Health Benefits Of Red Tea
What Is Red Tea?
Red tea or rooibos tea is a red herbal tea that comes from the fermented leaves of the Aspalathus linearis plant, which is also known as the red bush. This plant is native to South Africa.
It is red in color and has a sweet, earthy flavor that is similar to black tea.
Red tea contains several antioxidants that benefit your health. It is a good alternative to black tea, especially for people who want to avoid caffeine and tannins.
People can enjoy red tea cold or hot just like black tea.
In this article, we will explore the benefits of red tea for health.
Caffeine Free
Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in black tea, green tea, and coffee.
Red tea is free from caffeine which makes it a good alternative for people who are sensitive to caffeine, or those who want to avoid it completely.
While consuming moderate amounts of caffeine may have some benefits for exercise performance, mood, and concentration. It may also have negative side effects in some people, including trouble sleeping, worsening anxiety, and restlessness.
Caffeine may also promote headaches, migraines, and high blood pressure in some people.
Rich in antioxidants
Red tea contains powerful antioxidants, such as Aspalathin and nothofagin, making it a great beverage to boost your immune system and protect your body against all types of disease including diabetes.
Antioxidants are important for human health because they stop free radicals from damaging cells in the body.
It also contains polyphenols, flavonoids, and flavonols that have anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties.
Flavonoids are associated with lowering the risk of coronary heart diseases.
Heart Health
Red tea or rooibos tea has been linked to preventing a wide variety of heart conditions.
Researchers suggest that drinking red tea may have beneficial effects on blood pressure, it is anti-inflammatory in nature, which means that it assists in reducing blood pressure by inhibiting angiotensin-converting enzyme ACE.
It can improve cholesterol levels by increasing HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) and inhibiting the LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) from binding to the blood vessels.
Healthy cholesterol levels protect against various heart conditions, including heart attacks and strokes.
In a study in 40 adults at risk for developing cardiovascular disease consumed six cups of fermented traditional red tea daily for 6 weeks significantly decreased bad LDL-cholesterol while “good” HDL cholesterol was significantly increased.
Reduces Allergies
In South Africa, they use red herbal tea to treat allergies like eczema, and allergy-related bronchitis.
The antihistamine properties in red tea are derived from a bioflavonoid called Quercetin.
Thanks to its Quercetin content, it has anti-inflammatory properties, that help to curb common symptoms of seasonal allergies, like congestion, runny nose, and sneezing.
Anti-Aging
The antioxidants present in red tea boost the strength of the immune system, slow down the aging process and help keep the body young.
It has been found that the tea is an effective antibacterial, which helps with eczema, acne and the effect of anti-aging due to its abundance of the enzyme superoxide dismutase.
It also even fine lines, wrinkles, remove blemishes and eases sunburns and other skin irritations.
Other Benefits Of Red Tea
- Drinking red tea has strong brain-protective effects that help reduce brain degeneration brought forth by age.
- Antioxidants in red tea can help balance blood sugar and improve insulin resistance.
- Red tea contains minerals such as calcium, manganese, and fluoride that help build strong bones.
- It may enhance weight loss and fight belly fat.