Rooibos tea is becoming famous as a healthy and delightful beverage. It is consumed in Southern Africa for centuries; it has become a favorite beverage around the world. It is a caffeine-free and flavorful alternative to green tea and black tea. Expert praise rooibos for its various health benefits, its antioxidants can help to prevent heart disease, cancer, and stroke.
Let’s explore everything about Rooibos tea and how it helps weight loss.
What Is Rooibos Tea?
Table of Contents
Rooibos tea is also identified as red bush tea or red tea. It is made utilizing leaves from a plant named Aspalathus linearis, generally grown over the west coast area of South Africa. Rooibos is a type of herbal tea and is not linked to black or green tea. Traditional rooibos is offered by fermenting the tea leaves, which make them a red-brown color.
Green rooibos, which is not fermented also found. It is more expensive and has a grass-type flavor than the old version of the tea, while also provide antioxidants.
It is commonly consumed as black tea. Some people include sugar and milk with rooibos iced tea, lattes, espressos, and cappuccinos or other minerals like fluoride and copper.
Rooibos tea gives different advantages for weight reduction. It accomplished astounding notoriety due to its incredible taste, normal pleasantness, and distinctive shading. As indicated by the South African Rooibos Council, the tea is without caffeine holds numerous cell reinforcements, which help to save the liver, heart, mind, and forestall disease.
Rooibos Tea History
The Rooibos tea is originated as Chinese tea in the global market. During the time of Dutch-East-India-Company created refreshment station for sailors between the trade routes of Asia and Europe. From here the Dutch got used to the tea-consuming culture and took it home.
It encouraged the Dutch to import this tea from China, making them the first-ever tea importers in Europe. In 1660, the Dutch ventured into the parts of Olifants River Valley and Cederberg. Along with this, Dutch settlers initiated to show up in the Cederberg parts. It made early Dutch settlers know the fine nature of the needle-like leaves of this shrub called Aspalathus linearis. The Dutch settlers soon understood that this shrub provides a unique taste and aroma in tea. They also know it is a better substitute for other expensive tea they import from China.
Being cheaper it began raising the popularity and demand of Rooibos tea. In 1904 a Russian immigrant called Benjamin Ginsberg understood the potential marketing of rooibos tea. He then began to trade these herbs to the Russian Market. Because the intelligent tea entrepreneur Benjamin belongs to a well-renowned family in the tea industry. His strategy worked well with the name of Mountain tea. It gained popularity in the European and Russian markets. As increasing everywhere, a South African Rooibos tea industry was started.
In 1954, The Minister-of-Agriculture appointed the Rooibos tea-control board because of increasing demand. This board helped for organizing better operations of the tea industry in South Africa.
After 1968, this tea took a huge turn and became popular after finding its benefit for curing baby allergy mentioned by Dr. Annique in the book named “Allergies: An-Amazing-Discovery”.
Nutrition Information
Rooibos tea provides zero calories when taken without sugar, milk, honey, or other ingredients. One cup of rooibos tea consists of
- Calories: 0
- Fat: 0 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
- Fiber: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 0 grams
- Sugar: 0 grams
Rooibos tea consists of various minerals, copper, and fluoride.
How Rooibos Tea Help Weight Loss
Rooibos tea is a type of herbal tea prepared from tiny leaves and thin stems of a South African bushy plant called Aspalathus linearis. It is used as a natural remedy for thousands of years. It has considered a natural remedy for many health problems. Now, a scientist has tested and discovered the important properties of rooibos tea for weight loss. Let’s find out what are those:
Low In Calories
The rooibos tea is the best source of low calories that assist in weight loss. One cup of rooibos tea offers 0-2 calories, depending on the different brands. It has lower than the calorific content of coffee, tea or sugar, and milk. Therefore, when you consume rooibos tea, you eat fewer calories, thereby lowering the chances of added calories stored as fat.
Naturally Sweet
Rooibos tea has naturally sweet. It helps to prevent you from including refined sugar or sweetener in tea. It is best to drink naturally brewed rooibos tea without including artificial sweeteners to maintain its weight loss properties active.
Antioxidant-Rich
The antioxidant properties like Aspalathin and Nothofagin in rooibos tea helps to prevent harmful free radicals that can affect cell function and damage DNA. The flavonoids content of rooibos tea help to save the DNA Strands. However, the levels of antioxidants in tea depend on the area of grown, brewing technique, and fermentation process.
Lower Oxidative Stress
An enhanced and regular state of oxidative stress can cause fat build-up, especially in the stomach region. Drinking rooibos tea can help to lower oxidative stress and help in weight loss. It also helps to protect your brain from oxidative damage.
Anti-Inflammatory
Scientists have determined that Nothofagin and Aspalathin, the two major antioxidants present in rooibos tea, provide anti-inflammatory properties. Researchers present that they stopped the inflammation, which prevented a completely blown inflammatory response. According to another study, scientists discovered that supplementing lab tests on rats of rooibos tea shown to decrease inflammation and DNA damage. We are well informed that swelling for a long time can cause inflammation-triggered obesity. Utilizing rooibos tea can help to stop this.
Manages Blood Sugar
The rooibos tea additionally assists with managing high glucose. High glucose is a condition wherein your body is either not making sufficient insulin or cause insulin opposition. For this situation, the body can’t use up glucose flow as energy. Subsequently, there is a spike in glucose levels, causing diabetes.
An examination gave in Phytomedicine of 2009 said that restoring diabetic sort 2 mice with Aspalathin raise glucose raise and insulin discharge, diminished blood glucose level made mice insulin touchy. In this manner, rooibos tea can profit to forestall type 2 diabetes, the early indications of weight acquire.
Improves Lipid Profile
If you wish to keep yourself healthy, then you need to keep your lipid profile normal. Higher triglyceride levels cause to create a risk of inflammation, imbalanced body functions, heart attacks, weight gain, and stroke. Consuming rooibos tea help to provide antioxidants, that help to improve lipid profile.
Lower Blood Cholesterol
Two types of cholesterol are HDL and LDL. LDL cholesterol is unhealthy for health and build-up as plaque or accumulates on arteries walls and narrows down the passages of the artery. In return, it will cause blood flow restriction and heart health risk. Rooibos tea intake helps to reduce LDL cholesterol and improve your metabolism. Scientists also discovered that consuming rooibos tea also improves good cholesterol.
Stop Metabolic Diseases
Metabolic ailments have crippled a bulk of the world’s population. Rooibos tea can help to lower triglyceride and bad cholesterol level, it improves good cholesterol and reduce sugar, and stop obesity, which is commonly linked to metabolic diseases. Hence, consuming rooibos tea regularly can help to prevent risky diseases.
Improves Sleep
Rooibos tea can help to improve sleep quality. It increases sleep by lowering inflammation and oxidative stress in the body. This helps body cells and the brain to function better. And when you have better sleep and rest, you will have natural weight loss.
Blood Pressure Control
Doctors often suggest medications called ACE inhibitors to lower blood pressure and relax blood vessels. Some plant substances act to prevent ACE inhibitors. According to one study, both rooibos tea and green tea act as ACE inhibitors in research participants. The study was small, so more analysis is required to confirm the effect. If you take blood pressure medicine, never discontinue it without your physician’s approval.
May Boost Heart Health
The antioxidants present in rooibos are connected to a healthier heart. It may occur in different ways. First, consuming rooibos tea may have good effects on blood pressure by reducing angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). ACE indirectly boosts blood pressure by making blood vessels contract.
According to research by 1 person, used rooibos tea decreases ACE activity 30-60 minutes after ingestion. However, this did not make any change in blood pressure. There is more encouraging proof that tea can improve cholesterol levels.
This tea works absolutely for heart health by regulating blood pressure. It may reduce bad cholesterol and raise good HDL cholesterol in those people with heart disease.
May Reduce Cancer Risk
According to test-tube studies note that the antioxidants luteolin and quercetin, which are found in rooibos tea, can prevent cancer cells and tumor growth.
However, the quantity of luteolin and quercetin in a cup of tea is less. Different vegetables and fruits are the better sources. Therefore, it is not clear whether rooibos pack is sufficient of these two antioxidants, and whether they get absorbed efficiently enough by your body to increase benefits.
Fewer Wrinkles And Healthy Skin
If an individual applied rooibos tea over the skin, it may help the skin appearance by lowering wrinkles. A 2010 study compared the cosmetic mix made of herbal extracts in a gel form. The extracts were soybean, ginkgo, and a mix of rooibos and tea. The researchers discovered that the tea and rooibos mix was best effective and lower wrinkles, while ginkgo was good for moisturizing the skin.
This tea also consists of mineral-like zinc, and vitamin D, which helps to create healthy skin and shiny hair. Consuming healthy tea provides beautiful skin and removes dead cells.
Eases Colic, Cramps, and Stomach Pains
Rooibos is also utilized as a treatment for colic or stomach pain, especially in South Africa. Many people say anti-inflammatory qualities in tea are responsible for extra benefits. The antispasmodic qualities help to ease abdominal aches and cramps in the stomach. Also, diarrhea and other intestinal problem can help to stop by rooibos. It is possible by using the potassium present in the tea to lower the hyperactiveness in the gastrointestinal tract.
Relieve Stress
This benefit of Rooibos tea is needed in the busy world. Tension, stress, and other distressing events can cause high blood pressure, hypertension. Rooibos tea helps to lower high blood pressure by promoting airflow to the lungs. For this purpose, Rooibos work as a bronchodilator.
Reducing blood pressure can also help to stop atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, and heart attacks.
Caffeine-Free
This benefit comes from rooibos tea as it is herbal tea. Rooibos tea is free of caffeine and suitable for every age group and even people with insomnia. Avoiding or removing caffeine from tea, or even from your diet provides different benefits for a healthy lifestyle. Begining from reducing stress levels, to increase overall mood, rooibos tea can improve a healthier lifestyle.
Research has shown that rooibos tea before bed help to increase sleep.
Best Tea Replacement for People With Kidney Stones
The oxalic acid in other kinds of tea prevents people with kidney stones from drinking tea. Oxalic acid cause to worsen the calcium or other kidney stones even further by increasing their size. Luckily Rooibos tea does not lead to kidney stones. Therefore, people with kidney stones can use Rooibos tea as a perfect replacement.
Other Benefits
Some of the unverified benefits include:
Bone health
Evidence related to rooibos consumption is to enhance bone health is weak, and particular studies are limited.
Improved digestion
The tea is often boosted as a way to lower digestive issues. However, more evidence is required.
How To Make Rooibos Tea For Weight Loss?
Brewing rooibos tea is very easy, but you should know the right method to make it. Here is a way to prepare rooibos tea.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of rooibos tea leaves
- 1 cup of water
How To Prepare
Boil 1-cup of water and extract the heat and let it calm down for one minute.
Include the rooibos tea leaves and steep for 3 minutes.
Filter the tea properly before consuming it.
Here is your tasty cup of rooibos tea ready.
Including some natural ingredients in a cup of rooibos tea will stimulate the weight loss process and boost complete health. Here are some recipes.
Rooibos Tea And Lemon
Ingredients
- Rooibos tea leaves – 1 teaspoon
- water – 1 cup
- lemon juice 1 tablespoon
How To Prepare
Brew one cup of water and switch from the heat and keep it cool down for one minute.
Add rooibos tea leaves and let them steep 3 times.
Filter the tea and include one lemon juice and mix well.
Benefits
Lemon juice in this tea provides vitamin C, which aids immunity and increases tea flavor.
Rooibos Tea And Mint
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon – rooibos tea leaves
- 1 cup – water
- 5 mint leaves
How to Prepare
Boil one cup of water and include mint leaves in it and let it boil for 2 more minutes.
Remove it from heat and wait to cool down.
Include the rooibos tea leaves and steep them for 3-minutes.
Strain the tea in a cup to sip.
Benefits
Mint leaves in rooibos tea will provide a cooling effect and boost digestion.
Rooibos Tea and Cinnamon
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon – rooibos tea leaves
- 1 cup – water
- 1 inch – Ceylon cinnamon
How to Prepare
Boil one cup water and add cinnamon stick in water and boil for 3-minutes.
Turn off the flame and let it cool down for one minute.
Add the rooibos tea and steep it for 3-minutes.
Strain the tea leaves and drink.
Benefits
Adding Ceylon cinnamon is good for weight loss. It promotes metabolism and increases tea flavor.
Is Rooibos Tea Benefit More Than Green Tea or Coffee?
Rooibos tea is the best option for replacing caffeine. It consists of no caffeine and has a natural sweetness. So, if you are new to weight loss drinks, rooibos tea is the best option. You do not have to include artificial sweeteners in it. Furthermore, coffee makes it hard for you to get sleep, whereas rooibos tea helps to boost better sleep. Green tea is very healthy and good for health, but its flavor may not feel good.
Is Fermented or Unfermented A Better Rooibos Tea?
Fermented rooibos tea has a red color, and the unoxidized or unfermented variety has green color. Fermented rooibos tea consists of fewer antioxidants. However, you can consume both to lose weight. The fermented type is highly available and is therefore used extra for weight loss. Well, you know how to make this rooibos tea for losing weight, but you are not known how many times you can intake this tea for effective weight loss. Let’s look into it.
How Much Rooibos Tea Is Good for every day for Weight Loss?
According to scientists, consuming 6-cups of rooibos tea every day can help to reduce weight. Drink this tea before 20 minutes of each meal. You will feel low hunger, which will make you eat fewer calories and slowly begin weight loss.
Processing and Production Of Rooibos Tea
The Cederberg part in Africa takes the pride in being the only area where Rooibos grows. Rooibos grows free and wild along with other types of indigenous bushes in the Cederberg mountains. It is grown in February and March months. The crops are harvested after 18 months of growth when the branches are 30-40 cm high on the ground.
Once harvested, the leaves are trimmed, bruised, aired, and watered. Then the leaves are left in heaps to make it ferment. After the fermentation process, the leaves are spread out to dry under the hot African sun. The combination of fermentation and drying helps to oxidize the leaves. They form a vibrant red color and sweet and aroma of cherry vanilla.
For green Rooibos, the fermentation step is not performed and leaves are dried instantly after washing. It is only after this careful process and attractive package of Rooibos tea, which comes to you as perfect herbal tea.
Side effects of Rooibos tea
Risk of Hepatotoxicity
In this condition, the liver gets damaged because of different harmful chemicals composition. According to a study of 2010, it was medically proven that Rooibos tea increase hepatoxicity.
It is because Rooibos tea owns some properties that Elevate liver enzymes. It leads to damage to the liver’s internal organs.
Estrogenic Activity
Some estrogenic activities are also indicated in Rooibos tea. It is where the estrogen production or raise female hormone. The estrogen overproduction can boost harmful side effects or increase the disease like breast cancer. It is due to breast cancer is sensitive to the overproduction of estrogen that increases cancer cells.
Excessive Antioxidant May Not Good
Even though Rooibos tea has rich antioxidants, its high consumption can cause negative side effects. This side affects a result of different antioxidants and other chemicals synthesis in the body. Possibly, when antioxidant mix with a chemotherapeutic drug, which can cause risky health problems. This condition occurs because of high dosage.
Can Be Toxic When Used Fresh
Fresh rooibos tea can be toxic. It is because fresh Rooibos can have contamination with salmonella or different bacteria leading to toxic reactions.
Irons Are Difficult to Be Absorbed
Like most tea, Rooibos contains low tannin. It makes it hard to absorb the iron properties in vegetables. Therefore, it is commonly suggested for all and especially for people with iron deficiency to drink Rooibos tea after a meal.
Skin and Breathing Problems
Individuals with allergies can easily experience breathing problems and skin irritations, such as swollen skin, rashes, skin itchiness, chest tightness are the common side effects.
Possible Side Effects for Pregnant Woman and Baby
This might be an important concern for pregnant women or breastfeeding. The side effects come from different supplement combinations and tea. These side effects sometimes affect the baby also.
Now you know that how Rooibos tea benefit and also cause side effects. Therefore, it is always suggested to consult your physician before adding this tea to your daily diet.
Make sure to know your health and underlying conditions before adding Rooibos tea for weight loss. If you get any problems, then take the doctor’s help.