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    Rooibos -- South Africa's gift to good health...

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    • R Offline
      Ross Macintosh
      last edited by

      Most of us know antioxidants are important to good health. Super-foods like blueberries, pomegranate, cranberries, and green tea are well-known sources. Less known is Rooibos tea which has 20x the antioxidants of green tea. Furthermore it is caffeine free and very low in tannins. (Tannins, common in most teas, impede the absorption of some nutrients). What is also unusual about Rooibos is it has a sweet taste - without any calories. A cup of Rooibos tea tastes like it has a spoonful of sugar in it. It therefore is very satisfying to people who have a bit of a sweet tooth or who find most herbal teas too bitter to drink without added sugar.

      It comes from a plant that grows only in one region of South Africa. The leaves are hand harvested in a sustainable way.

      In our local grocery store we found 'Tetley Rooibos Vanilla Herbal Tea'. It is a very nice product. We imagine many coffee drinkers would like this tea as it makes a rich flavourful cup. We drink it black but it does taste good with milk. Celestial Seasonings also are selling four or five Rooibos-based blends.

      Please check it out and see if you like it. Get all those antioxidants you can!

      Regards, Ross

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      • GaieusG Offline
        Gaieus
        last edited by

        I've been drinking rooibos for about 5 or 6 years now (a "lady"-colleague of mine keep brewing it in the office). I also find it very tasty and (though never really "watched") I have read about its good effects.

        However (thank god) I haven't really noticed its "sweet" nature (I always drink tee or coffee without any sweeteners).

        But thanks Rorr for pointing it out and all others who haven't tried it yet;
        Enjoy!

        Gai...

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        • G Offline
          Gidon Yuval
          last edited by

          I lived in South Africa for 6 years (1971-1977) and got seriously hooked on rooibos (which means "red bush" in Africaans). Eversince I got back to Israel I regularly have my friends in South Africa send me a supply.
          There's nothing like it for upset stomachs and insomnia.
          Actualy, I suspect that the insomnia-cure part is probably more auto-suggestion than anything in the rooibos itself but then again, who cares. You can't sleep, you make yourself a cup of rooibos, you settle back with a contented grin sipping your rooibos tea, and before you know it, you're nodding off.
          ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

          Good night guys 😉

          If you don't know where you're going, you're never going to get there.

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          • jujuJ Offline
            juju
            last edited by

            Rooibos is the only tea I drink, I've tried quite a few different types / brands but can't really stand their taste, except Rooibos, grew up drinking it, still do, however I'm more of a coffee person these days.

            Save the Earth, it's the only planet with chocolate.

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            • R Offline
              Ross Macintosh
              last edited by

              At 1.5mg/ml it seems unlikely you'd ever overdose on Vitamin C by drinking Rooibos tea. I suppose if you drank it cup-after-cup all day you might have a problem. Here's an article about excessive Vitamin C and its effects. Considering some people take vitamin C supplements to the tune of 5,000 to 10,000 mg/day it makes sense that it is taking supplements that can lead to overdosing. It would seem that obtaining your vitamin c from food sources, and teas, is very unlikely to lead anyone to an overdose. Also significant is the vitamin c in Rooibos is provide with a cocktail of other necessary minerals. It is not isolated vitamin c as occurs in supplements.

              Regards, Ross

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              • GaieusG Offline
                Gaieus
                last edited by

                As far as my secondary school studies (back to about a quarter of a century) go - and especially as far as I remember them - there are two kinds of vitamins basically; ones that dissolve in water (like vitamin C) and those dissolve in fat (like vitamin A for instance).
                Now according to those "studies" I thought that you cannot really overdose vitamins dissolving in water because all the unnecessary amount just empties from your body (with urination) while overdosing those dissolving in fat can cause the same effects as lacking them because they just accumulate in you body.

                Gai...

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                • R Offline
                  Ross Macintosh
                  last edited by

                  Csaba - Even water-soluble vitamins can be problematic. Here's what that article I linked above had to say about it:

                  @unknownuser said:

                  Randomly megadosing on single nutrients (which includes Vitamin C) creates a risk of significantly imbalancing one's system, and it makes little difference whether water-soluble vitamins like Vitamin C and B-vitamins are used or not. While excessive intake of fat-soluble vitamins as well as overdosing on a number of trace minerals can be toxic, even water-soluble nutrients can do an amazing amount of damage when regularly overdosed on during their sometimes short journey through the body.

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                  • GaieusG Offline
                    Gaieus
                    last edited by

                    Ross, I thought that my biological knowledge was somewhat outdated (I even kind of "excused" myself at the beginning of my post).
                    Thanks for the details!

                    Gai...

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                    • boofredlayB Offline
                      boofredlay
                      last edited by

                      Yes, I found some. I went to my local health food store, Garden Cove, at lunch today and I was blown away at all the selections. I got some Rooibos. I got Highlands Honey and Madagascar Vanilla Red. Looking forward to the first cup.

                      I also found a large supply of hummus, pumpernickel, millet flakes and just about everything Ross has been talking about.

                      Who knew health food could be so good! Thanks again Ross, I will have to come North and buy you a brew when we are both skinny 😎

                      http://www.coroflot.com/boofredlay

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                      • R Offline
                        Ross Macintosh
                        last edited by

                        That's great Eric. I hope you stocked up some good healthy foods.

                        In my local grocery store I found they sell plain rooibos tea. I'm liking it more than the vanilla one I originally bought.

                        The plain one comes in a brand called 'INTABA - Teas of Africa' produced by Cape Natural Tea Products of South Africa. Liking it I decided to try another of their teas: Honeybush. Like Rooibos, Honeybush is also rich in antioxidants, caffeine free, and very low in tannins. They both are excellent and with each cup I'm getting more & more attached to their flavours. At this point I definitely prefer both to coffee so I don't ever see myself drinking coffee again. (I used to be a big coffee fan). The brand is quite reasonably priced at my grocery.

                        I notice on the website I link to above that the company will private label their teas too. Perhaps we should go into the tea business?? 'SU Fit-Club Teas' --- sounds good!

                        Regards, Ross

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                        • boofredlayB Offline
                          boofredlay
                          last edited by

                          Cool idea.

                          I had one of each flavor, the Highlands Honey yesterday and the Madagascar Vanilla Red. The MVR is strong! I like it. It woke me up and like you said, it tastes like there is half a cup of sugar in there.

                          http://www.coroflot.com/boofredlay

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                          • R Offline
                            Ross Macintosh
                            last edited by

                            @unknownuser said:

                            %(#400080)[Apart from their popularity as pleasant tasting, caffeine-free alternatives to black and green tea, more and more evidence is coming to light that these unique herbal infusions have favourable medicinal effects. The claim that rooibos and honeybush are healthy beverages is gaining credibility as ongoing scientific research and case studies confirm their benefits.

                            Rooibos and honeybush teas are:

                            • completely pure and natural, containing no additives, preservatives, flavourants or colourants.

                            • naturally caffeine free, thus have a soothing effect on the central nervous system and are strongly recommended for people suffering from irritability, headaches, insomnia, hypertension, nervous tension and mild depression.

                            • rich in antioxidants that boost the body's immune system and help slow the ageing process.

                            • calorie-free and make refreshing drinks for people on a calorie-restricted diet as they have a naturally slightly-sweet taste.

                            • anti-spasmodic, thus relieving stomach cramps and colic in infants. Rooibos first gained popularity as a health drink in South Africa when it was discovered that it had a soothing effect on babies suffering from these common ailments.

                            • low in tannin, therefore will not impair the absorption of iron and protein in the body.

                            • helpful for the relief of stomach and digestive problems like nausea, heart burn, stomach ulcers and constipation.

                            • anti-allergic; rooibos tea has a soothing effect on irritated skin when directly applied to the affected area. In South Africa, it is a popular topical remedy for nappy-rash.

                            • free of oxalic acid, thus safe to drink for people suffering from kidney stones.

                            • beneficial in the management of allergies like hay-fever, asthma and eczema.

                            • natural sources of several minerals, complementing our daily intake of iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc, especially needed for maintaining a healthy immune system.]

                            I found the above info on the Intaba - Teas of Africa website and thought it might be a useful addition to this thread.

                            If you get a chance to try Honeybush tea - do so. It is good too.

                            Regards, Ross

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                            • boofredlayB Offline
                              boofredlay
                              last edited by

                              Thanks for that Ross, it is a great resource.

                              Now I want to know what nappy-rash is, or do I?

                              http://www.coroflot.com/boofredlay

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                              • R Offline
                                Ross Macintosh
                                last edited by

                                Here in Canada we call it "diaper-rash". Those South Africans call their diapers "nappies". At least they make good tea. (What I mean is South Africans know how to make good tea - Nappies most definitely do not make good tea. Yikes!) 😲

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                                • K Offline
                                  kdjanz
                                  last edited by

                                  Having married a South African girl 30 years ago, we have had this tea whenever we could get friends or family to send it over. Now it is all over the place and it is no longer a novelty when we entertain. Losing the exclusivity hurt a bit - sort of like when Google released the free SU! 😳

                                  Kelly 😄

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                                  • boofredlayB Offline
                                    boofredlay
                                    last edited by

                                    Has anybody here tried rooibos cold? You know us Southerners, we love our iced tea!

                                    And kdjanz, your avatar is creeping me out with that little red x in the corner. Do you have another 😉

                                    http://www.coroflot.com/boofredlay

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                                    • jujuJ Offline
                                      juju
                                      last edited by

                                      boo, is a frogs arse watertight? Iced Rooibos ROCKS!

                                      Save the Earth, it's the only planet with chocolate.

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                                      • R Offline
                                        Ross Macintosh
                                        last edited by

                                        Eric - further to when Juju writes "it rocks" note that the Intabas - Teas of Africa website has some interesting recipes that use Rooibos & Honeybush teas. The mixes with fruit juices sound good.

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                                        • L Offline
                                          linea
                                          last edited by

                                          I love Rooibos tea, "Tick Tock" (used to be called "Eleven O'clock")is my favourite brand with particularly good forties style packaging. Could I also recommend two other tea's worthy of the tea connoisseur? Firstly "Dr Stuarts" Wild Fennel tea. It tastes amazing, packaging is a bit generic though. Secondly and more importantly, but extremely hard to find "Celestial Seasonings" Sweet Almond tea. If you have a sweet tooth this tea is ace because it tastes really sweet but not sickly, it's like a dessert. Also if you are tyring to shed a few pounds, almonds contain a chemical that suppresses the appetite. Also 10/10 on the packaging; persian textile and woodcut prints.

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                                          • boofredlayB Offline
                                            boofredlay
                                            last edited by

                                            @unknownuser said:

                                            boo, is a frogs arse watertight? Iced Rooibos ROCKS!

                                            Ok Juju, which flavors of Rooibos is good iced? I tried the Highlands Honey and the Madagascar Vanilla Red iced this weekend and could not finish the glass. I like them hot but cold they were not so good.

                                            I also have the Zambezi Red Chai. I really like that one hot but have not tried it cold yet.

                                            http://www.coroflot.com/boofredlay

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