Most people are familiar with the benefits that certain herbal teas such as chamomile, linden or thyme cause in our body. However, because it is not a plant native to Europe, the benefits of red tea in particular are not as widely known. This tea, also called “rooibos”, has a series of properties that make it the perfect ally for our health . The many benefits of red tea include strengthening the immune system and alleviating some common ailments such as stomach cramps, headaches, allergies, asthma, insomnia, eczema, and high blood pressure. In addition, due to its high flavonoid content, it is also of great help to protect our cardiovascular system.
Red tea is an herbal tea that is not related to green or black tea. It is made from the leaves of a shrub called Aspalathus linearis, which is generally grown on the west coast of South Africa and is created by fermenting the leaves, giving them their characteristic reddish-brown color.
The 5 main benefits of red tea
1. Help your body both hot and cold
Red tea is an ideal and healthy drink to consume throughout the year, as it can be drunk hot or cold. Cold red tea is refreshing, while hot red tea is calming. The absence of caffeine in red tea makes it a wonderful bedtime drink that can help insomnia sufferers and soothe a sore throat . Cold red tea in summer is perfect to achieve proper hydration. In addition, red tea improves the immune system, which provides greater protection against colds.
2. Improves the skin
Another benefit of red tea is that it can help improve the appearance of the skin. Its high zinc content , which is prescribed to treat acne and related skin conditions, makes red tea a perfect skincare item . In addition to consuming it as an infusion, the red tea powder can be applied directly to the skin to soothe irritations or as a homemade scrub.
3. Its antioxidants protect your cells and your heart.
Among the many benefits of red tea, we find that it has less tannins than black and green tea, which helps prevent free radicals from appearing that can damage cells and hinder the proper absorption of nutrients. In addition, it also has more antioxidants than other teas, which can help improve cardiovascular health in different ways. First of all, drinking rooibos tea can have beneficial effects on blood pressure by inhibiting angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), which indirectly increases blood pressure by causing blood vessels to constrict. And second, it has been scientifically proven that red tea intake has an effect on lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol.
4. Helps balance blood sugar levels.
Rooibos tea is one of the few known natural sources of aspalathine. Recent studies suggest that aspalatine may have an antidiabetic effect , as this component helps balance blood sugar levels and reduces insulin resistance.
5. Alternative calcium source for lactose intolerant
Calcium is an important element in building strong bones for both growing children and older adults. Milk and dairy products are the most popular rich sources of calcium, but the good news is that red tea is also an important source of calcium. This makes it an easy-to-digest and stomach-friendly alternative for those who are lactose intolerant.
