Rooibos Tea - Health Benefits and Harm

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

A bit of history

Aspalatus is a plant up to 1.5 meters high with small leaves that look like needles. The homeland 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 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 medicine, and sometimes as a food dye of red hue. In the 19th century, the miraculous herbal tea became known to colonizers from Holland, and already in the early 20th century, it appeared in Europe.

Production

For the production of tea using relatively adult plants - bushes age of 1.5 years. The factories use thin branches, which are crushed, then spread on a horizontal surface, washed with water and then dried in the sun. Next, tea is sorted and packaged in boxes or disposable bags.

Species

Welding and use

Rooibos tea is brewed as usual black, filled with boiling water and infused for 5-10 minutes. At home, the drink is kept for about half an hour, it is believed that it is tastier and contains more vitamins. Ready-made tea smells of nuts and some fruit, has a natural sweet flavor, as well as a beautiful red-orange hue.

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 earthenware, as the aroma of the drink will not be felt in it.

You can drink this kind of tea in its natural form, but you can also add some honey, a slice of lemon or orange. Very often tea is used to make non-alcoholic cocktails or even some soups or flour products.

Beneficial features

According to the results of many studies, it was found that the Rooibos drink has a tremendous amount of benefits 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 daily needs), 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 useful for hair and skin.
3. Such elements as zinc and potassium in the composition of herbal tea enhance immunity, have regenerating properties, promote the work of cells.
4. Rooibos is often recommended for various types of diseases: hypertension, diabetes, liver disease, cataracts, and many others.
5. It is known that the drink is able to restore and normalize the work of the gastrointestinal tract in food poisoning.
6. Tea helps to 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 is composed of tetracycline, which is a bactericidal substance. That is why herbal tea can be used to make compresses or lotions for dermatitis, irritation and other skin ailments.
8. Unlike ordinary black tea, Rooibos does not contain caffeine, and also has a lower content of certain acids and tyanine. It is also known that the plant has organic sugar and is suitable for diabetics. Therefore, it can be used by both pregnant women and people with kidney problems.
9. Infusions of rooibos can also be used for colic in children.
10. It is believed that the infusion of Rooibos helps to cope even with a hangover. It removes toxins well.
11. For dietetics, Rooibos tea also has its value. The plant is enriched with glucose and has a sweet taste that will allow you to do without additional sugar. Also, the drink is low in calories (100 gr. = About 15 kilocalories).
12. Tea can be useful for edema, it is well removes fluid from the body.
13. Very often, the infusion of rooibos is used for colds, it has 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 the appearance of caries.

Plus, rooibos is also good for the nervous system, it has a sedative effect, and with constant use it can help get rid of insomnia.

Contraindications and harmful effects

In spite of how many useful properties were mentioned 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 very careful to be hypotensive, as tea is very good to reduce the already reduced pressure.It is not recommended to drink large quantities of Rooibos during gastritis and stomach ulcers.
It is believed that tea prevents the absorption of iron from other substances (for example, the useful components of vegetables), so you should drink tea after a meal. Do not drink herbal tea on an empty stomach. Even rooibos is recommended to drink is not very hot, since at temperatures above 55 degrees it can cause stomach spasm. In this case, the drink should not be too strong.

Recipes

1. First of all, rooibos can be brewed as plain black tea, that is, pour a small amount into the pot, pour boiling water and let it stand for 10 minutes.
2. For a more intense taste, you can brew tea according to the recipe that came to us from South Africa. For this recipe you will need a teapot that can be set on fire. The water is brought to a boil, a small amount of rooibos is poured there and, stirring with a wooden stick, boiled for about 2 minutes, then stewed for 2-3 minutes at minimum heat, then removed from the stove and infused for 5 minutes.
3. To tea for a long time did not lose the taste, you need to brew in a water bath. To do this, you need two tanks of different sizes. In a large container, water is poured, which is brought to a boil, then a smaller container is placed there with already poured water, and poured tea.Tea is brewed in a water bath for about 30 minutes (to get a strong drink). Cinnamon can be added to the finished drink.
4. You can combine rooibos with different fruits, for example, with lemon. Finely chopped lemon peel and another half-liter of boiling water are added to the pre-infused tea, the infusion is left under the lid for 24 hours. In this cocktail, you can add cinnamon, mint honey and ginger.

Recently, there was such a novelty as an Rooibos espresso, which looks like regular espresso, the same top foam 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 a red latte and cappuccino.

Video: Rooibos Tea Benefits