As the time is advancing, Rooibos tea is gradually gaining popularity. Apart from beverages like tea and coffee, rooibos tea is also very beneficial for health.
Rooibos tea is often known to as African red bush tea. It has a slightly herbal, nutty and a sweet taste. It is another form of herbal tea, whose leaves when fermented turns red-brown. Other than this form, the unfermented, green rooibos tea is also available.
Most people, consume rooibos tea in a similar manner as that of the black tea. Some also prefer to add milk and sugar.
Rooibos tea also contains small amounts of caffeine. Drinking small amounts of caffeine does not cause any side-effects to health, but drinking too much of it can be harmful.
According to Wikipedia, this form of tea is most famous in South African regions, although many other countries in the world also consume it.
Just like all the other beverages, rooibos tea also should be drunk in moderation. So, the question, how many cups of rooibos tea should you drink per day also arises.
How Many cups of Rooibos tea should you drink daily?
Six cups of rooibos tea on a daily basis is considered to be the moderate amount as suggested by many research studies.
Adele du Toit, SA Rooibos Council, recommends that you can drink six cups of rooibos tea per day to get the sufficient the health benefits.
He further says that rooibos tea, in general, does not have many side-effects and is the source for some of the strongest and unique antioxidants obtained from the plant kingdom. Rooibos tea is rich in Aspalathin and Nothofagin.
Du Toit also suggests that students should use this as it acts as a ‘natural energy drink,’ as it is ‘tasty and affordable.’
It is recommended by experts that the six cups of rooibos tea should be divided into optimal amounts on a daily basis to enjoy the maximum benefits.
Drinking six cups of Rooibos tea per day also has many benefits which include decreased oxidative stress in the body and reduced risks of any heart diseases.
Research Studies About Consumption of Rooibos Tea
Some research studies were conducted to determine the benefits of drinking six cups of Rooibos tea daily.
Rooibos Tea & Good Cholesterol
One of the studies was conducted in which 40 overweight men and women participated who were more at the risk of developing any heart disease.
The research further found that people who drank six cups of rooibos tea continuously for six weeks showed reduced level low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol.
It further added that drinking six cups of Rooibos tea daily contributes to slight increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol.
As it helps towards the improved cholesterol levels of the body, rooibos tea is found to be effective in treating heart diseases and prevent the risks of heart attacks, strokes, and other heart-related conditions.
Rooibos Tea & Weight Loss
Scientists have also found that drinking six cups of rooibos tea has a significant impact on weight loss. It is suggested to drink rooibos tea 20 minutes before your meal, and you will feel less hungry. This will thus induce your body to eat fewer calories, which will further trigger weight loss.
Rooibos Tea & Health Heart
Another research led by Professor Jeanie Marnewick of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology aimed at showing the impact of drinking six cups of rooibos tea. Her analysis showed that drinking six cups of rooibos tea has a significant effect on your improving heart health.
She added that the plasma antioxidants level starts dropping after one hour. She performed a study that revealed the beneficial results of consuming six cups of rooibos a day to enhance heart condition.
She added that the plasma antioxidants level starts dropping after one hour. A study performed by her revealed that drinking six cups of rooibos a day can have beneficial results and promote heart health.
Rooibos Tea & Reduced Oxidative Level
One of the conducted animal studies was published in 2009 in ‘Pediatrics International.’ The results of the research showed the reduced oxidative level in case of subjects who drank rooibos tea for four weeks.
Apart from being free of caffeine, it is also deficient in calories. One 8 ounce cup of rooibos tea contains about two calories.
Hence, it is suggested by experts to replace the calorie-rich beverages with rooibos tea. Rooibos tea has added flavors of fruit, spices, and flowers, which enhances the taste.
Health Benefits of Drinking Rooibos Tea
Rooibos tea has numerous health benefits. Some of them are enlisted below:
1) Rooibos tea is known for its ability to induce and improve the sleep quality. It reduces all the oxidative stress and inflammation thus promoting better sleep.
2) It is rich in antioxidants such as Aspalathin and Nothfagin and helps to fight the free radicals which tend to damage the DNA.
3) As rooibos tea is rich in antioxidants, it is also useful in enhancing the lipid profile of the body.
4) If you drink rooibos tea, the level of oxidative stress will stoop down due to the presence of antioxidants.
5) It is also effective in reducing the bad cholesterol level (LDL) and promoting the good cholesterol level (HDL) within the body.
Side Effects of Rooibos Tea
However, the side effects of Rooibos tea are very less. Some of them are as follows:
1) Breastfeeding and pregnant women should strictly avoid and stay away from rooibos tea.
2) A case study showed that drinking too much of rooibos tea can increase the enzymes in the liver, which may lead to further problems in the liver.
3) It is also reported to increase estrogen, female sex hormones as it contains some compounds which regulate the estrogen activity.
4) It is also recommended to avoid rooibos tea by people suffering from hormone-sensitive conditions like breast cancer.
Final Thoughts
Undoubtedly Rooibos tea is loaded with numerous benefits, but there are some side effects of Rooibos tea too.
Apart from being delicious, it is beneficial too. Students can drink Rooibos tea as it acts can also act as a natural energy drink. It does not contain any caffeine and even low in tannins which contributes towards the maximum health benefits.
To avoid any side effects, you should keep a check on how many cups of rooibos tea you drink per day. To move towards a healthy life, add rooibos to your diet.