Red Tea Helps Boost Antioxidant Defenses

Rooibos, a type of red tea from an African plant (Aspalathus linearis), has been used in traditional medicine, with previous studies reporting anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating and chemopreventive properties.  A potent antioxidant, rooibos also contains a variety of phenolic compounds, including flavanols and flavones.  Debora Villano, from the Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca per gli Alimenti e la Nutrizione (Rome, Italy), and colleagues found that consumption of both fermented and unfermented rooibos tea increased total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels in human plasma.  Among a group of 15 healthy adults who consumed either 500ml of water, unfermented or fermented rooibos teas, those who drank fermented rooibos tea experienced an increase in the antioxidant capacity of 6.6%, and those who drank unfermented rooibos tea experienced a 2.9% rise. The team concludes that: “The data show that rooibos teas represent a source of dietary antioxidants in humans.”