Hibiscus tea, refers to an herbal tea, which consists of an infusion from deep magenta calyces or crimson of the Hibiscus flower. Hibiscus tea is a dry mixture of leaf, petals of flower and red calyces. The hibiscus tea is deep red in color. The dry tea is mixed with hot water and once the dry tea is soaked in for 5 minutes the water is strained before tea is consumed. Similarly, few individuals prefer to drink cold tea. The hot tea solution is strained and kept in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours before tea is consumed or hot tea is mix with ice to make it cold. The extract of hibiscus tea is also mixed with fruit juice, citrus solution, ginger soda and lemon water.
The plant of hibiscus tea grows all over the world and there are several hundred species found, of which some are consumed as tea. The petals of flower can be of different color like yellow, orange, red, and white. Thus the color of hibiscus tea differs and is available as red, yellow or orange hibiscus tea.
Nutritional Facts about Hibiscus Tea
Hibiscus tea contains vitamin C as well as dietary fiber, polyphenols, and antioxidant.1 The tea also contains essential minerals and useful other compounds that helps to lower blood pressure and hyperlipidemia2 as a mild type of medicine. The Hibiscus tea is knowns as a medicinal tea, the extract of tea contains several organic acids of about 15 percent to 30 percent include tartaric acid, malic acid and citric acid.3 Most herbal and hibiscus tea contains flavonoid glycosides and polysaccharides, both of which give its feature of deep red color.
Hibiscus Tea Health Benefits
Hibiscus tea gives a large number of health benefits to individuals. These include immediate relief from hypertension/high blood pressure and high levels of cholesterol, eliminate inflammatory problems and while at the same time boost digestive and overall immune systems.4 Even the medicinal tea cures liver problems and reduces the risk related to cancer. Hibiscus tea boosts metabolism and helps in gradual yet healthy weight loss.
How Much Hibiscus Tea Should I Drink To Lower My Blood Pressure?
In order to get benefits, you should consume 3 cups daily for a period of few weeks. For this, you should add 1 or 2 teaspoon of hibiscus flowers in dried form to 1 cup containing water (hot water is preferable to get the best results).
Alternatively, you may opt to have only one serving of the tea consisting of 500 ml before having your breakfast for reducing your blood pressure levels. However, the exact amount you should intake for reducing the levels of your blood pressure will vary based on your age, weight and the present health condition. Hence, before you should consult with your doctor before you should intake hibiscus tea to treat your hypertension problem.
Hibiscus Tea to Manage Blood Pressure
Antihypertensive Herb- Hibiscus tea comes with a few essential properties. The tea helps to treat mild to moderate high blood pressure.5 The tea helps maintain the lower level of blood pressure if consumed every day. Inflammation, retention of water and anxiety triggers mild to moderate hypertension. Hibiscus tea helps to treat these factors and that results in lowering blood pressure.
Anti-inflammatory Properties Helps To Prevent Hypertension. Hibiscus tea also functions as anti-inflammatory herbs. The minor anti-inflammatory properties reduces prostaglandin secretions that helps to reduces blood pressure by maximum 10 points.
Diuretic Action Helps To Lower Blood Pressure. Hibiscus tea causes increased secretion of urine. The diuretic property of hibiscus helps to reduce excess water content of body that helps to reduce blood pressure. The frequent consumption of hibiscus tea causes increased frequency of urination.
Anti-Depressant and Anti-Anxiety Properties Helps To Lower Blood Pressure. The content of hibiscus tea like flavonoids and other essential nutrients functions as antidepressants. Individual consuming hibiscus tea shows improvement in symptoms of depression as long as he or she keeps consuming reasonable amount of tea. The tea has also helped individuals suffering anxiety disorder. The tea helps to maintain calm emotions and creates a relaxed type of sensation in the mind. Indeed, relaxed nervous system and reduced anxiety levels are indirectly helpful in managing the blood pressure levels.
Anti-hyperlipidemia Action Helps To Decrease Blood Pressure- Hibiscus tea reduces blood lipid and such activity is described as anti-hyperlipidemia. Low blood lipid helps to prevents fat deposits over minor and major blood vessels in extremities, heart, kidney and aorta. Thus, hibiscus tea is considered cardio-protective and anti-hypertensive properties herbs.
Helps to Lower Blood Pressure via Weight Loss. Hibiscus tea is known as an anti-obesity herb. Consumption of hibiscus tea prevents obesity and also helps to lose weight.6 Significant weight loss follows decrease in blood pressure levels. Specialty of hibiscus tea is that it reduces the absorption of glucose and starch in the human body to help in weight loss. Reason for this is that the tea inhibits the amylase production, lower concentration of amylase causes lower rate of absorption of carbohydrate (starch).
Reduces Blood Pressure Based on Improved Digestion. Research studies have revealed that regular drinking of hibiscus tea decreases appetite. One then starts consuming less quantity of food and water. The less consumption of solid food and water prevents retention of fluid and higher lipid concentration. The low cholesterol and lipid level in blood prevents vascular disease like atherosclerosis. The lower water retention and atherosclerosis helps to prevent hypertension.
How Much Hibiscus Tea Should I Drink?
One should not drink more than 1 liter of hibiscus tea. The most desired amount is 2 cup of hibiscus tea a day. One should drink one cup of tea in the morning with breakfast and second cup following dinner amounting maximum 1 liter. Drinking too much liquid can cause retention of fluid and that will increase blood pressure. The most studies involving hibiscus tea suggests favorable effects and most literature does not describe any harmful effects.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we should say that Hibiscus tea is beneficial when a person consumes the herb to prevent hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Hibiscus tea helps to reduce blood pressure, prevent hyperlipidemia, prevent postprandial blood pressure, prevents vascular disease like atherosclerosis, reduce blood lipid concentration and reduce inflammatory body reaction.7
However, the side effects and harmful effects of hibiscus tea on newborn or young child is not yet established and thus hibiscus tea is not recommended to new born or children.
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Dietary fiber content and associated antioxidant compounds in Roselle flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) beverage.
Sáyago-Ayerdi SG1, Arranz S, Serrano J, Goñi I., J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Sep 19;55(19):7886-90.
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Hibiscus sabdariffa L. in the treatment of hypertension and hyperlipidemia. a comprehensive review of animal and human studies.
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Evidence of Some Natural Products with Antigenotoxic Effects. Part 2. Plants, Vegetables, and Natural Resin.
David López-Romero,1 Jeannett A. Izquierdo-Vega,1 José Antonio Morales-González,2Eduardo Madrigal-Bujaidar,3 Germán Chamorro-Cevallos,3 Manuel Sánchez-Gutiérrez,1Gabriel Betanzos-Cabrera,1 Isela Alvarez-Gonzalez,3 Ángel Morales-González,4 and Eduardo Madrigal-Santillán2,*
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Hibiscus sabdariffa L. in the treatment of hypertension and hyperlipidemia. a comprehensive review of animal and human studies
Allison L. Hopkins, PhD,a,* Marnie G. Lamm, MD,a Janet Funk, MD,b and Cheryl Ritenbaugh, PHD, MPHa,, Fitoterapia. 2013 Mar; 85: 84–94.
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Hibiscus sabdariffa L. tea (tisane) lowers blood pressure in prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults.
McKay DL1, Chen CY, Saltzman E, Blumberg JB., J Nutr. 2010 Feb;140(2):298-303.
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Hibiscus sabdariffa extract inhibits obesity and fat accumulation, and improves liver steatosis in humans.
Chang HC1, Peng CH, Yeh DM, Kao ES, Wang CJ., Food Funct. 2014 Apr;5(4):734-9.
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Acute Effects of Hibiscus sabdariffa Calyces on Postprandial Blood Pressure, Vascular Function, Blood Lipids, Biomarkers of Insulin Resistance and Inflammation in Humans
Salisu M. Abubakar,1,2 Moses T. Ukeyima,1,3 Jeremy P. E. Spencer,1,4 and Julie A. Lovegrove1,*, Nutrients. 2019 Feb; 11(2): 341.
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