The Health Benefits of Rooibos Tea

The tea has no caffeine and only half the tannin of ordinary tea. Apart from being refreshing to drink, in place of ordinary tea and coffee, it has the advantage of containing minerals and powerful antioxidants. Having no oxalic acid it also does not irritate the kidneys.
The Japanese scientists, who did studies in the 1960's, discovered Rooibos contains a powerful antioxidant similar to SOD which is thought to retard aging and quercetin which is believed to have potent anti-inflammatory properties. Besides that Rooibos is also found to contain aspalathin which counteracts the atherosclerotic processes that result in heart disease. Due to this the Japanese promote it as an Anti-Aging Tea and import large quantities of the tea.
Polyphenols help protect the body from damage by free radicals. In South Africa research found that the polyphenol content in Rooibos is similar to green tea. Research was done elsewhere where the French found that hair lotion containing Rooibos promoted faster hair growth with improvement in the hair condition and caused no allergic reactions.
Rooibos has been found to be helpful with general health problems. It relieves digestive problems, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and constipation. Having a calming effect it helps with irritability, insomnia and depression.
Both pre natal and breast feeding Mothers supplement their intake of manganese, calcium and fluoride drinking Rooibos and therefore promote strong teeth and healthy bones in their babies. Rooibos, when applied at every nappy change, relieves nappy rash and when drunk by the baby relieves colic.
Preparation of Rooibos is the same as ordinary tea. First warm the tea pot with boiling water and then place one teaspoon of tea or tea bag per cup required in the pot. Pour over boiling water and let infuse for a few minutes. The longer it is left before drinking the more antioxidants the tea will contain. Can be served plain, with hot or cold milk or lemon. It can be lightly sweetened with honey or sugar or just left without any sweetening. Rooibos also makes a wonderful ice tea.
Just replace the water in a recipe with the tea. In South Africa Rooibos Tea is often used in day to day cooking as not only does it add important minerals and antioxidants to the diet and help digestion, it also enhances the flavors of the cooking.
Next time you are in your health shop or in a department store stocking specialty teas, why not pick up a packet and try it out?

GABA Tea - The Japanese Secret

GABA supplements are popping up in health food stores everywhere and consumer demand for GABA products is increasing every year. The human enzyme that functions as a natural tranquilizer? Have you heard the buzz about GABA?
They were attempting to preserve various foods and in the process discovered that tea leaves exposed to nitrogen increased the natural levels of GABA 10 fold. GABA tea was discovered by Japanese scientists more than 20 years ago. With all this fanfare, little attention has been paid to GABA tea - an all natural source of GABA.
The Japanese value GABA tea for its calming properties and it has been found to have numerous health benefits including lowering high blood pressure. Since then, GABA tea has become a standard part of the Japanese diet.
This is puzzling to Su Chiu Kuei, the owner of a GABA tea production facility in Taiwan. However, unlike that other Japanese gift to health - green tea - GABA tea has not caught on in the western world.
"GABA tea has more health benefits than green tea," says Su, "and is also more flavorful. By all rights it should be more popular than green tea."
Even though GABA tea has been a staple of the Japanese diet for more than 20 years, most people in the United States have never heard of it. There is a lack of awareness about GABA tea in western countries.
That is unfortunate, because GABA tea is particularly suited to combating the #1 scourge of the American lifestyle - high blood pressure.
Numerous scientific studies have confirmed that GABA is an excellent treatment for high blood pressure. Because of its inhibitory function it causes the muscles lining blood vessels to relax which in turn increases blood flow.
It has no side effects and is non-addictive. GABA is increasingly being prescribed as a natural alternative to pharmaceutical tranquilizers. The same inhibitory function is responsible for GABA's role in anxiety reduction and stress relief.
It is even served to children to stimulate mental alertness thus giving them an advantage in school. Because of these health benefits, many Japanese include GABA tea as part of their daily diet.
What is GABA tea?
Su Chiu Kuei explains the procedure for making GABA tea: GABA tea is an all natural product.
The tea is shaded for about 10 days prior to harvest - this has been found to increase levels of glutamic acid even more. Premium quality tea has more glutamic acid which is the precursor to GABA. "We start with high grade tea.
This procedure produces the highest concentrations of natural GABA." The temperature must be kept above 40 degrees Celsius for the duration of the processing. The tea leaves are exposed to this nitrogen-rich atmosphere for about 8 hours. "The fresh tea is placed in stainless steel vacuum drums and the oxygen is removed and replaced with nitrogen.
The Japanese government has strict standards on GABA tea, and the GABA tea produced in Taiwan meets or exceeds these standards. Not only does Taiwan produce some of the best tea in the world, it also has the facilities and technicians for making GABA tea. Taiwan is an important supplier of GABA tea to Japan.
How does it taste?
"Everyone I've served it to has come to enjoy the refreshing taste," says Huang. "It is quite different from other tea, although there are similarities to black tea." The initial surprise, though, quickly turns to enthusiasm as the tea has a pleasing taste and can be enjoyed either hot or cold. According to Huang Tien Ming, a well-known tea expert in Taiwan, most people are surprised by the taste of GABA tea.
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