The findings of a novel study conducted by a team of researchers have confirmed the anxiety-reducing properties of Rooibos. This team included Stellenbosch University’s (SU) professor Carine Smith.
This discovery could lead to the increased consumption and exportation of the herb, said Richard Bowsher, managing director of Cederburg-based Klipopmekaar Organic Rooibos Farm.
Stellenbosch University professor Carine Smith’s novel study found that drinking a cup of unfermented or Green Rooibos tea soothes a person’s anxiety levels. Photo: Téa Bell
The study was conducted by Smith and associates and was done on zebrafish, which, according to SU’s faculty of medicine and health sciences, are genetically similar to humans. “For more than 80% of the genes known to cause disease in humans, there are similar genes represented in zebrafish,” according to their website.
Emerging research studies attesting to the health benefits of Rooibos are highly beneficial to the industry, stated Bowsher.
“I do expect [Smith’s] pioneering research [… ] to have a positive impact on the market for Rooibos,” said Bowsher. However, he said it would be “difficult to accurately quantify what the positive impact may be”.
“There have been a number of similarly excellent research studies over the years showing various positive medical and health benefits of Rooibos,” Bowsher said. “This is both appreciated by, and beneficial to, our industry.”
Rooibos is a proudly South African product endemic to the Cederberg, a mountainous region in the Western Cape. The Rooibos industry employs thousands of workers every year and exports its products to more than 30 countries. Photo: Supplied/South African Rooibos Council
In written correspondence with MatieMedia, Suzanne Herbst, spokesperson of the South African Rooibos Council, highlighted that Rooibos only grows in specific geographic and climatic conditions which are endemic to the South African region of Cederberg.
“Rooibos is only exported from South Africa and not imported to South Africa,” Herbst explained.
According to the Rooibos Council’s website, the industry exports Rooibos to over 30 countries and employs more than 5 000 people in South Africa.
“Increased consumption of Rooibos can really ensure a sustainable income — and perhaps even international investment – for many years to come,” said Smith.
Professor Eric Decloedt, head of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology at SU, noted via email correspondence with MatieMedia that Smith’s study was the first to be undertaken in the university’s new zebrafish research laboratory at its Tygerberg campus.
Stellenbosch University recently opened a zebrafish laboratory. Zebrafish are genetically similar to humans, making them ideal candidates for Smith’s research. Photo: Supplied/Damien Schumann
“Under the leadership of Smith we are now officially on the academic map as a productive laboratory,” said Decloedt.
The South African Rooibos Council has granted Stellenbosch University’s zebrafish laboratory funding to assist in furthering their research into the health and medicinal benefits of Rooibos.
“We will have some more very interesting data to share within the next month or so,” stated Smith.