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Green Rooibos Benefits
Green rooibos is a tea made from the unfermented leaves of the rooibos shrub, known scientifically as
Aspalanthus linearis. Red rooibos is a tea brewed from the fermented leaves of the rooibus shrub. Although
both caffeine-free rooibos brews appear to have medicinal properties, those in green rooibos are significantly
more potent.
Origin and Composition
The evergreen rooibos shrub grows to a maximum height of 6½ feet and is native to the mountains north of
Cape Town, South Africa. Traditional rooibos tea, the red variety, is brewed from rooibos leaves and stems that
have been bruised with mallets and then left in the sun to ferment. Green rooibos tea is made with the same
leaves and stems shortly after they have been harvested and before they have had time to ferment. Rooibos
leaves and stems contain a wide array of antioxidant compounds, as well as vitamin C, minerals and alphahydroxy acids, according to nutritional consultant Phyllis A. Balch, author of "Prescription for Herbal Healing."
Unlike the most traditional teas, which are brewed from the dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis, rooibos teas
have no caffeine and are very low in tannins.
Green versus Red Rooibos
In a review of studies on the bioactivity of South African herbal teas, including both rooibos and honeybush,
USDA researchers Diane L. McKay and Jeffrey B. Blumberg found that the fermentation process reduced the
bioactive compounds present in rooibos plant materials. Multiple studies show that both red and green rooibos
teas contain several phenolic compounds. However, the concentration of these bioactive ingredients is
significantly higher in green rooibos than in red rooibos. McKay and Blumberg, who are both affiliated with the
USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, cited one study that detected a higher
percentage of total polyphenols, flavonoids and non-flavonoids in green compared to red rooibos. The review by
McKay and Blumberg appeared in the January 2007 issue of "Phytotherapy Research."
Chemoprotective Properties
South African researchers compared the chemoprotective properties of various teas, including red and green
rooibos, honeybush, and green and black teas brewed from leaves of the Camellia sinensis. Chemoprotective
agents are used to protect healthy cells from the damage that can be caused by chemotherapeutic medicines.
The teas were studied for their ability to protect against liver and kidney damage in laboratory rats in which
cancer had been chemically induced using Fumonisin B1 and diethylnitrosamine. In an article in the 2009 issue
of "Food and Chemical Toxicology," the researchers reported that while all teas showed some chemoprotective
properties, the green rooibos tea seemed to have the most powerful effect.
References:
"Prescription for Herbal Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch; 2002
"Phytotherapy Research"; A Review of the Bioactivity of South African Herbal Teas: Rooibos (Aspalathus
linearis) and Honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia); Diane L. McKay and Jeffrey B. Blumberg; January 2007
"Food and Chemical Toxicology"; Chemoprotective Properties of Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), Honeybush
(Cyclopia intermedia) Herbal and Green and Black (Camellia sinensis) Teas Against Cancer Promotion Induced by
Fumonisin B1 in Rat Liver; Jeanine L. Marnewick et al.; 2009
(Adapted from: http://www.livestrong.com/article/459842-green-rooibos-benefits/#ixzz2AxG1gBA0)