What are some health benefits of rooibos tea?

Rooibos, or red bush tea, has the antioxidant properties of green tea without the accompanying caffeine and tannin levels. It also has a high level of ascorbic acid, which is a form of vitamin C.

As an antioxidant, rooibos decreases the amount of oxidation in the human body that damages cell structures and creates free radicals. An abundance of free radicals can lead to many diseases including cancer, heart disease, lung disease and Alzheimer's disease. Rooibos, as an herbal tea or tisane, gets its medicinal properties from the leaves of the legume by the same name. Many people drink rooibos tea as an alternative to coffee or other types of tea.