Rooibos red tea is a mild, fruity hot or iced beverage made from the rooibos shrub, which is native to the Cedarberg mountains of South Africa. Rooibos red tea is popular not only for its pleasant flavor but because it is naturally caffeine-free and low in tannins. The tea is rich in antioxidants, which help prevent cellular damage that can lead to illness and disease. Rooibos red tea is low in calories and a good source of fluoride and copper.
Identification
The twigs and leaves of the rooibos shrub, Aspalathus linearis, are the source of red and green rooibos tea. Harvested leaves and twigs are cut, oxidized and sun-dried to make red rooibos tea, which is orange-red in color and produces a red tea. Tea made from unoxidized plant matter is rooibos green tea. Rooibos red tea has a robust, sweet and fruity flavor, while rooibos green tea has a mild taste. The antioxidant level of rooibos green tea is higher than that of rooibos red tea, likely from the loss of some plant polyphenols during the oxidation process that yields rooibos red tea.
Nutritional Content
A cup of rooibos red tea contains no appreciable calories, fat, protein, carbohydrates or vitamins. Stirring milk or sugar into the tea adds nutrients. A 200-ml serving of rooibos tea contains 0.07 mg copper, or 7.8 percent of the daily value for copper, and 0.22 mg fluoride, or 5.5 percent of the daily value for men and 7.3 percent of the daily value for women. Smaller amounts of iron, potassium, zinc, calcium, sodium, magnesium and manganese are present.
Caffeine and Tannin
Rooibos tea offers health advantages over regular tea made from Camellia sinensis leaves in that it contains no caffeine and much lower levels of tannins than true tea. Rooibos tea is perfect for people wishing to avoid the stimulating effects of caffeine, yet seeking to add plant polyphenols to their diets. Decaffeinating green and black tea removes some of the healthful polyphenols from the tea. The low tannin content means rooibos tea doesn't acquire a bitter taste and is gentler on the digestive system than tannin-rich regular tea. Tannins reduce iron absorption, but so do polyphenols, so it cannot be assumed that rooibos won't inhibit iron absorption to the same extent as black or green tea.
Health Benefits
Rooibos red tea is rich in polyphenols that, according to the American Botanical Council, counter free radical damage that can result in heart disease, stroke and cancer. Rooibos tea is used in South Africa as a folk remedy for stomach cramps and colic in babies. A Japanese study concluded that rooibos tea may decrease the itching from dermatitis. Research is needed to verify claims of additional health benefits of rooibos red tea.
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