This Naturally Sweet Tea Can Prevent Wrinkles, Improve Digestion, and Lower Cholesterol

We love having so many delicious flavors and blends of tea to choose from — and let’s not forget about the wonderful health benefits that come with each sip. One of our newest favorites is rooibos tea, an especially helpful and tasty brew that can reduce wrinkles, improve digestion, and lower cholesterol.

This tea comes from the 300-year-old rooibos plant native to South Africa. While it’s been around for a few centuries, it’s a lot younger than the 1,000-year-old Camellia sinensis plant that black and green tea comes from!

Rooibos tea’s distinct reddish-brown color when brewed is why it’s often nicknamed African red tea or red bush tea by tea experts. It also has a low level of tannins (the compounds in tea that give it a bitter taste), which makes it naturally sweeter than most tea blends, with a slightly nutty flavor as well. Plus, it’s naturally caffeine-free, so it won’t make you feel super jittery or overly alert throughout the day. This also means you’ll be able to fall asleep much easier at night.

The tea has a soothing effect on pesky digestive issues as well. A study published in Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology found that the rooibos plant contains the flavonoids quercetin, rutin, and orientin, which are antioxidants known to relieve hyperactive gut disorders, including stomach cramps and diarrhea. Taking less frequent trips to bathroom is definitely worth celebrating!

Beyond nixing tummy troubles, drinking rooibos tea is an easy way to lower your cholesterol. Research published in Journal of Ethnopharmacology found that people who drank six cups of it every day for six weeks had lower cholesterol levels and a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. That probably sounds like a lot more tea than any of us would ever drink in a day, but you should still get the benefits even if you just have a cup or two.

Sipping rooibos tea can also help slow signs of aging. Wrinkles form when your skin has lost the fat and collagen necessary to keep its smoothness and elasticity, but rooibos has a ton of enzymes and antioxidants that can help restore your skin’s soft texture.

“Its high levels of antioxidants, zinc, and alpha-hydroxy acids give it the ability to prevent and reverse fat loss under the skin,” Theresa Krier, founder of the tea brand Big T NYC, shared with Well and Good. You may not want to ditch anti-aging creams or products altogether, but adding this tea to your day will help you notice fewer wrinkles over time.

Rooibos tea is available at the grocery store or online (Buy on Amazon, $8.65). All you have to do is brew yourself a cup, add a dash of honey if you wish, and maybe some ice on those hot summer days. Then sit back, relax, and let the tea’s antioxidants do all of the work to boost your health!