Rooibos Tea
Rooibos (meaning red bush) is a herbal tea made from the indigenous Rooibos plant, Aspalathus linearis, which is green when harvested and turns red during the fermenting process. The growing popularity of this herbal tea can be contributed to the absence of caffeine, its low tannin content, and its rich source of nutrients including a powerful antioxidant SOD (super oxide dismutase).
Rooibos tea can be enjoyed hot or cold and is popular because of its refreshing taste and pure, natural aroma.
Increasing evidence suggests that Rooibos also has favourable medicinal qualities. Studies have shown beneficial effects in constipation, liver function, blood sugar levels, skin diseases, depression and anxiety. Rooibos has also been found to contribute to helping maintain healthy skin, teeth and bones. Scientists in Japan have found Rooibos to act as an anti-oxidant, helping to slow the process of ageing and boosting the immune system. In addition, the tea is beneficial in treating high blood pressure, allergic diseases, diabetes and liver disease. As more and more interesting scientific discoveries are made, Rooibos is gaining credibility as a health drink.
Green Rooibos Tea
Green Rooibos tea, the unfermented version of Rooibos, has recently been added to the Afriplex stable of products. Green Rooibos offers the tea market the perfect alternative to the well-known green tea from the East. It is rich in anti-oxidants without the drawback of caffeine and has a mild, ‘green’ taste without the astringency. The tea contains high levels of polyphenolic anti-oxidants, including flavonoids, phenolic acids and the unique anti-oxidant Aspalathin.
Recent research has revealed that Green Rooibos has a higher concentration of many nutrients than traditional Rooibos, which loses some anti-oxidants during the fermentation process. Afriplex embarked on an intensive R&D program to maximise anti-oxidant levels in unfermented Green Rooibos. This was achieved by ‘freezing’ any enzymatic action in the plant prior to drying, ensuring no fermentation and subsequent loss of anti-oxidant value. Green Rooibos is rich in naturally occurring trace elements, and contains healthy amounts of iron, magnesium, potassium, flouride, manganese, zinc, calcium and vitamin C. This truly amazing health beverage also contains fair amounts of alpha-hydroxy acid, which is known to promote healthy skin.
Honeybush Tea
This unique herbal tea is naturally sweet, caffeine free and has very little tannin, making it especially valuable for children and patients who should avoid stimulants and tannins. Rich in minerals such as iron, potassium, calcium, copper, zinc, magnesium, manganese and sodium, Honeybush tea provides numerous health enhancing properties to all those who drink it.
Its soothing properties calm the central nervous system and have been known to ease constipation. Historically used for its direct positive effects on the urinary system, the tea can also be applied topically to skin irritations.