Health benefits of Hibiscus tea

Posted on Mon, 12 Oct 15

A delicious crimson tea made from hibiscus flower calyces has been shown to lower blood pressure as well as medication, and the only side effects seem to be good ones.

The magenta-red calyces from the flowers of Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) are consumed as a traditional tea and medicine in several countries around the world, and apart from having a delicious cranberry-like flavour, Hibiscus tea also has impressive health benefits.

One of the main uses of Hibiscus is for high blood pressure, and a recent meta-analysis of 5 clinical studies found that Hibiscus tea or extract lowered systolic blood pressure by a mean of 7.58 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 3.53 mmHg (1). These effects are impressive and at least equal to that of anti-hypertensive drugs.

Hibiscus tea is particularly rich in anthocyanin’s, coloured pigments also found in berries, which are thought to be largely responsible for its health benefits. In addition to lowering blood pressure, human clinical studies have also demonstrated significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity effects (3-5).

If you want to try hibiscus tea, just 3 tea bags daily for 6 weeks was found to work well for people high blood pressure (2). Or, maybe you just want to enjoy the tart, berry-like flavour, in which case it can be drunk hot or cold as a refreshing, phytonutrient-rich beverage as frequently as you like.

References:

1. Serban C, et al. Effect of sour tea (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) on arterial hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Hypertens. 2015 Jun;33(6):1119-27
2. McKay DL, et al. Hibiscus sabdariffa L. tea (tisane) lowers blood pressure in prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults. J Nutr. 2010 Feb;140(2):298-303.
3. Frank T, et al. Consumption of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. aqueous extract and its impact on systemic antioxidant potential in healthy subjects. J Sci Food Agric. 2012 Aug 15;92(10):2207-18.
4. Beltrán-Debón R, et al. The aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa calices modulates the production of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in humans. Phytomedicine. 2010 Mar;17(3-4):186-91.
5. Chang HC, et al Hibiscus sabdariffa extract inhibits obesity and fat accumulation, and improves liver steatosis in humans. Food Funct. 2014 Apr;5(4):734-9.