Here's a new tea for you to try - the Rooibos! 
I saw a box of Rooibos tea on the shelves in Cold Storage, got
curious, and decided to read up on it. Here, I'm sharing a summary
of what I managed to learn about Rooibos in various websites.
Rooibos (Afrikaans for 'red bush'; pronounced 'ROY-BOSS') is
commonly used to make an herbal tea. Rooibos tea contains no
colors, additives or preservatives, making it a natural beverage.
It also contains no caffeine!
Rooibos tea is harvested during the summer (Southern
Hemisphere).
Most of the tea is picked manually. The tea is then bruised and cut
using tobacco cutting machines. At this stage, Rooibos is still
green. Fermentation is essential in order to enhance the flavor of
the tea. Rooibos is fermented in mounds and then spread out to dry
in the sunlight. Fermentation turns the tea red. Rooibos' nick name
'red bush does not apply to a live plant since it is green until it
is fermented. In the final process Rooibos is sterilized by steam,
dried in commercial dryers, sifted and packaged.
This tea contains no oxalic acid, making it a good beverage for
people prone to kidney stones. Rooibos contains the minerals,
copper, iron and potassium, calcium, fluoride, zinc, manganese,
alpha- hydroxy ( for healthy skin ) and magnesium ( for the nervous
system ) are also components of this tea.
Rooibos has found its way into health and beauty products. It is
also used to treat irritated skin. Rooibos is brewed and placed
directly on infected areas. Rooibos contains anti - oxidants which
can help slow the aging process and boost the immune system.
Rooibos contains Aspalathin as well, a flavonoid present in
medicinal herbs used to treat skin and circulatory disorders. It is
low in tannin, which inhibits absorption of minerals, at 4.4
percent. It contains traces of fluoride, calcium and
manganese.
Japanese research into the effects of oligosaccharides, also found
in Rooibos, indicates that these compounds may aid the immune
system in fighting viral infections.
Rooibos extracts may have also been shown to have anticarcinogenic
and antimutagenic effects. In other words, this means that Rooibos
is a food that might prevent the development of cancerous
cells.
Rooibos is rich in flavonoid antioxidants which mimics the activity
of superoxide dismutase, by scavenging free radicals. Once again,
this translates to mean that Rooibos can help to prevent
cancer.
Other purported benefits include:
- Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties
- relief of hay fever, asthma and allergies
- relief of insomnia and nervous tension
- relief of constipation, stomach cramps and colic in infants
- easing skin conditions including acne, eczema and nappy/diaper
rash
- aid in health problems such as insomnia, irritability, headaches,
nervous tension, and hypertension
- purpotedly slows the ageing process
Studies also show that this tea relieves anti- spasmodic agents,
which can relieve stomach cramping and colic in infants.
For more info, please visit the following websites :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooibos
http://www.africantea.com/Rooibos-Health/rooibos-health.html
http://www.africantea.com/About_Rooibos_Tea/about_rooibos_tea.html
http://www.teamuse.com/article_040501.html
