Tea, Tea Knowledge
6 Benefits & Side Effects of South African Rooibos Tea?
With the rise of health awareness, the research and development of tea have become more and more diversified, mainly oriented towards health or slimming, such as catechin green tea. There is also a South African Rooibos tea that has recently appeared, featuring zero caffeine and zero calories. It allows some people who have difficulty sleeping due to tea drinking, or those who want to lose weight from tea drinking without any burden. Today, we will take a look at the benefits, side effects, and suitable brewing methods of South African Rooibos tea, so that you can have a better understanding!
What is South African Rooibos tea?
The introduction of South African Rooibos tea
South African Rooibos tea is a special variant primarily grown from a South Africa mesquite. Due to its reddish-brown colour, it is also known as the South African Ruby. Although the history of Rooibos in South Africa has been more than 300 years, the reason why it has become more and more popular in recent years is mainly because of its rich and diverse nutrients. Moreover, it does not contain caffeine and calories, and it is not stimulating and burdensome to drink. If you find yourself unable to sleep after drinking tea, make the switch to Rooibos tea with confidence.
South African Rooibos tea is a tea that can be brewed both cold and hot. The flavour of the tea brew is very mellow, yet strong, even if it is soaked for a long time, it will not be bitter, which is also very suitable to be paired with milk and honey to enhance the flavour. In addition to ingesting multiple nutrients, it can also improve the taste of the tea brew.
However, the growing environment of South African Rooibos tea is quite demanding, so that their production is actually quite limited. In South Africa, it is also called one of “South Africa’s Three Treasures”, together with diamonds and gold. The production process is not the same as the tea we usually see. After picking the tea leaves, the thin stems of the leaves are first chopped, and then fermented, so that the flavour and aroma of the tea can be released more completely. The tea leaves are then exposed to the sun to dry, turning the tea leaves into deep red needles.
“My hour for tea is half-past five, and my buttered toast waits for nobody.” – Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White
Tea Classroom – South African Rooibos tea
The benefits of South African Rooibos tea
Many people are curious about the effects of South African Rooibos tea. As you can always see many people sharing the benefits of Rooibos in South Africa, I have sorted out some common effects for you.
Allergy relief – South African Rooibos tea benefit 1
South African Rooibos tea contains calming, soothing ingredients. When you have allergies due to irritation, drinking Rooibos can help you soothe nervous tension and relieve allergy symptoms. If you have food allergies or major eczema, South African Rooibos tea can help you reduce your symptoms.
Calm and soothe – South African Rooibos tea benefit 2
The reason why South African Rooibos tea can achieve a calming and soothing effect is that it can reduce the level of the stress hormone (cortisol), which stabilises, soothes, and calms your mood.
Sleep Aid – South African Rooibos tea benefit 3
There is no caffeine in South African Rooibos tea, and there are a variety of active flavonoids, which give you anti-anxiety and sedative effects, resulting in sleep aid.
Anti-oxidation – South African Rooibos tea benefit 4
In addition to the active flavonoids mentioned above, South African Rooibos tea also contains antioxidants, vitamin C, and Superoxide Dismutase. Antioxidants can effectively reduce the content of free radicals in the body, achieve anti-aging, prevent cancer, etc.
Promote digestion – South African Rooibos tea benefit 5
South African Rooibos tea contains a lot of ingredients that can assist the digestive system. It can not only relieve nausea and reduce diarrhea symptoms but also help our intestines resist inflammation and relieve stomach discomfort. Therefore, South African Rooibos tea is also known as “mum’s tea” it can help children relieve gastrointestinal discomfort.
Maintain heart health – South African Rooibos tea benefit 6
Antioxidant factors in South African Rooibos tea can help reduce LDL cholesterol and triglycerides to assist in improving heart-related diseases. It contains the characteristics of lipids and the state of redox, which can effectively reduce the factors of cardiovascular occurrence.
In addition, the chrysoberyl in Rooibos tea can help inhibit the migration of smooth muscle cells in the aorta, thereby avoiding the risk of atherosclerosis.
The side effects of South African Rooibos tea
Although South African tea does have a lot of health benefits as mentioned above, it is no exception to side effects too. As the attribute of South African Rooibos tea is cold, If you drink too much, you could easily experience cramps, low blood pressure, and even liver and kidney failure. Therefore, be sure to confirm whether it is a suitable beverage for you before drinking, and be careful about drinking in excess.
Do you know South African Rooibos tea?
South African Rooibos tea brewing method
South African Rooibos tea can be brewed both cold and hot. The following will help you organise the steps of two different brewing methods as a reference. In addition, I remind everyone that there is no standard brewing method. If you enjoy the taste, that is always a good tea regardless!
South African Rooibos hot tea brew
- Heat the utensils that will be used with hot water first.
- Take a tea bag with 250-300c.c. of 95 degree water.
- Soak and wait for 3 to 5 minutes. The time can be adjusted according to personal taste.
- Take out the tea bag and enjoy it.
South African Rooibos cold tea brew
- Take a tea bag with 500c.c. of room temperature water and place it in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours, and enjoy it.
- You can also add ice cubes directly following the hot brewing step, but the tea brew in this way can’t be kept for too long, and it can deteriorate easily.
Read More:
Cold Brew Tea | Reveal the secret of making a cup of great tea！
“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” – Henry James
Variations of Rooibos in South Africa
South African Rooibos tea has a very strong aroma, so it is very suitable for drinking as a compound tea. It will not be overshadowed by the tea aroma of Rooibos tea, and you can have a different experience.
- After brewing the South African Rooibos tea, sugar, brown sugar, etc. can be added to create different flavours.
- Some people add dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and ice cream, even in milkshake form.
- Fruit-flavored Rooibos tea is also very popular, by adding fresh fruit and apple/ lemon juice directly.
- Some people also add Rooibos to their dishes as a seasoning.
- If you want to stew chicken or make pork rib soup, you can also try adding South African Rooibos tea, which can make the soup sweeter and more unique in flavour.
Read More:
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ABoxTik takes you to become familiarised with South African Rooibos tea.
Rooibos is a tea that has spanned over three centuries, and although few people knew about this tea in the past, the gradual popularity of health awareness has played a role in discovering the multiple superfood effects of South African Rooibos tea. The gradual discovery has revealed caffeine-free, low-calorie, soothing, and sleep-aiding effects, and more. It is well aligned with the needs of modern people.
After reading this article, have you learned more about Rooibos from South Africa? ABoxTik will continue to update the relevant introduction, knowledge, and common effects of tea products so that everyone can learn more about all kinds of tea products around us. If you are also interested in further acquiring tea knowledge, you are very welcome to continue to pay attention to our official website to find the tea you enjoy!