Rooibos is a shrubby legume that is in fact indigenous to specific mountains of the western Cape's Cederburg region. Rooibos grows by itself in South Africa. Rooibos is sometimes considered a red tea but it's actually a botanical since it doesn't come from a tea plant. Rooibos is high in polyphenols which is a rich protective plant compound. It also believed that drinking rooibos daily may help protect against the oxidative damage that is associated with diabetes. It's also very high in antioxidant aspalathin which has shown in studies to help balance or regulate sugar levels in the blood and reduce insulin resistance.