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Nature’s Bounty
Robust Rooibos
A Unique Taste Sensation
By Rich Wallace
Looking for a tasty, healthful, caffeine-free tea? South African rooibos is worth a try.
Readily available in this country, rooibos (roy-boss) makes a slightly sweet, woodsy tea with a citrus undertone. It’s high in vitamin C and minerals.
Rooibos is rich in flavonoids that have strong antioxidant characteristics. Traditional medicinal uses in South Africa include relief from digestive disorders, allergies, headaches, asthma, and skin conditions. Recent scientific studies have examined the tea’s potential as an immune modulator, an anti-inflammatory agent, and as an aid to mental clarity (it’s even been helpful for Alzheimer’s patients).
Rooibos is a member of the legume family, related to peanuts and beans. The shrub grows only in South Africa. The leaves and stems are used to make the red tea. Vanilla or a squeeze of lemon, lime, or orange enhances the pleasant flavor.
SELECTED SOURCES Healing Herbal Teas by Brigitte Mars, AHG ($17.95, Basic Health, 2006) } “The In Vitro Effects of Rooibos and Black Tea on Immune Pathways” by R. Hendricks and E. J. Pool, J Immunoassay Immunochem, 4/10 } “Oxidative Stress and Alzheimer’s Disease: Dietary Polyphenols as Potential Therapeutic Agents” by A. S. Darvesh et al., Expert Rev Neurother, 5/10 } “South African Herbal Teas: Aspalathus linearis, Cyclopia spp. and Athrixa phylicoides—a Review” by E. Joubert et al., J Ethnopharmacol, 10/28/08 } “Studies of Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Rooibos Tea . . .” by H. Baba et al., Pediatr Int, 10/09