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AHPA introduces new entry for rooibos to the online Botanical Safety Handbook 2nd Ed.

Rooibos is a botanical commonly consumed as a tea made from the leaves of Aspalathus linearis, a shrub native to South Africa

July 13, 2021

AHPA has released a botanical safety assessment of rooibos as a new entry in the Botanical Safety Handbook 2nd Ed. online version.

Rooibos is a botanical commonly consumed as a tea made from the leaves of Aspalathus linearis, a shrub native to South Africa. It is consumed in both red (fermented) and green (unfermented) forms. In the fermented form it is also referred to as “red tea” or “red bush tea.” Historically consumption of rooibos was limited to its native South Africa, but in recent years it has quickly grown in popularity and is widely available internationally as an ingredient in herbal teas. Rooibos contains high amounts of antioxidants, no caffeine, and is low in tannins compared to other teas, so consumers may choose it for these properties.

The AHPA safety assessment concluded the following for rooibos:

  • It has a history of safe traditional use as a beverage;

  • It is not known to interact with drugs or supplements at typical levels of consumption;

  • No case reports of significant adverse events with a high probability of causality were identified;

  • No significant adverse events were observed or reported in clinical trials;

  • No concerns for use during pregnancy or lactation were identified; and

  • It contains no innately toxic constituents.

Scientific articles reviewed in the development of the rooibos entry included case reports; clinical trials; human, animal and in vitro pharmacological studies; and toxicity studies.

AHPA's Botanical Safety Handbook 2nd Ed. is an essential tool for anyone who manufactures, recommends, or uses herbal products. It provides safety information on over 500 species of herbs, derived from data compiled from clinical trials, pharmacological and toxicological studies, medical case reports, and historical texts. All entries are reviewed by an Expert Advisory Council that includes some of the most renowned herbal and integrative medicine experts in the United States.

Subscribers to the online Botanical Safety Handbook can review short descriptions of updated entries in the "Revisions" panel on the online version homepage when they log in. AHPA will continue to post additional updates to existing entries as well as new botanical entries the near future. Current subscribers will be notified of these updates when they become available. The online Botanical Safety Handbook is undergoing review of existing entries and the addition of new entries to provide the latest safety information before it can be included in the next print edition of the handbook.

AHPA members can obtain an annual individual subscription to the online Botanical Safety Handbook for $95.00, with multi-user rates available for companies needing expanded access. Information about subscriptions and hard copy purchases can be found on the AHPA website.

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