Rooibos Tea, the South African Fountain of Youth

Grown high in the mountains of South Africa, home of the Antelope and the  mighty Gorilla, Rooibos Tea is one of those delicious little secrets that you learn about after spending decades roaming the aisles of natural food stores. Why Rooibos tea has not become a staple in American pantries is intriguing to me, in fact, I'm quite shocked that the Great and Powerful Oz has not spoken about Rooibos tea on T.V. yet, maybe I missed that show.

Anyway, like other plants grown this way (in the home of the Antelope and the mighty Gorilla), Rooibos tea is extravagantly rich in naturally occurring nutrients. At a particular point in the plant’s ripening process, the leaves develop a reddish brown color, explaining why this increasingly popular beverage is also referred to as redbush tea. New to Americans, the health-giving properties of Rooibos tea have been scientifically documented in Japan and South Africa. Studies show that the tea relieves insomnia, nervous tension, mild depression, stomach cramps (including colic), constipation and allergic symptoms (even those caused by hay fever and asthma). It can also ease itching and skin irritations, thereby also offing eczema and acne victims wecome deliverance from misery.

NO CAFFEINE. Rooibos tea, unlike other uplifting or "entertainment" beverages, has no caffeine. According to new studies done at Duke University, the caffeine in your morning coffee is confirmed to put you in a state of sustained stress, affecting both blood pressure and heart rate all through the day. Women who are heavy caffeine drinkers are twice as likely as caffeine abstainers to have short menstrual cycles. So instead of having a period every 28 days, the time between cycles may be reduced to 24 days or less.

OLIGOSACCHARIDES. (yeah, right!) Rooibos tea secretes a family of unusual oligosaccharides. These are compounds made up of small numbers of simple sugars. The most dramatic news about Rooibos tea is that studies from Japan demonstrate safe anti-HIV activity from the oligosaccharides contained in it. Oligosaccharides are involved in the mechanism for viral binding of T-cells, the immune soldiers that keep dangerous attackers at bay. As our environment has grown more toxic, we have a greatly reduced access to natural antioxidants (vitamin E, vitamin C, bioflavonoids, carotene and a host of other less well-known chemicals). So it’s not only oxidative damage but also antioxidant deficiency that impacts a wide range of human diseases–from cancer to viral infections to circulatory disease. Both damage and deficiency Rooibos may prevent age-related oxidative damage in the brain. Several studies show that Rooibos tea contains highly defensive natural antioxidants. Equally exciting, Rooibos tea has been validated to be anti-aging, particularly for preventing age-related byproducts of oxidation in the brain. The tea was able to inhibit the cancer-causing effect of x-rays in test animals. Carcinogenic transformation of cells was reduced with increased concentration of rooibos extract.

So... brew up a pot of Rooibos tea, load up on those oligosaccharides, and then go get some sleep! Everyone who knows you will be glad you did. :-)

Please visit us at: Innovative Nutrition in East Setauket, next to Mario's Restaurant, or on the web at: www.vibranthealthcompany.net