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Rooibos tea

Rooibos tea is made from the branches of a tree called Aspalathus linearis. This fragrant, caffeine-free tea is the national drink of South Africa Rooibos tea* is used as a medicine for HIV infections, to prevent cancer and to prevent a decline in mental capacity in old age. Rooibos tea is also used as a beverage.

How does Rooibos tea work?

Rooibostea contains chemicals that can help control HIV infections and also prevent age-related changes in the brain.

How effective is Rooibos tea?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of Rooibos tea for HIV infections, preventing cancer and preventing mental decline in old age. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of Rooibos tea in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Rooibos tea appears to be safe and harmless for most people when used as a beverage. There is not enough information available to say whether Rooibos tea is safe when used as a medicine.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the use of Rooibos tea during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid Rooibos tea.

Interactions

At the moment there is no information on interactions of Rooibos tea with medications or supplements.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of Rooibos tea depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At the present time, there is insufficient scientific data to be able to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for Rooibos tea. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

  1. Inanami O, Asanuma T, Inukai N, et al. The suppression of age-related accumulation of lipid peroxides in rat brain by administration of Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis). Neurosci Lett 1995;196:85-8.
  2. Nakano M, Itoh Y, Mizuno T, Nakashima H. Polysaccharide from Aspalathus linearis with strong anti-HIV activity. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 1997;61:267-71.
  3. Nakano M, Nakashima H, Itoh Y. Anti-human immunodeficiency virus activity of oligosaccharides from rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) extracts in vitro. Leukemia 1997;11:128-30.
  4. Shimoi K, Masuda S, Shen B, et al. Radioprotective effects of antioxidative plant flavonoids in mice. Mutat Res 1996;350:153-61.