I first came across rooibos tea at the trendy frou frou tea shop Teavana. Its absolutely delicious and they have many lovely blends. My husband bought me a Rooibos Peach Bloom tea that is yummy. I next came across Rooibos in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books by Alexander McCall Smith. The lead character Precious Ramatse drinks red bush tea exclusively. Rooibos tea has its own naturally sweet taste and I find I don't have to add any sugar to it. (Although I have a major sweet tooth and I admit I like it with a bit of honey added.) My favorite rooibos based tea is Red Safari Spice by Celestial Seasonings.
The word is pronounced "roy-boss" and means "red bush" in Afrikaans. The scientific name of the bush is Aspalathus Linearis. It grows in the mountains around the Cape of Good Hope. Studies show that this tea contains a lot of anti-oxidants, up to twice as much as found in green tea. One flavinoid specific to this tea called aspalathin.
Rooibos is said to be an anti-spasmodic agent and is used by moms to relieve stomach cramping and colic in infants. Unlike green tea, rooibos does not contain tannins. Tannins are the bitter element of the tea plant, and can interfere with iron absorbtion in the body. Since many crohnies have low iron (I know that I do!) I think it's nice that rooibos doesn't have any tannin. I have no idea if rooibos has any partucular health benefits relating to Crohn's Disease, however, it doesn't have any downside or risks associated with it and it tastes great.
If mothers find that rooibos soothes babies colicky stomach cramps, perhaps it can do the same for Crohn's abdominal pain. A soothing cup of hot herb tea is great before bed at any rate. Here is some more information and links about rooibos:
Rooibos herb Info Pge by Ray Sahelian, M.D.
Rooibos Facts from The South African Rooibos Council
Unlike black and green teas, Rooibos is naturally caffeine free (not decaffeinated) and therefore suitable for children, infants and breast-feeding mothers.
Rooibos has proven cancer-fighting properties in animal research studies.
Rooibos contains low amounts of tannin. (Tannins are astringent, bitter-tasting plant polyphenols that bind and precipitate proteins and interfere with iron absorption in the body.)
After centuries of use, no negative side effects of Rooibos have ever been recorded.
