The Power of Red – Rooibos Red

I hate tea. I lived in Britain for 2 years and visit almost every year and still I hate tea. I know how good green tea is for people. I like it flavoring my ice cream. I adore using it in my facials, but I just don’t like how it tastes in the cup. So imagine my surprise when I found a tea that I not only love to drink, but that trumps green tea in the health and wellness department!

Rooibos (roy-boss), also known as Honeybush or Red Tea isn’t really “tea” at all. It comes from a reddish bush in South Africa and although the leaves are processed like tea, Rooibos comes from the plant Aspalathus Linearis and not the Camellia plants which produce traditional teas. Like traditional teas Rooibos leaves are brewed to give a refreshing flavor, but with a fruity, nutty, sweet, and totally non-bitter taste.

Scientists have been studying the medicinal properties since the early 1900’s when a Russian immigrant named Benjamin Ginsberg discovered Rooibos for Europeans, but our studies are just proving what South Africans have know for centuries. Rooibos tea not only tastes amazing, but eases headaches, digestive problems, allergy symptoms and colic. According to studies conducted in South Africa and Japan Rooibos aids in health problems such as insomnia, irritability, headaches, nervous tension, and hypertension. When used directly on the skin it reduces inflammation and irritation caused by things like insect bites, eczema, psoriasis, and other rashes.

Preliminary findings indicate rooibos tea contains more polyphenols than green tea. At least eight different polyphenols have been identified in Rooibos, and since rooibos is entirely caffeine free the antioxidant and healing power of this tea can be used to help slow the aging process and boost the immune system in anyone at any age. A good Rooibos tea contains no colors, additives or preservatives. It’s naturally sweet so you don’t need to add additional sweeteners, and even people who don’t like tea love the taste!

Rooibos contains almost no oxalic acid, making it a good beverage for people prone to kidney stones, and contains the following minerals: copper, iron and potassium, calcium, fluoride, zinc, manganese, alpha-hydroxy, and magnesium. Like green tea it helps freshen breath, keep your teeth and gums healthy, and keep you younger looking.

As with any tea, the quality of the leaf matters. I get mine from one of the top supplier of Rooibos tea in the world. They know tea, and if you’ve seen me and had a Tea Infusion Facial you can attest to how wonderful the tea tastes and smells, but also how beautiful it leaves your skin. So from now on think red when you think about drinking tea. Even if you, like me, didn’t think you were a tea drinker give a cup of Rooibos a shot.