Rooibos tea does, in fact, contain antioxidants. Rooibos is an herbal tea also known as red tea. Animal studies have provided preliminary evidence showing that the antioxidants in rooibos tea potentially have health benefits for humans. Antioxidants work on a cellular level to protect the body from a variety of diseases. However, consult your doctor before trying to prevent, treat or cure any condition with rooibos tea.
Diabetes
Potential antioxidant benefits of rooibos tea include making diabetes-related problems less likely. A study published in 2006 in "Physiological Research" found that in a group of rats with clinically induced diabetes, rooibos tea reduced oxidative stress, or cell damage, to the eyes caused by diabetes.
Immune System
Drinking rooibos tea may help boost your immune health. A study published in 2010 in the "Journal of Immunoassay and Immunochemistry" found that rooibos tea boosted immune system function by increasing the levels of certain beneficial proteins in the blood. One such protein the researchers found is interleukin-10, which can protect the body from viral infections.
Type
Fermented rooibos tea contains antioxidants. However, unfermented rooibos tea was found to have higher levels of antioxidants, in a study of people published in 2010 in "Food Chemistry." Peaks in antioxidant levels were noticed in a group of study participants one hour after they drank the tea. Fermented tea was also found to boost blood levels of antioxidants in this study, just not as much as the unfermented rooibos tea did.
Caution
If you drink rooibos tea, be aware it can potentially cause liver damage. A few case studies have reported that liver enzymes have been elevated after people drank rooibos tea. For example, a case study published in 2009 in the "European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology" found that it did just that in a 42-year-old woman with low-grade B-cell malignancy who consumed large amounts of rooibos -- 11 servings daily made with 1 tsp. of rooibos per serving. After she stopped drinking the tea for a week, her liver enzymes returned to normal.
References
- "Food Chemistry"; Unfermented and Fermented Rooibos Teas (Aspalathus Linearis) Increase Plasma Total Antioxidant Capacity in Healthy Humans; Debora Villano et al.; 2010
- "Journal of Immunoassay and Immunochemistry"; The In Vitro Effects of Rooibos Tea and Black Tea on Immune Pathways; Rahzia Hendricks & Edmund John Pool; 2010
- "Physiological Research"; Rooibos Tea (Aspalathus linearis) Partially Prevents Oxidative Stress in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats; O. Ulicna, et al.; 2006
- "European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology"; Possible Hepatotoxic Effect of Rooibos Tea: A Case Report; Marjatta Sinisalo et al.; 2009
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