Is Rooibos Loose Tea The Fountain Of Youth?

Many of our Simpson and Vail customers are huge fans of both the taste and flavor as well as the benefits of our loose Rooibos tea.  The question is, are the health claims true?

Researchers in South Africa (Professor Maryna van de Venter of the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and her colleague, Dr Trevor Koekemoer, at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University), funded by the South African Rooibos Council, are currently studying Rooibos’ effects on the aging process.  The thought for many years has been that the antioxidants in Rooibos bind with free radicals preventing them from damaging cells.  Certainly European and South African cosmetic companies think this may be true as well, since Rooibos is found as an ingredient in many skin care products overseas.  Ten years ago I found many cosmetic products that contained Rooibos in apothecary shops and pharmacies around Ireland.  I find as I get older that anti-aging stories are holding more and more interest for me!

So does it really help?  The researchers are studying the redistribution of fat cells as we age and the movement of those cells from places we like (for example around the eyes and face) into places we’re not so happy about (stomach, thighs…).  Specifically they are trying to determine if the antioxidants in Rooibos can aid in the body’s ability to either slow or reverse these redistributions.   “The findings will contribute to our understanding of the health benefits of Rooibos and provide much-needed scientific evidence to substantiate its anti-ageing properties, beyond what is already known about its antioxidant capacity.”

To read more about this study and other studies that the South African Rooibos Council is sponsoring, click here.

And I guess while they’re working on their studies, I’ll keep drinking Rooibos and will look into incorporating it into my homemade face lotions.  What the heck – I like the taste and I’m definitely not getting any younger.  But wouldn’t it be great if no one could see that!


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