For Men's Health Month, a Case for Moving the Afternoon Cup to Rooibos
The South African Rooibos Council marked Men's Health Month by pointing men toward rooibos as a caffeine-free afternoon and evening drink, with a Stellenbosch physiologist saying the timing of caffeine matters to sleep as much as the amount.
For Men's Health Month in June, the South African Rooibos Council pointed men toward rooibos as a caffeine-free afternoon and evening drink, when a late coffee can cost a night's sleep.
The suggestion came from Prof. Gerald Maarman, a physiologist at Stellenbosch University, in material the council issued during the month. "Many men underestimate the impact of caffeine timing on sleep quality," Maarman said. "Switching to Rooibos in the afternoon or evening can be a simple behavioural change that supports relaxation and recovery." Rooibos, made from the leaves of the Cederberg shrub Aspalathus linearis, carries no caffeine at all, unlike coffee or true tea, so an evening cup does not stimulate the nervous system the way a late coffee does.
Maarman was plain about what the plant is not. "While Rooibos is not a medicine, the science is increasingly showing that it contains compounds that can support the body's ability to manage oxidative stress and inflammation," he said. He pointed to a 2024 systematic review in the journal Beverages on the plant's bioactive compounds, and to cardioprotective work published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology. He did not present rooibos as a treatment for anything. The material noted the plant does not act directly on stress hormones; the case rests on the missing caffeine, so an afternoon or evening cup does not keep a drinker up.
The council framed the message against what it described as sustained pressure on men's health. "Men are under sustained physiological stress, often without recognising the long-term impact," Maarman said. He put rooibos forward as one small, repeatable change rather than a fix.
"Small, consistent changes often deliver the most sustainable health benefits," Maarman said. "Rooibos is not a quick fix, but it can be a meaningful part of a broader wellness routine."
Sources: George Herald, "Men's health concerns grow as stress, heart disease and sleep deprivation rise" (South African Rooibos Council, June 11, 2026).