Globally, tea is the second most consumed beverage after water. Habitual tea intake has been associated with higher bone mineral density, particularly in postmenopausal women. This association may be due to its polyphenols and resulting protective antioxidant effects. While in vito studies have shown improved bone outcomes with a consumption of individual purified tea polyphenols, it is unclear if a particular tea due to its different profiles of polyphenols is more beneficial than others.
Rooibos tea comes from the shrub aspalathus linearis, and isn’t actually a true tea. It is an herb with long, needle like leaves. When it is harvested and dried, rooibos is brewed into a reddish brown, caffeine-free, herbal infusion also known as African red tea or red bush tea. The plant is cut by hand and then bruised to encourage oxidation, which generates the reddish color and flavor. As it oxidizes, rooibos becomes redder and sweeter.
In the late 1990’s tea distributors began offering green rooibos tea. The green variety is less oxidized type of rooibos. This green version has double the number of antioxidants than red rooibos and offers a more mineral grassy flavor.
Rooibos give you a delicious dose of antioxidants. Antioxidants clean up the harmful free radicals that can damage cells. Research shows that drinking rooibos tea helps regulate glutathione metabolism in the body. The most prevalent antioxidant in the body and certainly one of the most powerful, glutathione has been shown to protect against toxins, fee radicals and pathogens. Think of it as your body’s own natural detoxifier.
Natural remedies in the treatment of health conditions are an appealing option for many individuals. Previous studies reported that fermented and unfermented rooibos tea have considerable anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties. Most of this knowledge, However, originates from animal and cell culture studies. The aims of this review are to evaluate the existing, but limited, body of knowledge regarding rooibos tea interventions in humans and to identify the gaps in the literature. The PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines were followed in the collation of this scoping review. Among the databases searching were Google Scholar, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science.
Many contemporary medicines have their roots in the long-standing practice of using plants for therapeutic purposes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 80% of the world’s population use herbal products for a variety of ailments. Herbs may be utilized for their purported anti-inflammatory, haemostatic, expectorant, antispasmodic, or immune-boosting properties.
There has been increased attention on and consumption of herbal products in recent years due to claims that they are allegedly inexpensive and have few, if any negative effects.
The review comprised 18 publications, with half (50%) of the studies being conducted in South Africa. There were 488 participants all ranging in age from 6 to 83 years, in the investigations. Rooibos tea was either fermented, unfermented, or black in 62% of the studies. Doses ranging from 200 to 1,200 ml were employed. In both healthy and at-risk individuals, rooibos has been shown to enhance lipid profiles, boost antioxidant status, and lower blood glucose levels. The existing findings suggest that rooibos consumption demonstrated to improve lipid profiles, boost antioxidant status, and lower blood glucose levels in both apparently healthy, and individual at-risk individuals or diagnosed of chronic conditions. Thus, it can be presumed that rooibos tea provides some health benefits, yet these findings are based on a limited number of human intervention studies and a small total sample size.
Additionally, a variety of rooibos dosages and types of tea in the experiments had inconsistent results that were probably impacted by the amount consumed. Future studies should include a dose-response study in humans, as well as large scaled clinical trials to evaluate the health effects of Rooibos.
Rooibos tea is free of caffeine and low in tannins, and has attracted a lot of research interest. It contains numerous minerals, especially flavonoids such as dihydrochalcones, phenylpropanoids, flavones, and flavonols, which may have a variety of positive health effects.
Chronic illnesses including cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus can be prevented or treated by reducing highly oxidizing Reactive Oxygen Specials (ROS) and converting them into less harmful aroxyl radicals.
In addition to the traditional method of consuming rooibos, a variety of rooibos tea drinks and dietary supplements in the form of capsules and tablets are easily accessible.
Fractures (in particular, hip fractures) are a leading cause of ill health in older men and women. Although many risk factors have been documented for hip fractures, osteoporosis, or low bone mineral density (BMD), is the single most important known risk factor for fractures in older women.
When tea contains caffeine but has other nutrients, such as flavonoids, that may influence bone mass in different ways. Lifestyle characteristics that influence BMD have been reported including physical activity, smoking, and excessive alcohol intake. these factors are also associated with risk of hip fracture. Dietary calcium supplementation was shown to positively affect BMD in postmenopausal women and caffeine intake was negatively associated with BMD in this group. The studies on caffeine intake and BMD were carried out in communities in which most caffeine intake was in the form of coffee.
Indeed, tea was reported to protect against hip fractures, the researchers suggested that this might be explained by components in tea such as phytoestrogens or fluoride, which may influence BMD.
