Editing Rooibos (section)

== Chemical composition ==
As a fresh leaf, rooibos contains a high content of [[ascorbic acid]] (vitamin C).<ref name=Morton>{{cite journal |doi=10.1007/BF02858780 |title=Rooibos tea, ''Aspalathus linearis'', a caffeine-less, low-tannin beverage |year=1983 |last1=Morton |first1=Julia F. |author-link=Julia Morton |journal=Economic Botany |volume=37 |issue=2 |pages=164–73 |jstor=4254477|bibcode=1983EcBot..37..164M |s2cid=30957644 }}</ref>

Rooibos tea does not contain [[caffeine]]<ref>{{cite journal|pmid=21509483|year=2011|last1=Iswaldi|first1=I|title=Identification of phenolic compounds in aqueous and ethanolic rooibos extracts (Aspalathus linearis) by HPLC-ESI-MS (TOF/IT)|journal=Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry|volume=400|issue=10|pages=3643–54|last2=Arráez-Román|first2=D|last3=Rodríguez-Medina|first3=I|last4=Beltrán-Debón|first4=R|last5=Joven|first5=J|last6=Segura-Carretero|first6=A|last7=Fernández-Gutiérrez|first7=A|doi=10.1007/s00216-011-4998-z|s2cid=3247287}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Stander |first1=Maria A. |last2=Joubert |first2=Elizabeth |last3=De Beer |first3=Dalene |title=Revisiting the caffeine-free status of rooibos and honeybush herbal teas using specific MRM and high resolution LC-MS methods |journal=Journal of Food Composition and Analysis |date=1 March 2019 |volume=76 |pages=39–43 |doi=10.1016/j.jfca.2018.12.002 |s2cid=91374300 }}</ref> and has low [[tannin]] levels compared to [[black tea]] or [[green tea]].<ref name=Morton/> Rooibos contains [[polyphenols]], including [[flavanol]]s, [[flavones]], [[flavanone]]s, [[dihydrochalcone]]s,<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1002/mnfr.200800117 |title=Structure-antioxidant relationship of flavonoids from fermented rooibos |year=2009 |last1=Krafczyk |first1=Nicole |last2=Woyand |first2=Franziska |last3=Glomb |first3=Marcus A. |journal=Molecular Nutrition & Food Research |volume=53 |issue=5 |pmid=19156714 |pages=635–42}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1021/jf025697h | volume=50 | title=Quantitative Characterization of Flavonoid Compounds in Rooibos Tea ( Aspalathus linearis ) by LC−UV/DAD | year=2002 | journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry | pages=5513–5519 | last1 = Bramati | first1 = Lorenzo | issue=20 | pmid=12236672| bibcode=2002JAFC...50.5513B }}</ref> [[aspalathin]]<ref>{{Cite journal
 | pmid = 25338943
| year = 2015
| last1 = Ku
| first1 = S. K.
| title = Aspalathin and Nothofagin from Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) inhibits high glucose-induced inflammation in vitro and in vivo
| journal = Inflammation
| volume = 38
| issue = 1
| pages = 445–55
| last2 = Kwak
| first2 = S
| last3 = Kim
| first3 = Y
| last4 = Bae
| first4 = J. S.
| doi = 10.1007/s10753-014-0049-1
| s2cid = 40016427
}}</ref> and [[nothofagin]].<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Joubert | first1 = E. | year = 1996 | title = HPLC quantification of the dihydrochalcones, aspalathin and nothofagin in rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) as affected by processing | journal = Food Chemistry | volume = 55 | issue = 4| pages = 403–411 | doi = 10.1016/0308-8146(95)00166-2 }}</ref>

The processed leaves and stems contain [[benzoic acid|benzoic]] and [[cinnamic acid]]s.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Rabe | first1 = C | last2 = Steenkamp | first2 = JA | last3 = Joubert | first3 = E | last4 = Burger | first4 = JF | last5 = Ferreira | first5 = D | year = 1994 | title = Phenolic metabolites from rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) | journal = Phytochemistry | volume = 35 | issue = 6| pages = 1559–1565 | doi = 10.1016/S0031-9422(00)86894-6 | bibcode = 1994PChem..35.1559R }}</ref>