Just by drinking tea i can live longer?

Tea has become a way of life to people from different nations across the globe. There are different types, from a green tea to herbal tea. But no matter what the type, its health benefits cannot be denied.

Now comes the latest addition to this lineup; a discovery of a new kind of tea. This one is indigent in the continent of Africa. They call it rooibos tea. It is a type of herbal tea that is reddish in color and is said to have a sweet and nutty taste.

The most basic characteristic of the rooibos plant is that it is a shrubby legume which is indigenous to South Africa's Western Cape mountains, and has about 200 native species. The indigenous people were the first ones to discover the plant and had used it to make tea over 300 years ago. The rooibos leaves and stems were cut, fermented and dried under the sun. They found that the tea was both tasty and sweet and they had made a habit of brewing it more often.

During the 17^th and 18^th century, European botanists were introduced to the rooibos tea while traveling in South Africa. Later on, the Dutch settlers used rooibos tea to substitute black tea, which was a luxury to have back then. Different people like Benjamin Ginsberg and Dr. le Fras Nortier later learned how to make it. They created farms to cultivate the rooibos plant and were successful in their endeavors. When the tea became known in different parts of the world, the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB) of South Africa made sure that their exported rooibos products pass a very meticulous inspection to make sure that it is free of bacteria and other bad elements. But just to make sure, the rooibos is steam pasteurized before it is packed and sealed. Rooibos products are also closely monitored by different international organizations that have certificates for organic materials. Examples of these are the German firms Ecocet and Lacon.

Around 1994, a company called Burke International had registered the name "Rooibos" with the US Patent and Trademark Office, thus making it a monopoly product in America during the time when it wasn't still known there. Later, a lot of companies were making the rooibos tea, and Burke International would demand them money because it was their trademark product. They also emphasized that those who wouldn't pay would be forced to shut down their business. But in 2005, a lot of companies had already filed lawsuits against Burke International, and once they had lost, they decided to make the name rooibos for public use.  

Thanks to the advancement of technology, it has been easier to use the traditional process in making rooibos tea. The many benefits it has for the body cannot be counted. As a lot of people know, tea is a natural antioxidant for the body. Free radicals, which are basically molecules that have lost an electron, are known to damage DNA cells. This can cause a lot of complications to the body, and this is where the antioxidants help us since they are able to bind the free radicals before it causes any damage to our body.

There are different types of antioxidants and these are called polyphenols, flavonoids and proanthocyanidins. Rooibos tea also contains all three of them and they help in fighting the free radicals in our body.  

There are also other health benefits that the rooibos tea can do for the body. It has been found by researchers that the tea contains different minerals like copper, iron, potassium, calcium, fluoride, zinc, manganese, alpha-hydroxy, which is known to be healthy for the skin, and magnesium, which is good for the nervous system.

Rooibos tea also helps in delaying our age process. Since our body's aging is caused by toxic chemicals produced by free radicals, the antioxidants help us out by cleansing them. This prevents in weakening our immune system and reduces the damage age brings in. Rooibos tea also helps in giving strong bones, as it contains calcium, magnesium and flouride. It also smoothens our skin and is also known to cure itches when apllied topically.  

Not only is rooibos tea used for drinking, but it is used by chefs as well. When used in baking, the rooibus tea is able to replace the liquid content of any recipe for added color and flavor. It also known to prevent the build up of plaque that are responsible for clogging the arteries.  

So, enough of the trivia bit, you may say. You want to hear from people, people who have actually drank and seen the benefits of this tea. And what do these real people have to say?  

One customer diagnosed with high blood pressure thought that he had come at the end of his prime. He states, "After drinking this tea my blood pressure is lower than when I was in college. I drink an average of three to four cups every day. I swim every day and have noticed a huge improvement in my energy level and wind. Men half my age can't keep up with me in the lane!" He has been drinking rooibos tea for years and has, since then, stopped taking high blood pressure medication.  

Of course, rooibos tea is not just for people with ailments. As discussed, it also is taken to prevent diseases and help maintain one's health.  

As another customer puts it, "I drink rooibos nearly every day.  I drink it because of the antioxidants and it tastes good.  Since drinking the tea, my eye floaters have disappeared. My eye doctor had said I would have them the rest of my life - but they're gone now!  Also, I haven't been sick in the last two years even though I have been exposed to flu and colds by both family members and co-workers."  

But is rooibos tea safe for everyone? One woman who drank rooibos tea during her first pregnancy claims that, aside from its "delicious and refreshing taste, she "felt that it bolstered" her immune system. "I delivered a healthy, baby girl two years ago," she adds, "and am pregnant again and still drinking the tea! I highly recommend this tea to all pregnant and nursing mothers."

 So, if you are looking for a drink that: 

            a) increases your chances of fighting off illnesses;

            b) has enough antioxidants that help keep you energized and in stellar shape;

            c) is caffeine-free and completely safe no matter how old you are; and

            d) delectable in taste down to your last taste bud.

If all the above mentioned points are your criteria for the best drink for you, then rooibos tea is the choice. And if these people's experiences with rooibos tea are not enough, then you may just have to try it out for yourself.

There is no hesitating. Let rooibos tea help you in your mission to live a strong and healthy life! Drink one today. Drink for your health. Drink for life.

MORE INFORMATION on Rooibos Tea

What Is Rooibos?

Botanical Description:
Rooibos is a shrubby legume that is indigenous to the mountains of South Africa’s Western Cape.The genus Aspalathus includes more than 200 species native to South Africa.

Historical Background:
More than 300 years ago, indigenous inhabitants of the mountainous regions of South Africa’s Western Cape were the first to collect wild rooibos and use it to make tea. These people discovered that they could brew a sweet, tasty tea from rooibos leaves and stems that they cut, bruised with wooden hammers, fermented in heaps, and then sun-dried. WesternBotanists first recorded rooibos plants in 1772 when they were introduced to the tea by the Khoi people.

Quality Control Standards:
The Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB) of South Africa ensures that all exported rooibos products pass a phytosanitary inspection and are certified to be free of bacteria and impurities. In order to pass these health and safety tests, rooibos producers steam pasteurize the tea as the final step before packing. Organic Rooibos is also monitored by various international organizations that provide organic certification, such as the German firms Ecocert and Lacon.

The traditional fermented tea is processed today in much the same way as the indigenouspeople processed it hundreds of years ago, including the sundrying step, but the tools are more sophisticated now. The fermented type is called red tea because fermentation turns the leaves and the resulting tea a rich orange/red color; this distinctive color led to the Afrikaans name rooibos, which means “red bush.”

Antioxidants in SunnRooibos:
Free radicals (unstable molecules that have lost an electron) can damage the DNA in cells, leading to cancer, and they can oxidize cholesterol, leading to clogged blood vessels, heart attack, and stroke. Antioxidants can bind to free radicals before the free radicals
cause harm. Some antioxidants are called polyphenols because these substances contain a phenolic ring in their chemical structure. Polyphenols are common in plants; they act as pigments and sunscreens, as insect attractants and repellants, and as antimicrobials and antioxidants. The polyphenol group is further divided into subgroups such as flavonoids and phenolic acids. Polyphenols can also be classified as monomeric (molecules containing a single unit) or polymeric (larger molecules containing more than one unit). Laboratory studies have found that rooibos tea contains polyphenol antioxidants, including flavonoids and phenolic acids, that are potent free radical scavengers.

Flavonoids:
The polyphenol antioxidants identified in rooibos tea include the monomeric flavonoids aspalathin, nothofagin, quercetin, rutin, isoquercitrin, orientin, isoorientin, luteolin, vitexin, isovitexin, and chrysoeriol. Currently, Rooibos is the only known natural source of aspalathin.*

*HerbalGram Number 59, "Rooibos Tea, Research into Antioxidant and Antimutagenic Properties" by Laurie Erickson

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