What Is Red Tea And Is It Caffeinated?

Sometimes, when you ask for red tea, you might end up with black tea, depending on where you are. This is because both teas have a similar color when brewed, which can sometimes lead to confusion. This is because red tea has different meanings in different parts of the world.

Red tea can refer to either black tea grown in Asian countries like China or herbal teas like hibiscus and rooibos. While red herbal teas don’t contain caffeine, Chinese black tea contains a small amount of caffeine. 

Let’s take a closer look at the different kinds of red teas, their caffeine content, and whether you can consume them without disrupting your sleep schedule. We’ll also take a look at the benefits of red tea, so you know precisely what you’re consuming. 

What Exactly is Red Tea? 

Rooibos tea

Red tea has two different meanings. It is typically used for herbal teas like hibiscus and rooibos, but it’s also the traditional name for black tea in many Asian countries like China.

Chinese Black Tea 

In China, red tea refers to what most of the world calls black tea and is named so because of the tea’s reddish color.

Chinese black tea is mellower and a little lighter than Indian tea, giving it a coppery hue. Like other kinds of tea, this one is also made with the leaves of the camelia Sinensis plant and is rich in antioxidants and other nutrients.

Rooibos Tea

This is sometimes known as red tea, not just because of the red color of the leaves or the tea’s color once it’s brewed, but also because the term rooibos means red bush in Dutch and is also called red bush tea. Rooibos comes from the aspalathus linearis plant that’s native to South Africa.

Rooibos tea is naturally caffeine-free and mildly sweet. In fact, according to some people, it’s pretty similar to black tea. In addition to the original rooibos tea, you can also find variations such as rooibos chai and Early Grey rooibos.

Hibiscus Tea

In some cases, hibiscus tea is also known as red tea because of its bright red or magenta color. This herbal tea is made using the dried petals of hibiscus sabdariffa or the hibiscus plant. It has a sweet and tart flavor that tastes like cranberries and is often used to add flavor to different varieties of herbal teas.

Since it’s a herbal tea, hibiscus tea is caffeine-free and is rich in antioxidants, iron, and vitamin C. You can drink it both hot and cold.

Does Red Tea Have Caffeine? 

Since rooibos is a herbal tea, it naturally contains no caffeine. But on the other hand, Chinese red tea contains about half as much caffeine as a cup of coffee.  

Is it Okay to Drink Red Tea Before Bed?

Rooibos tea is naturally caffeine-free and won’t disturb your sleep schedule, so you can have it before bed without any problems. 

Are There Health Benefits to Red Tea? 

Healthy traditional herbal rooibos beverage tea

Unlike black and green tea, rooibos tea doesn’t contain tannins, which are often responsible for the tea’s bitterness. And even though it has little nutritional value, it’s rich in antioxidants and provides the following benefits:

It’s Anti-Inflammatory 

Rooibos tea contains polyphenols, chemical compounds that help plants fight stress. In humans, polyphenol-rich foods and drinks like rooibos tea decrease the chance of inflammation, which often results from many conditions, such as heart disease and cancer.

The antioxidants in the tea also help protect the cells from damage due to free radicals, which can reduce your chance of many severe illnesses.

Helps Control Diabetes  

Another antioxidant in rooibos tea, known as aspalathin, might be able to lower blood sugar. Animal and lab studies have shown that aspalathin is anti-diabetic, but more research is needed on its effects in humans.

Plus, since red rooibos tea is typically fermented, most of the aspalathin is destroyed, and if you want to benefit from it, you’ll have to drink green rooibos tea. 

Helps Control Blood Pressure

Doctors typically prescribe ACE inhibitors to relax the blood vessels, which, in turn, reduces blood pressure. According to a study, rooibos tea acted as an ACE inhibitor in the participant, but more research is needed.

No Harmful Tannins or Oxalic Acid

If you’re trying to limit your caffeine intake, rooibos is a great alternative you can turn to since it’s practically caffeine-free. Unfortunately, it also doesn’t contain tannins, which can interfere with absorbing some nutrients like iron.

And unlike black and green tea, it also doesn’t contain oxalic acid. High amounts of this acid can increase the risk of kidney stones.

Might Improve Cholesterol Levels

Research suggests that red tea can improve cholesterol levels. For example, in a study on 40 overweight adults at risk of heart disease, consuming rooibos tea for 1.5 months increased good HDL cholesterol and decreased bad LDL cholesterol.

Healthy cholesterol protects against numerous heart conditions like strokes and heart attacks. 

Might Reduce the Risk of Cancer

According to test tube studies, antioxidants present in the tea, like luteolin or quercetin, can prevent tumor growth and even kill cancer cells. However, the amount of these antioxidants in tea is relatively small, so more research is needed to ensure that the body absorbs them efficiently.

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