Rooibos tea is a tea made from the leaves of the rooibos bush, a plant that can only be found in a small region of South Africa. It is referred to by several different names including bush tea, red bush tea, red tea or South African red tea. The tea has long been favored by South Africans for its health benefits, but is becoming increasingly popular with health-conscious consumers throughout the world.

The health benefits of drinking rooibos tea is primarily due to its high level of antioxidants including aspalathin. Vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, and calcium are some of the other beneficial nutrients found in rooibos. Here are some of the conditions that rooibos has been shown to alleviate or assist with.

Digestive Problems
South Africans have long used rooibos tea to provide relief from and assist with the treatment of various digestive problems. Some of these problems that rooibos tea has been commonly used to treat include heartburn, nausea, indigestion, and stomach ulcers.

Cancer Prevention
Many health experts agree that rooibos does act as an anticarcinogen to a number of different types of cancer cells. Studies have shown that the flavonoids contained in rooibos have chemopreventive and antimutagenic properties which have been shown to significantly reduce the potential onset of cancer.

Anti-Aging
It is fairly well-known that antioxidants play a significant role in protecting the body from the damage free radicals can cause. Since rooibos is so rich in antioxidants, it naturally helps to reduce the damaging effect aging has on the cells in our bodies. As a result, rooibos has the ability to help slow the aging process down.

Skin Conditions
Because of the alpha-hydroxy acid found in rooibos, it can be used externally to promote healthy skin and alleviate skin problems. It has been found effective in treating and providing relief from eczema, sunburn, rashes, and itches. Drinking the tea has also been shown to alleviate allergies and asthma.

These are just a few of the conditions rooibos tea has been used to treat. Stress, heart disease, headaches, and insomnia are a few more. Rooibos tea can be served as an iced tea or a hot beverage. While sugar and milk are commonly added, many people will find the tea to be naturally smooth and lacking the bitterness that many black and green teas have. Either way, rooibos tea is a great choice for any health-conscious tea lover.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com