibos and helps with your digestive and gastrointestinal system, so you can say hello to a healthier gut and goodbye to constipation and bloatedness!

Rooibos Tea for Your Hair

Rooibos is rich in minerals like copper, zinc, calcium, and potassium. All of these minerals are beneficial to your hair growth because they strengthen the roots of your hair, boost hair growth, and even prevent gray hair growth thanks to its abundance of copper.

Rooibos Tea for Your Skin

Zinc, alpha hydroxyl acid, and superoxide dismutase area all minerals in rooibos that have anti-aging properties. The zinc and alpha hydroxyl acid help rejuvenate and strengthen your skin while the superoxide dismutase helps reduce wrinkles and produce healthier skin cells. Red rooibos, in particular, helps prevent and aid skin disorders like eczema and acne because of its high levels of flavonoid.

Rooibos Tea for Your Immune System

Rooibos has some anti-inflammatory properties and a high level of antioxidants. Polyphenols are part of the anti-inflammatory properties in rooibos and can help lower inflammation that leads to heart issues and other diseases, can keep cholesterol levels in check, and even reduce your blood pressure. The antioxidants keep free radicals in check to prevent diabetes, cancer, and heart disease which is often a result of high levels of free radicals.

Rooibos Tea for Pregnancy

Calcium, magnesium, and other antioxidants are just some of the minerals that are incredibly beneficial for expecting mothers. These minerals help prevent acid reflux, nausea, and constipation which are all common symptoms during pregnancy. This tea is perfect for mothers who are tea-lovers and it has no caffeine!

Additional Reasons
Rooibos tea has been used as a folk remedy to reduce anxiety and stress, relieve allergies (due to hypoallergenic properties), treat asthma, improve bone strength, and help with insomnia. There are no clinical studies done on humans to prove that Rooibos does provide any of these benefits, but the science based on the minerals that make up rooibos suggest that this tea has the potential to provide these benefits.

How do I drink Rooibos Tea?

Here are four easy steps to drink rooibos tea:

• 1. Boil 8 ounces of water in a teapot
• 2. Pour the water into a cup and add 1 ½ tsp of rooibos tea leaves
• 3. Let it steep for 4-5 min
• 4. Stir it well and filter to another cup.

Rooibos is a naturally sweet tea, so before adding any sweeteners, try the tea first and then add anything else to make it taste to your liking.

Are there any side effects of drinking Rooibos tea?

Too much of something can always be bad and result in unwanted side effects. This doesn’t exempt rooibos tea from doing the same thing to someone who consumes too much of it.

The side effects consuming too much of rooibos include the following:

• Contains minimal amounts of phytoestrogens which are hormones that mimic the female hormone estrogen and can increase estrogen levels and worsen the condition of anyone currently battling breast cancer.
• Too much consumption of Rooibos will develop hepatotoxicity. There are certain properties in rooibos that increase the growth of liver enzymes which gradually damages the liver.
• Can be contaminated with bacteria like salmonella from the fertilizers and other chemicals used while growing it.

Everything has a side effect nowadays. Drink responsibly and always check with your doctor before trying anything new and uncertain, especially if you are taking any supplements or medication.