Rooibos

Last Updated: September 28 2022

Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) is a semi-sweet tea touted for its potent antioxidant properties; despite being highly palatable and marketed, the poor absorption of the main bioactive (aspalathin) suggests a limit to its health promoting properties.

Rooibos is most often used for

Summary

Rooibos tea is a tea brewed pretty much exclusively from the plant Aspalathus linearis, and it is becoming a more popular beverage to drink in part due to its taste (being semi-sweet and less bitter than green and black tea) and having a low to no caffeine content, as well as marketing suggesting its antioxidant properties are healthful.

When looking at the main claim, the bioactives in Rooibos appear to be relatively potent antioxidant but even when tested in vitro (outside of a living body) they are not as potent as the green tea catechins; the main bioactive, aspalanthin, also has a pretty poor absorption in living models which limits how it can increase plasma oxidation capacity. The antioxidant potential of Rooibos is present, but both lacklustre as well as unreliable.

There are some potential benefits to drinking this tea even when low absorption is considered. It is said that the tea can alleviate intestinal distress and it does appear to have some relaxing effects in the intestines, but there is no evidence in humans at this point in time (and for that claim, peppermint would be a more prudent option). It appears to inhibit glucose absorption from the intestines as well, which may be an anti-obesogenic and anti-diabetic property, but no human studies exist at this point in time.

Currently, Rooibos is interesting due to being a palatable tea option but there is not enough evidence to support much health benefits associated with it aside from the standard beneficial (and small of magnitude) changes to unhealthy persons that are seen with any antioxidant compound.

What else is Rooibos known as?
Note that Rooibos is also known as:
  • Aspalathus linearis
  • Red Bush Tea
Rooibos should not be confused with:
  • Astaxanthin (sounds similar to aspalathin and is also red)
Dosage information

Not enough information is known to evaluate the optimal dosage or Rooibos as a tea or as a supplement, although it appears that the minimum effective dose in humans has been a cup of tea brewed from 750mg of the plant.

A daily intake of 750-3,000mg of the tea leaves, preferably in multiple doses with meals, might be optimal

Join our supplement information course

Examine Database: Rooibos
What works and what doesn't?

Unlock the full potential of Examine

Get started

Don't miss out on the latest research

References
3.^Joubert E, de Beer D, Malherbe CJ, Muller N, Bonnet SL, van der Westhuizen JH, Ferreira DOccurrence and sensory perception of Z-2-(β-d-glucopyranosyloxy)-3-phenylpropenoic acid in rooibos (Aspalathus linearis)Food Chem.(2013 Jan 15)
4.^Shimamura N, Miyase T, Umehara K, Warashina T, Fujii SPhytoestrogens from Aspalathus linearisBiol Pharm Bull.(2006 Jun)
6.^Bramati L, Minoggio M, Gardana C, Simonetti P, Mauri P, Pietta PQuantitative characterization of flavonoid compounds in Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) by LC-UV/DADJ Agric Food Chem.(2002 Sep 25)
8.^Krafczyk N, Glomb MACharacterization of phenolic compounds in rooibos teaJ Agric Food Chem.(2008 May 14)
10.^Muller CJ, Joubert E, Pheiffer C, Ghoor S, Sanderson M, Chellan N, Fey SJ, Louw JZ-2-(β-d-glucopyranosyloxy)-3-phenylpropenoic acid, an α-hydroxy acid from rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) with hypoglycemic activityMol Nutr Food Res.(2013 Aug 14)
11.^Mazibuko SE, Muller CJ, Joubert E, de Beer D, Johnson R, Opoku AR, Louw JAmelioration of palmitate-induced insulin resistance in C2C12 muscle cells by rooibos (Aspalathus linearis)Phytomedicine.(2013 Jul 15)
12.^Iswaldi I, Arráez-Román D, Rodríguez-Medina I, Beltrán-Debón R, Joven J, Segura-Carretero A, Fernández-Gutiérrez AIdentification of phenolic compounds in aqueous and ethanolic rooibos extracts (Aspalathus linearis) by HPLC-ESI-MS (TOF/IT)Anal Bioanal Chem.(2011 Jul)
17.^Touyz LZ, Smit AAHerbal tea infusions--their acidity, fluoride and calcium concentrationJ Dent Assoc S Afr.(1982 Nov)
18.^Joubert E, Gelderblom WC, Louw A, de Beer DSouth African herbal teas: Aspalathus linearis, Cyclopia spp. and Athrixia phylicoides--a reviewJ Ethnopharmacol.(2008 Oct 28)
19.^Nakano M, Itoh Y, Mizuno T, Nakashima HPolysaccharide from Aspalathus linearis with strong anti-HIV activityBiosci Biotechnol Biochem.(1997 Feb)
21.^Huang M, du Plessis J, du Preez J, Hamman J, Viljoen ATransport of aspalathin, a Rooibos tea flavonoid, across the skin and intestinal epitheliumPhytother Res.(2008 May)
25.^Koeppen BH, Roux DGC-glycosylflavonoids. The chemistry of aspalathinBiochem J.(1966 Jun)
27.^Krafczyk N, Heinrich T, Porzel A, Glomb MAOxidation of the dihydrochalcone aspalathin leads to dimerizationJ Agric Food Chem.(2009 Aug 12)
28.^Heinrich T, Willenberg I, Glomb MAChemistry of color formation during rooibos fermentationJ Agric Food Chem.(2012 May 23)
31.^Noh YH, Kim DH, Kim JY, Park J, Kim OH, Han D, Kim WY, Kim SS, Lee MY, Heo SH, Kim M, Lee WB, Jeong Y, Myung SCImprovement of andropause symptoms by dandelion and rooibos extract complex CRS-10 in aging maleNutr Res Pract.(2012 Dec)
34.^Matsuda K, Nishimura Y, Kurata N, Iwase M, Yasuhara HEffects of continuous ingestion of herbal teas on intestinal CYP3A in the ratJ Pharmacol Sci.(2007 Feb)
35.^Chen W, Sudji IR, Wang E, Joubert E, van Wyk BE, Wink MAmeliorative effect of aspalathin from rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) on acute oxidative stress in Caenorhabditis elegansPhytomedicine.(2013 Feb 15)
36.^Pantsi WG, Marnewick JL, Esterhuyse AJ, Rautenbach F, van Rooyen JRooibos (Aspalathus linearis) offers cardiac protection against ischaemia/reperfusion in the isolated perfused rat heartPhytomedicine.(2011 Nov 15)
38.^SKEGGS LT Jr, KAHN JR, SHUMWAY NPThe preparation and function of the hypertensin-converting enzymeJ Exp Med.(1956 Mar 1)
39.^Baudin B, Berard M, Carrier JL, Legrand Y, Drouet LVascular origin determines angiotensin I-converting enzyme expression in endothelial cellsEndothelium.(1997)
41.^Rodríguez-Sanabria F, Rull A, Aragonès G, Beltrán-Debón R, Alonso-Villaverde C, Camps J, Joven JDifferential response of two models of genetically modified mice fed with high fat and cholesterol diets: relationship to the study of non-alcoholic steatohepatitisMol Cell Biochem.(2010 Oct)
42.^Beltrán-Debón R, Rull A, Rodríguez-Sanabria F, Iswaldi I, Herranz-López M, Aragonès G, Camps J, Alonso-Villaverde C, Menéndez JA, Micol V, Segura-Carretero A, Joven JContinuous administration of polyphenols from aqueous rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) extract ameliorates dietary-induced metabolic disturbances in hyperlipidemic micePhytomedicine.(2011 Mar 15)
43.^Marnewick JL, Rautenbach F, Venter I, Neethling H, Blackhurst DM, Wolmarans P, Macharia MEffects of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) on oxidative stress and biochemical parameters in adults at risk for cardiovascular diseaseJ Ethnopharmacol.(2011 Jan 7)
44.^Muller CJ, Joubert E, de Beer D, Sanderson M, Malherbe CJ, Fey SJ, Louw JAcute assessment of an aspalathin-enriched green rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) extract with hypoglycemic potentialPhytomedicine.(2012 Dec 15)
45.^Ulicná O, Vancová O, Bozek P, Cársky J, Sebeková K, Boor P, Nakano M, Greksák MRooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) partially prevents oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic ratsPhysiol Res.(2006)
46.^Kawano A, Nakamura H, Hata S, Minakawa M, Miura Y, Yagasaki KHypoglycemic effect of aspalathin, a rooibos tea component from Aspalathus linearis, in type 2 diabetic model db/db micePhytomedicine.(2009 May)
48.^Son MJ, Minakawa M, Miura Y, Yagasaki KAspalathin improves hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance in obese diabetic ob/ob miceEur J Nutr.(2013 Sep)
49.^Schinner S, Scherbaum WA, Bornstein SR, Barthel AMolecular mechanisms of insulin resistanceDiabet Med.(2005 Jun)
51.^Boden G, Chen X, Ruiz J, White JV, Rossetti LMechanisms of fatty acid-induced inhibition of glucose uptakeJ Clin Invest.(1994 Jun)
54.^Hendricks R, Pool EJThe in vitro effects of Rooibos and Black tea on immune pathwaysJ Immunoassay Immunochem.(2010)
63.^Gilani AH, Khan AU, Ghayur MN, Ali SF, Herzig JWAntispasmodic effects of Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) is mediated predominantly through K+ -channel activationBasic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol.(2006 Nov)
64.^Baba H, Ohtsuka Y, Haruna H, Lee T, Nagata S, Maeda M, Yamashiro Y, Shimizu TStudies of anti-inflammatory effects of Rooibos tea in ratsPediatr Int.(2009 Oct)
65.^Sinisalo M, Enkovaara AL, Kivistö KTPossible hepatotoxic effect of rooibos tea: a case reportEur J Clin Pharmacol.(2010 Apr)