Rooibos tea - health benefits

Rooibos tea is a drink. This is a herbal tea made from crushed dried leaves of an aspalatus shrub.

A bit of history

Aspalatus is a plant up to 1.5 meters tall with small leaves, similar to needles. The birthplace of this plant, as well as the drink, is South Africa, where it appeared a long time ago and was a traditional drink of some tribes, the name of the aspalatus is translated from their languages ​​as “red bush”. There is a legend that the gods gave people a drink so that they would always be young, energetic and live for many, many years. In Africa, such tea was used simply as a drink, as a medicine, and sometimes as a food coloring of a red tint. In the 19th century, the miraculous herbal tea became known to the colonialists from the Netherlands and already in the beginning of the 20th century it appeared in Europe.

Production

For the production of tea, relatively mature plants are used - bushes aged 1.5 years. The factories use thin branches that are crushed, then laid out on a horizontal surface, washed with water and then dried in the sun. Next, tea is sorted and packaged in boxes or disposable bags.

Varieties

Tea leaves and consumption

Rooibos tea is brewed like regular black tea, poured with boiling water and infused for 5-10 minutes. In the homeland of the drink it is aged for about half an hour, it is believed that it is tastier and contains more vitamins. Ready tea smells like nuts and a little fruit, has a natural sweet flavor, as well as a beautiful red-orange tint.

For brewing, it is better to use transparent glassware (then you will see what kind of tea is beautiful) and it is not recommended to use clay, since it will not smell the aroma of the drink.

You can drink such tea in its natural form, but you can also add a little honey, a slice of lemon or orange. Very often tea is used to make soft drinks or even some soups or flour products.

Beneficial features

According to the results of many studies, it was found that a rooibos drink has a tremendous amount of benefit for humans. Tea has a high content of antioxidants and can serve as an adjuvant for the treatment of certain diseases.

1. Tea contains vitamin C (it is believed that two cups will be enough for a person to satisfy the daily requirement), and fluorine (similarly, only 3 cups, about 200 ml each).
2. The drink is enriched with iron and copper, which supports the exchange of protein in the body and will be beneficial for hair and skin.
3. Elements such as zinc and potassium in the composition of herbal tea increase immunity, have regenerative properties, promote cell function.
4. Rooibos is often recommended for various types of diseases: hypertension, diabetes, liver disease, cataracts and many others.
5. It is known that a drink is able to restore and normalize the work of the gastrointestinal tract during food poisoning.
6. Tea helps cleanse the body of unnecessary elements and enrich it with useful substances. In addition, tea can also act as a sedative, reducing mental stress and pressure.
7. It is known that the drink incorporates tetracycline, which is a bactericidal substance. That is why herbal tea can be used to make compresses or lotions for dermatitis, irritations and other skin ailments.
8. Unlike regular black tea, rooibos does not contain caffeine, and also has a lower content of certain acids and tianine. It is also known that the plant has organic sugar and is suitable for diabetics. Therefore, it can be used by pregnant women and people with kidney problems.
9. Infusions from rooibos can also be used for colic in children.
10. There is an opinion that the rooibos infusion helps to cope even with a hangover. It well removes toxins from the body.
11. For dietetics, rooibos tea also has its value. The plant is enriched with glucose and has a sweet flavor, which will do without additional sugar. Also, the drink is low in calories (100 gr. = About 15 calories).
12. Tea can be useful for edema; it removes fluid from the body well.
13. Very often, rooibos infusion is used for colds, it has an anti-inflammatory effect, strengthens the human immune system.
14. Since rooibos is enriched with various minerals, it favorably affects bone tissue and teeth, and can prevent tooth decay.

In addition, rooibos is also useful for the nervous system, has a sedative effect, with constant use it can help get rid of insomnia.

Contraindications and harmful effects

Despite how many useful properties have been given above, it is worth remembering about the dangers of rooibos tea. First of all, tea is contraindicated for people with individual intolerance to this plant and allergies. It is also worthwhile to be very attentive to hypotensives, as tea will very well reduce already low blood pressure. It is not recommended to drink large quantities of rooibos in case of gastritis and stomach ulcer.
It is believed that tea interferes with the absorption of iron from other substances (for example, the beneficial constituents of vegetables), so you should drink tea after eating. Do not drink herbal tea on an empty stomach. Rooibos is also recommended to drink not very hot, since at a temperature above 55 degrees it can cause stomach spasm. In this case, the drink should not be excessively strong.

Recipes

1. First of all, rooibos can be brewed as plain black tea, that is, pour a small amount into a teapot, pour boiling water and let stand 10 minutes.
2. For a richer taste, you can make tea according to the recipe that came to us from South Africa. For such a recipe you will need a teapot that can be put on fire. The water is brought to a boil, a small amount of rooibos is poured into it and, stirring with a wooden stick, boiled for about 2 minutes, then simmer on a minimum heat for 2-3 minutes, after being removed from the stove and infused for 5 minutes.
3. In order that tea does not lose its taste for a long time, you need to brew it in a water bath. To do this, you will need two containers of different sizes. Water is poured into a large container, which is brought to a boil, then a smaller container is put in there with water already poured and tea poured. Tea is brewed in a water bath for about 30 minutes (to get a strong drink). You can add cinnamon to the finished drink.
4. You can combine rooibos with different fruits, for example, with lemon. Finely chopped lemon peel and half a liter of boiling water are added to the pre-infused tea, the infusion is left for a day under the lid. In such a cocktail, you can add cinnamon, peppermint honey and ginger.

Recently there was such a novelty as espresso from rooibos, in appearance it is an ordinary espresso, the same foam on top and tart taste. To get such a drink, you need a coffee machine. In the compartment for ground coffee, instead of the coffee itself, you need to put rooibos. This drink was patented by Karl Pretorius. Today, in addition to espresso, there is also red latte and cappuccino.

Video: beneficial properties of rooibos tea