Rooibos tea is found on the slopes of Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Though recently popular in America, locals have been drinking it for hundreds of years. Though it has a mild and aromatic taste, it’s drunk for its many health benefits.
The tea is popular in Japan, England, Holland and Germany and has 50 times more antioxidants than green tea. As its caffeine free, it can be drunk as much as required without fear of its affecting sleep cycles or causing insomnia. Read on to learn more health benefits of drinking rooibos tea.
1. Help with hypertension
It’s a great remedy for hypertension as it lowers blood pressure. Hypertension or high blood pressure occurs when excess blood is forced against the body’s artery walls.
2. Helps the respiratory system
A bronchodilator, rooibos tea dilates the bronchi and bronchioles to increase air flow in lungs and make breathing easy. With the tea reducing any resistance in the respiratory airway, regular drinking can help prevent common cardiovascular problems including heart attacks and atherosclerosis. It may also prove helpful in combatting asthma symptoms.
3. Anti-inflammatory properties
As rooibos tea is rich in polyphenol antioxidants like nothofagin and aspalathin, it protects the body by fighting free radicals and stabilizing all unstable cells. Moreover, its polyphenols have anti-inflammatory properties which help prevent any form of health related diseases. The antiviral properties of polyphenols also provide a boost to the body’s immunity to help protect the body from viruses, common cold and the flu.
4. Helps with digestion
As rooibos tea is rich in antispasmodic agents which activate the body’s potassium ions, it helps ease stomach cramps and abdominal pain while helping with digestion. This is why the tea is used as a natural remedy for irritable bowel syndrome. Its antispasmodic agents smoothens the gut muscles to help the digestive tract. For best results, drink a cup of the tea about half an hour before a meal which may trigger digestive problems.
5. Healthy hair
Rooibos tea contains calcium, potassium, copper and zinc which increases hair growth and strengthens hair fibers. The tea also helps prevent hair loss as its ingredients remove the dead skin cells which may block hair follicles and prevent hair growth. Its polyphenols also promote shiny and soft hair.
6. Strong bones and teeth
Rooibos tea contains minerals like manganese, fluoride and calcium which help promote healthy bones and teeth and prevents bone related problems like arthritis, joint pain and osteoporosis. While manganese stimulates body enzymes to build more bone mass, fluoride maintains healthy teeth and calcium is necessary for healthy and strong bones and teeth.
7. Good for the skin
Rooibos tea is rich with zinc and alpha hydroxyl acid which is great for the skin and alleviates skin problems like acne, pimples, uneven skin and sunburns. Zinc helps heal wounds, has anti-inflammatory properties and protects against UV rays while alpha hydroxyl acid reduces the signs of aging like wrinkles.
8. Improved blood circulation
The chrysoeriols in rooibos tea is an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties which helps blood circulation. It also prevents the activity of some enzymes which trigger cardiovascular diseases and reduces cholesterol levels.
9. Prevents type II diabetes
Rooibos tea has aspalathin which balances blood sugar and improves the body’s insulin resistance levels. As it also promotes glucose absorption in muscles, it prevents type II diabetes.
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