Rooibos health benefits being researched

The first clinical trial investigating the health benefits of rooibos is under way in Cape Town. The first rooibos Science Café was held recently in the MTN Café in Canal Walk, Cape Town. A ccording to Dr Jeanine Marnewick, a senior researcher in the Antioxidant Research Group at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, speaking at the function, says there is significant evidence of the health benefits of rooibos in animals: from delaying the ageing process to fighting cancer.
Issue Date: 30 November 2007

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The first clinical trial investigating the health benefits of rooibos is under way in Cape Town. The first rooibos Science Café was held recently in the MTN Café in Canal Walk, Cape Town. A ccording to Dr Jeanine Marnewick, a senior researcher in the Antioxidant Research Group at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, speaking at the function, says there is significant evidence of the health benefits of rooibos in animals: from delaying the ageing process to fighting cancer. “Our challenge is to verify some of these health claims in humans,” she says. The study focuses on the potential of rooibos to protect against oxidative stress and inflammation associated with the development of heart disease. “Oxidative stress is an imbalance between oxidants and anti-oxidants, in favour of oxidants. An excess of oxidants can damage important components of living cells and result in several degenerative diseases,” Marnewick explains. The study, which is co-funded by the South African Council, began in July this year and preliminary results are expected in July 2008. “We are optimistic that this study will verify the health benefits of rooibos,” says Donné MacDougall, director of the marketing portfolio at the SA Rooibos Council. “We hope to use the results to promote broad public awareness about the role of rooibos in a healthy lifestyle in South Africa and around the world.” The Medical Research Council’s Promec division is also undertaking studies on the impact of rooibos, specifically on skin cancer. Preliminary studies have revealed that Rooibos can help to reduce the size and number of oesophageal cancer cells in animals, and promising results have also so far been achieved with skin cancer. G reen rooibos has been found to be more effective in attaining these results than traditional rooibos. H owever, more research is still necessary to identify the exact mechanism by which rooibos achieves these results. For more information, visit the Rooibos Council’s new website at www .sarooibos.org.za. – Glenneis Erasmus