5+ Reasons to Drink Rooibos

There’s been a bit of hype about Rooibos in recent years, and for good reason.  Much as I love tea, there are some things that rooibos does better.

1. Caffeine-free:  Unlike tea (and coffee), rooibos is naturally caffeine-free.  No additional processing or chemical treatments necessary.  If consuming caffeine late in the day keeps you up all night, or your doctor has advised to cut caffeine from your diet, but you love your iced tea with supper, or relaxing cup in the evening, rooibos might be just the ticket.  I consider rooibos to be a good choice when I want to share a relaxing pot of tea with my children. 

2. Low in tannin:  Rooibos is much lower in tannin than tea.  If tannin upsets your stomach, this is very good news.  Plus, tannin causes the bitterness in over-steeped tea.  If you’re prone to wander off mid-steep and forget about your tea (not that I would know about that!) you won’t come back to a bitter cup of rooibos.

3. Flavor:  Rooibos has an earthy, nutty flavor, and I notice a hint of a minty aftertaste.  Plain rooibos is not my favorite, but I think it takes the addition of flavorings, dried fruit, flower petals and spices very well.

4. Oxalic acid-free:  good news if you’re prone to kidney stones.  Rooibos doesn’t contain oxalic acid, so it won’t exacerbate your troubles.

5. High in polyphenols, (antioxidants):  If you’re looking for antioxidants in your diet, rooibos has them, but note that green (unfermented) rooibos has higher antioxidant levels than red (fermented) rooibos.

Often, the health claims made about foods and supplements are exaggerated, or unproven due to a lack of research or empirical evidence.  With that in mind, please take the following purported health benefits of rooibos with a grain of salt, do your own research, consult your health care provider etc.

Unproven benefits:

• Contains aspalathin, which may help to balance blood sugar levels.

• Some studies have indicated that in overweight people who are at risk for heart disease, rooibos may help lower bad cholesterol levels.

• Contains the antioxidants quercetin and luteolin which may offer several potential health benefits including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular health and protection against cancer.

• Rooibos contains Alpha-hydroxy acid and zinc, which help support skin health and reduce symptoms of premature skin aging.

At the end of the day, even if there is never a single health benefit ever proven to drinking rooibos, it's still a tasty beverage that you can enjoy alone, with friends and with children.

I consulted this article, and this one while researching the potential health effects of rooibos.