Rooibos tea is made from the leaves and stems of the Aspalathus linearis. The roobios tea leaves are harvested in the summer; the green leaves are allowed to ferment, after which they turn a rich red color. In addition to being a tasty beverage, this tea has been promoted for its nutritional value.
History
Rooibos tea is native to South Africa. The South African Rooibos Council reports that rooibos leaves were first harvested for tea more than 300 years ago in the Cederberg region of South Africa. Benjamin Ginsberg, a Russian immigrant, first exported rooibos tea from South Africa in 1904. A key moment in the history of this tea occurred in 1968 when Mrs. Annetjie Theron published a book touting the medicinal value of roobios tea. Mrs. Theron first noticed that this tea treated colic in her infant and expanded her observations to other health effects including skin care.
Processing
The stems and leaves are harvested from the rooibos plant; they are processed in two different ways to make two distinct beverages. One method involves bruising the leaves and then allowing them to ferment; the other method involves drying the leaves in the sun immediately after harvesting to prevent their oxidation. Tea made from the fermented leaves yields red tea. The unfermented rooibos is commonly called green rooibos and makes a tea that is yellowish in color.
Health Effects
According to the NYU Langone Medical Center, the idea that rooibos tea prevents or treats diseases is based largely on studies conducted in a laboratory and observation in individual communities. The studies in the lab thus far have shown that rooibos may be effective in treating diseases of the liver and heart, and may have anti-cancer effects. It is important that rooibos tea be tested in large clinical trials with the proper controls before the health effects of rooibos can be considered proven.
Aspalathin
The leaves of the rooibos plant are rich in a substance called aspalathin. Aspalathin is a flavonoid, which is known for its antioxidant activity. Much of the aspalathin is removed during the fermentation process of red tea, but some still remains in the prepared tea leaves. In contrast, the lack of fermentation of green rooibos allows the tea to retain most of the aspalathin. According to Professors Lizette Joubert and Wentzel Gelderblom of the South African Rooibos Council, aspalathin is likely responsible for the anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects of rooibos tea that they say are inherent in this tea.
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