123rf/Liv Friis-Larsen
Universities in SA and New Zealand will use the money to study the indigenous tea's potential to fight allergies, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, skin diseases, skin cancer and side-effects caused by antiretrovirals. Announcing the research investment in Cape Town on Tuesday, SA Rooibos Council research director Joe Swart said reliable data on the tea's health benefits was vital,"since many other herbal-based treatments lack definitive evidence".
"Rooibos will be put through its paces as we investigate its impact on various risk factors associated with the development of heart disease, including cholesterol profile, oxidative damage to lipids, redox status, inflammatory responses, metabolic disease, blood pressure and genetic variability in 300 adults," said Marnewick.