health & living center/ supplements a-z list /red bush tea article

Red Bush Tea

Last Editorial Review: 6/11/2021
Other Name(s):

Aspalathus linearis, Aspalathus contaminatus, Borbonia pinifolia, Green Red Bush, Infusion Rooibos, Kaffree Tea, Psoralea linearis, Red Bush, Rooibos Rouge, Rooibos Tea, Té Rojo, Té Rojo Rooibos, Thé Rooibos, Thé Rouge.

Overview

Red bush tea is made from the branches and twigs of a tree called Aspalathus linearis. This fragrant, caffeine-free tea is the national drink of South Africa.

It is used as medicine for HIV infection, for preventing cancer, and for preventing the decline of thinking skills with age.

In foods, red bush tea is used as a beverage.

How does it work?

Red bush tea contains chemicals that might help control HIV infection, and might also prevent age-related changes in the brain.

QUESTION

Next to red peppers, you can get the most vitamin C from ________________. See Answer

Uses & Effectiveness

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

  • HIV infections.
  • Preventing cancer.
  • Preventing the decline of thinking skills with age.
  • Other conditions.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of red bush tea for these uses.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).

Side Effects

Red bush tea seems safe for most people when used as a beverage. There isn't enough information available to know if red bush tea is safe for use as a medicine.

SLIDESHOW

Vitamin D Deficiency: How Much Vitamin D Is Enough? See Slideshow

Special Precautions & Warnings

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of red bush tea during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Dosing

The appropriate dose of red bush tea depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for red bush tea. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

FDA Logo

Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

References

Bramati L, Aquilano F, Pietta P. Unfermented rooibos tea: quantitative characterization of flavonoids by HPLC-UV and determination of the total antioxidant activity. J Agric Food Chem 2003;51(25):7472-7474. View abstract.

Edenharder, R., Sager, J. W., Glatt, H., Muckel, E., and Platt, K. L. Protection by beverages, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flavonoids against genotoxicity of 2-acetylaminofluorene and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) in metabolically competent V79 cells. Mutat.Res 11-26-2002;521(1-2):57-72. View abstract.

Hesseling PB, Klopper JF, van Heerden PD. [The effect of rooibos tea on iron absorption]. S Afr Med J 1979;55(16):631-632. View abstract.

Joubert E, Winterton P, Britz TJ, et al. Antioxidant and pro-oxidant activities of aqueous extracts and crude polyphenolic fractions of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis). J Agric Food Chem 2005;53(26):10260-10267. View abstract.

Komatsu K, Kator K, Mitsuda Y, et al. Inhibitory effects of Rooibos tea, Aspalathus linealis, on X-ray-induced C3H10T1/2 cell transformation. Cancer Lett 1994;77(1):33-38. View abstract.

Kucharska J, Ulicna O, Gvozdjakova A, et al. Regeneration of coenzyme Q9 redox state and inhibition of oxidative stress by Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) administration in carbon tetrachloride liver damage. Physiol Res 2004;53(5):515-521. View abstract.

Kunishiro K, Tai A, Yamamoto I. Effects of rooibos tea extract on antigen-specific antibody production and cytokine generation in vitro and in vivo. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2001;65(10):2137-2145. View abstract.

Lamosova D, Jurani M, Greksak M, et al. Effect of Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) on chick skeletal muscle cell growth in culture. Comp Biochem Physiol C Pharmacol Toxicol Endocrinol 1997;116(1):39-45. View abstract.

Lee EJ, Jang HD. Antioxidant activity and protective effect on DNA strand scission of Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis). Biofactors 2004;21(1-4):285-292. View abstract.

Marnewick J, Joubert E, Joseph S, et al. Inhibition of tumour promotion in mouse skin by extracts of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia), unique South African herbal teas. Cancer Lett 2005;224(2):193-202. View abstract.

Marnewick JL, Batenburg W, Swart P, et al. Ex vivo modulation of chemical-induced mutagenesis by subcellular liver fractions of rats treated with rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) tea, honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia) tea, as well as green and black (Camellia sinensis) teas. Mutat Res 2004;558(1-2):145-154. View abstract.

Marnewick JL, Gelderblom WC, Joubert E. An investigation on the antimutagenic properties of South African herbal teas. Mutat Res 2000;471(1-2):157-166. View abstract.

Marnewick JL, Joubert E, Swart P, et al. Modulation of hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes and oxidative status by rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and Honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia), green and black (Camellia sinensis) teas in rats. J Agric Food Chem 2003;51(27):8113-8119. View abstract.

Na, H. K., Mossanda, K. S., Lee, J. Y., and Surh, Y. J. Inhibition of phorbol ester-induced COX-2 expression by some edible African plants. Biofactors 2004;21(1-4):149-153. View abstract.

Sasaki YF, Yamada H, Shimoi K, et al. The clastogen-suppressing effects of green tea, Po-lei tea and Rooibos tea in CHO cells and mice. Mutat Res 1993;286(2):221-232. View abstract.

Simon M, Horovska L, Greksak M, et al. Antihemolytic effect of Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) on red blood cells of Japanese quails. Gen Physiol Biophys 2000;19(4):365-371. View abstract.

Standley L, Winterton P, Marnewick JL, et al. Influence of processing stages on antimutagenic and antioxidant potentials of rooibos tea. J Agric Food Chem 2001;49(1):114-117. View abstract.

Swanepoel ML. Salmonella isolated from rooibos tea. S Afr Med J 1987;71(6):369-370. View abstract.

Ulicna O, Greksak M, Vancova O, et al. Hepatoprotective effect of rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) on CCl4-induced liver damage in rats. Physiol Res 2003;52(4):461-466. View abstract.

Ulicna O, Vancova O, Bozek P, et al. Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) partially prevents oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Physiol Res 2005; View abstract.

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. View abstract.

Nakano M, Itoh Y, Mizuno T, Nakashima H. Polysaccharide from Aspalathus linearis with strong anti-HIV activity. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 1997;61:267-71. View abstract.

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. View abstract.

Shimoi K, Masuda S, Shen B, et al. Radioprotective effects of antioxidative plant flavonoids in mice. Mutat Res 1996;350:153-61. View abstract.