Rooibos and your mental health

Learn more about the health benefits of rooibos tea in celebration of World Mental Health Day on the 10th of October.

With the ever-changing and often increasing stressors of day-to-day life, it is more important than ever to take care of ourselves and our mental health. Our favourite form of self-care is, of course, rooibos tea. We are not just saying that because we truly believe in the product, but because its benefits have been scientifically proven.

Chronic stress and stressful thoughts have a detrimental effect on our health, both physical and mental. When we are stressed our body releases the stress hormone, cortisol, through the adrenal gland that sits just above the kidneys.

Cortisol increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain’s use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues. Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or detrimental in a fight-or-flight situation.

Rooibos can keep stress and anxiety at bay as the tea polyphenols aspalathin and nothofagin interfere with the production of cortisol. These two compounds were tested in a lab on adrenal cells that were stimulated to mimic a stress response like that which occurs in humans. The tests showed that Rooibos lowered the production of the stress hormone.

Other stress-related benefits include:

• Rooibos teas are naturally caffeine-free which help to keep our bodies relaxed.
• Polyphenols also widen the blood vessels, causing them to relax and therefore help to reduce anxiety levels and high blood pressure.
• It has a soothing effect on the nervous system & is recommended for people suffering from irritability, headaches, disturbed sleeping patterns, insomnia, nervous tension, mild depression, or hypertension.
• We have also added camomile to some of our teas, a well-known natural ingredient that specifically helps with relaxing and relieving stress.

Next time you are feeling stressed out, sit back with a delicious cup of tea and take a moment to yourself. You deserve it!