Tea is a healthy beverage drunk worldwide. The young tea leaves are plucked, and processed into dried tea leaves leaving the flavor intact. The flavor will infuse into the hot water after about five to ten minutes. Moreover, there are various types of slimming tea like rooibos tea for weight loss, lemon tea and such. The variants include iced tea latte, chai tea latte where milk is added. Otherwise, most people tea on its own for a healthier lifestyle.
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What is Rooibos Tea
To set the record straight, Rooibos is a herbal weight loss tea that is drunk worldwide. Rooibos tea for weight loss is also known as red bush tea since Rooibos basically means ‘red bush’ that grows in South Africa. From Wikipedia, red rooibos is rich in calcium, manganese, and fluoride minerals, all of which help in sustaining stronger teeth and good bone density.
Rooibos tea is popular is South Africa where it originates. It is sold offline and online around the world via giant retailers like Amazon, Alibaba and more. Due to its frequent consumption and popularity, rooibos tea for weight loss provides jobs for young South Africans and helps elevate the country’s economy.
Types of Rooibos Tea
Basically, there are two major types of rooibos tea: red rooibos and green rooibos. Both types derive from the red bush plant, but go through separate manufacture methods.
Red Rooibos
Red rooibos tea leaves are harvested and oxidized to produce a rich, dark red or burgundy color. Red rooibos tea is often referred to as the original or conventional rooibos.
Green Rooibos
On the other hand, green rooibos tea for weight loss leaves are not oxidized and go through a production method comparable to green tea. The leaves are then harvested and dried to prevent oxidation. They are later graded and sorted for sale worldwide.
Rooibos teas are graded based on the ratio of bush leaves to stems in each lot. The utmost quality rooibos tea for weight loss contains particularly leaves. Rooibos teas, with a superior concentration of leaves, tend to have a smoother after taste, richer flavor and are darker in color.
Rooibos tea for weight loss is caffeine-free, making it a perfect selection as a base tea for herbal, and flavored teas. This red bush tea is usually used as a substitute for black tea in masala chai for people who want to curb their caffeine intake.
Health Benefits of Rooibos Tea
NO.1 High Concentrations of Antioxidants and Polyphenols
Rooibos tea for weight loss has high concentrations of antioxidants and polyphenols that are good for the health, particularly weight loss. Polyphenols have been revealed to protect brain health and may help prevent cardiovascular diseases.
For the record, polyphenols are a category of plant compounds that offers various health benefits. Regularly consumption of polyphenols is believed to boost digestion and brain health, as well as protect against type 2 diabetes, and even certain cancers.
NO.2 Aids Digestion
Red rooibos tea may also aid digestion and improve weight loss. Rooibos tea particularly for weight loss helps to bring about calmness and decrease the stress hormone cortisol, which has been linked to binge eating. Drinking rooibos tea before a meal may help reduce feelings of hunger and prevent overeating, thus helping in weight loss for a healthier BMI or body mass index.
NO.3 Weight Loss
People who are health-conscious, drink rooibos tea regularly to maintain their figure while chasing away the hunger pangs which help in body weight loss. Rooibos tea also contains nutrients that help sustain immune health. In fact, the aroma of rooibos tea for weight loss works as a bronchodilator that helps to lessen chest congestion and coughing due to the common cold, flu, and allergies
NO.4 Promotes Estrogenic Activity
South African rooibos tea may also promote estrogenic activity. For the uninitiated, estrogenic effect is responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system, from the female hormone, estrogen. For this explanation, it is pertinent to consult with your physician before drinking rooibos if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
NO.5 Contains Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Rooibos tea especially for weight loss also contains anti-inflammatory properties that can help promote general health. Free radicals from the environmental pollution, smoking, and unhealthy diets can cause havoc in the immune system of the body.
Non-GMO teas ensure the tea your rooibos tea drink is organically grown and free from dangerous chemicals that can have adverse side effects. For the newbie, GMO means genetically modified organism, that is, any organism whose genetic material has been changed using genetic engineering methods.
There are also several fair-trade certified tea brands that produce organic red rooibos tea, including the brands Twinings and Davidson’s Organics. It is always recommended to opt for loose tea leaves instead of tea bags. That’s because loose tea leaves contain the full leaves of the red bush plant. Hence it maintains all the healthy nutrients and compounds. Loose tea leaves also produce better flavor and a more healthy tea drinking experience.
Tea bags may be handy, but their restricted packaging doesn’t allow the leaves to fully expand and infuse its flavor into the hot water. These types of tea tend to be lackluster compared to loose tea varieties that give out more ‘oomph’ for its flavor when dunking into boiling water.
As rooibos tea leaves contain no caffeine, rooibos is believed to calm nerves, besides weight loss. While not actually a sedative (it won’t make you sleepy), rooibos tea moderates the nervous system and brings you to a feeling of serenity and calmness.
Side Effects of Rooibos Tea
Excess free radicals can cause oxidative stress and inflammation which break down normal cellular processes. To obtain these health benefits, it’s best to purchase USDA certified organic red bush tea. By the way, USDA is an acronym for The United States Department of Agriculture that manages various programs related to food, agriculture, natural resources, and nutrition.
The excess estrogen, which is a female hormone, can cause abdominal cramps, anxiety, and bloating. Other side effects include breakthrough bleeding, breast enlargement in males, breast tenderness, pain or swelling.
Furthermore, excessive consumption of rooibos tea can also cause freckles or darkening of facial skin and changes in menstrual periods. The effects of excessive estrogen levels include the following: menstruation becoming less frequent or stop, and either light or heavy blood flow.
It was also postulated to trigger off liver problems and iron deficiency. However, how much truth these hold, remain to be seen and proven.
Considerations of Consuming Rooibos Tea
Since rooibos tea for weight loss is a frequently consumed drink in several parts of the world, it is, by and large, considered safe even during pregnancy, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The maximum amount of rooibos that you can safely drink while you are pregnant or breastfeeding remains unidentified.
However, bear in mind that no medical studies have established the herbal remedy is safe during pregnancy or lactation, according to the University of Michigan Health Department. Therefore, women should not take rooibos tea for weight loss during pregnancy or while breastfeeding before consulting with their physician.
Dosage
The distinctive recommended dosage of rooibos tea for medicinal purposes is 1 to 3 teaspoons of rooibos tea leaves soaked in 1 cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. This is to be taken three times daily, either before or after food, according to the Michigan University Health Department.
Consult your physician on the dosage that is ideal for you, before you consume the tea while you are pregnant, or during the postpartum time frame. This dosage is apparently safe for consumption by anyone who is not pregnant or expecting.
Summary
As a tea lover, I would try rooibos tea to help reduce my weight, which is considered on the obese side. Since the health benefits outweigh the side effects, drinking rooibos is considered safe, besides being a slimming beverage for weight loss, just like lemon tea.
It is solely grown in South Africa and is a trademark of the country that sells worldwide to many nations. Though it is not very common here in Malaysia, nevertheless, I shall look out for it online and where to purchase the rooibos tea leaves from the many websites that offer this exclusive product that is native to South Africa.
I have been taking physician-prescribed slimming pills recently that prevent the absorption of fats and oil into the stomach by triggering the stomach receptors not to accept and absorb the lipids in my diet. Therefore, after researching on rooibos tea particularly for weight loss, I shall have other alternative diets or food to consider in my regime.
Rooibos tea seems safe for me since I am single and not pregnant nor lactating. So, I shall add it to my consumption of tea in my diet, besides a host of other teas like chai tea, green tea, Chinese tea leaves, etc.
By the way, I just came back from a trip to Shanghai and bought 2 big bags of Chinese loose tea leaves with higher flavor when infused with hot water and leave it for 10 minutes to enhance the aroma. They are supposed to prevent cancer and the Singapore current Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, consumed it, compliments from the China Government until he is healed of leukemia. That is how potent China loose tea leaves are. The leaves are also edible, so as to justify the money paid.
Rooibos tea is local to Africa, where it has been harvested there for about 300 years ago or more. The rooibos plant grows solely in the hilly Cederberg district of South Africa. Hence, with some research and curated articles, I will make it a point to check out websites selling rooibos tea for a healthy lifestyle via Amazon, the biggest retailer online in the world.
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