Research substantiates beneficial image of rooibos
Dr. Charlene Marais research on Rooibos health benefits
The Bottom Line: The most important conclusion one can reach from her study, is that Rooibos is not only harmless, but definitely beneficial in certain areas. One of the most obvious reactions observed, was that people with warts sometimes had relief from drinking Rooibos tea. Likewise, people with eczema and acne also had relief from drinking the tea as well as topical application. It was found that it also had a positive effect on certain individuals suffering from photosensitive dermatitis.

Rooibos Tea: Research into Antioxidant and Antimutagenic Properties
HerbalGram. 2003;59:34-45
The Bottom Line: Rooibos tea has become popular because of its fruity, sweet taste and its caffeine-free, low tannin, antioxidant-rich status. Although more research is needed, rooibos appears to be safe and free of side effects. The antioxidants present in rooibos may help protect against free radical damage that can lead to cancer, heart attack, and stroke. Future research should reveal whether the antioxidant benefits of rooibos observed in vitro and in animals translates into health benefits for humans.

The suppression of age-related accumulation of lipid peroxides in rat brain by administration of Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis)
Neuroscience Letters 1995 Aug 18;196(1-2):85-8
The Bottom Line: The observations suggest that (1) the age-related accumulation of lipid peroxides in the brain was closely related to the morphological changes observed by MRI, and (2) chronic Rooibos tea-administration prevented age-related accumulation of lipid peroxides in several regions of rat brain. Whether drinking rooibos tea regularly enhances longevity in humans is not yet known.