Rooibos

Studies in people

• No harm found

  Kidney stone risk²

  Drinking rooibos tea for 30 days did not lower kidney stone risk factors in people who form stones.

• Open question

  Heart function in people at risk³

  In people at risk of heart disease, 12 weeks of rooibos capsules slightly changed some heart measurements.

Animal and lab studies only

• Benefit

  Animal antioxidant effects⁶

  Rooibos has shown helpful antioxidant and immune effects in animal studies, but human studies are limited.

• Benefit

  Mould toxin in food⁷

  Rooibos may help protect cells from fumonisin, a mould toxin sometimes found in food.

• Open question

  How the body handles medicines⁸

  Rooibos blocked enzymes that break down some medicines, which may affect how drugs work.

• Benefit

  Gut bacteria and digestion⁹

  In lab studies, rooibos helped gut bacteria grow and changed the substances they release.

Found in some samples or products

These come from where it was grown, how it was processed or cooked, or what it was made into. They are not about the ingredient itself, so the signal does not count them.

• Toxin levels in tea⁵

  Rooibos teas sold in Israel had high levels of dehydro PAs in almost all samples tested.

How it’s made and used

• Rehydration after exercise⁴

  In dehydrated wrestlers, rooibos tea rehydrated no better than plain water one hour after drinking.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.