Traveling Tea with Jesus

In The Marketplace Every year, the North American Tea Championships are held to determine premium teas in the marketplace. Trends emerge based on the number of entries in every category. This year, a record 230 entries were submitted and the Flavored Rooibos category accounted for over 15% of the total field making it the largest single category of submissions. As Gourmet News (April 2012 issue) reports: “indicating the popularity of rooibos in the marketplace”. Rooibos is technically not a tea, meaning it contains no actual Camellia Sinensis (tea leaf) but it is manufactured, brewed and consumed in a manner generally similar to tea. Although studies into the health benefits of rooibos on humans are scarce in scientific literature, animal studies suggest it has potent antioxidant, immune-modulating and chemopreventive effects. In addition, rooibos tea has not been found to have any adverse effects. Here are other health and wellness notes, perhaps why it’s becoming more popular amongst young and old: • Rooibos is purported to assist with nervous tension, allergies and digestive problems • A study performed by Japanese scientists suggested that Rooibos tea is beneficial in the topical treatment of acne. This is due to levels of alpha-hydroxy acid, zinc and superoxide dismutase present in the herb • Research is being conducted with encouraging results that show rooibos may have a positive affect on mitigating the effects from Type 2 diabetes. • A study in South Africa on humans showed that consuming 6 cups of rooibos per day reduce biomarkers associated with heart disease. Rooibos is naturally caffeine free and it makes a great base for blending.