Green Rooibos is unfermented and supplies much more antioxidants, flavonoids, and aspalathin than normal Rooibos, as per the study published in the August 2009 issue of the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry”.
 
Studies at the Medical Research Council’s (MRC) PROMEC unit, completed by Dr Janine Marnewick, shows that 6 cups of Rooibos a day can help to prevent cancer and also help protect against oxidative stress and inflammation associated with the development of heart disease.
 
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are molecules that help to eradicate free radicals. Some antioxidants are called polyphenols. These are most commonly found in plants and are the type of antioxidants found in Rooibos, specifically a polyphenol called asphalathin.
 
An antioxidant is an organic molecule that can counteract the damaging effects of free radicals in tissues, or molecules that protect the body from free radical damage. The presence of antioxidants in the body can “mop up” free radicals before they damage essential cells.
 
Why do we need antioxidants?
Antioxidants destroy free radicals. Free radicals are rogue oxygen molecules, that have lost an electron. That loss makes them unstable (in chemical terms, reactive), causing them to ‘steal’ neighbouring molecules’ electrons, causing them to operate like terrorists in the body. The damage caused by free radicals is called oxidation. Examples of oxidation are bananas turning brown when left unpeeled or the rusting of iron.
 
Excess free radicals in the body contribute to the development of oxidative stress, which plays a major role in the development of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.
 
Free radicals attack healthy cells, leading to dysfunction, mutation and cancer. Free radicals can also disrupt normal cell activities, or cell membranes, producing a chain reaction of destruction.
 
Such membrane damage in the cells that line our blood vessels can lead to hardening and thickening of the arteries and eventually to heart attacks and strokes. Free radical attacks on collagen can cause cross-linking of protein molecules, resulting in stiffness in the tissue.
 
Free radicals are caused by:
Normal bodily functions
Exercise
Pollution
Cigarette smoke
Processed foods
Chemicals
Medication
Stress
Sun damage
 
Less than 10% of South Africans consume the appropriate foods to obtain enough antioxidants that their bodies need to fight off the damaging effects of free radicals.
 
Warning
Safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding has not been established, so these women should consult their healthcare practitioner before taking OptiRooibos