Benefits from drinking Hibiscus Tea

Photo: Erin Kennedy

Hello to one and all!
For this post's topic, I want to write to you about the benefits of drinking Hibiscus tea, and why it is good for you to drink it. I will also explain why some people may need to stay away from Hibiscus tea.

To start off with, I would like to explain what Hibiscus is and then the benefits of drinking hibiscus tea.

What is Hibiscus?
Hibiscus is a plant from the mallow family, which is grown in the warmer climates. Hibiscus plants are known for their large and colorful looking flowers, which are large and trumpet shaped. The hibiscus plant captures our attention with its beauty and tantalizers our taste buds when brewed into a tea.

What is Hibiscus tea?
Hibiscus tea is a herbal tea which is made as an infusion from crimson or deep magenta-colored calyces- sepals - of the roselle plant. The scientific name is Hibiscus sabdariffa. The Hibiscus sabdariffa, also known as Roselle or Sour Tea, is a tea where usually the dark flowers are used for brewing. The Hibiscus sabdariffa is also a species of Hibiscus native to West Africa, and can be used for the production of bast fibres and also as an infusion, which can also be called carcade.
Hibiscus tea can be drunk either hot or cold. Hibiscus tea has a tart-like and cranberry taste to it.
Hibiscus tea is rich in vitamin C and various antioxidants, and can help in treating hypertension as well as anxiety.

Photo: Erin Kennedy

Benefits of drinking Hibiscus tea:
Relief from High Blood Pressure - According to research, which was done at Tufts University in Boston, hibiscus tea can lower blood pressure by up to 10 points because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Hibiscus tea has diuretic properties which increase urination, while simultaneously lowering your blood pressure. While hibiscus tea has diuretic effects, it also has choleretic and effects, thus controlling blood viscosity by reducing the blood pressure.
Helps to cure liver disease - Antioxidants help to protect the human body from diseases because they neutralize the free radicals which are present in the human body's tissues and cells. So drinking hibiscus tea can increase your lifespan, by maintaining good overall health, in many of your organ systems.
Reduces the risk of cancer - Hibiscus tea contains hibiscus protocatechuic acid, which has anti-tumor properties. According to study, hibiscus can slow down the cancerous cells by inducing apoptosis (Also known as programmed cell death). Due to the antioxidants, hibiscus tea can help fight off certain cancers.
Bacterial infections - Hibiscus tea is rich in vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid and L-ascorbic. This is an essential nutrient to help for the growth and repair of tissues for your whole body, and will also help stimulate the activity of your immune system. Therefore, this can help prevent you from getting the cold or flu. Hibiscus tea can help aid discomfort caused by a fever, because if its cooling effect.
Aids digestion - Hibiscus tea can help the digestion system by increasing both the urination and bowel movements. It can also be used to help treat constipation, due to the diuretic properties, and can help improve the health of your gastrointestinal system.
Can help speed up the metabolism and can help with weight management - Studies have shown that the hibiscus extract can lower the absorption of starch and glucose, which can help with weight loss. Drinking hibiscus tea can help fill you up and can effectively help your overall calorie intake. Hibiscus inhibits the production of amylase, which can help with the absorption of carbohydrates and starch, so therefore, drinking hibiscus tea can prevent the absorption from occurring. A study has found that drinking hibiscus tea was able to block sugar and starch absorption.
Can help improve fat absorption - Hibiscus tea can help improve food consumption and efficiency, which means that hibiscus tea can help to process fat from the food you consume, in a way that it gets stored as energy, instead of being stored in your fat cells.

Photo: Erin Kennedy

You can drink hibiscus tea both as a cold and as a hot beverage. For winter, brew the tea and drink it just like regular tea. If you have the hibiscus loose leaves, you can use a strainer to brew your tea.
In summer, you can make an iced tea from hibiscus tea. It may take longer to prepare, but then you can cool yourself off in a refreshing way.

There may be benefits for hibiscus tea, but there are also some side effects from drinking hibiscus tea, and they are:
If you are already suffering from low blood pressure, you should not drink hibiscus tea. Even though hibiscus tea will help lower your blood pressure, it is not ideal for people who are already suffering from low blood pressure to drink hibiscus tea. Also, do not drink hibiscus tea if you are taking blood-pressure medication, unless instructed to do so by your specialist.
Hibiscus tea is not recommended for women who are pregnant, due to the tea's emmenagogue effects, which can stimulate the menstruation or blood flow in the pelvic region. For those of you who are taking birth control pills, it is recommended that you consult your doctor or health specialist first with regard to any consumption of hibiscus tea.
You might develop an allergy toward the tea, such as hay fever or itchy eyes, just keep this in mind.
Drinking too many cups of hibiscus tea can be toxic to your liver. It is crucial to not drink too many cups.
If you are watching your weight, try to avoid adding sugar to your hibiscus tea, or choosing hibiscus tea which already has added sugar.
It is recommended that you should drink up to three cups of hibiscus tea a day, and no more.

Photo: Erin Kennedy

Overall, hibiscus tea has got amazing benefits, but the side effects I have mentioned are not to scare you away, they are just precautions to warn you what could happen. On the plus side, hibiscus tea has a lot of benefits and some great benefits to help you with your weight management. Hibiscus tea is rich in antioxidants, which earned it the status of a "therapeutic agent". The antioxidants in hibiscus tea can help fight free radical damage caused by poor nutrition and exposure to chemicals.

Did you know that almost 15-30% of hibiscus tea is composed of organic acids. These acids are tartaric acid, citric acid and malic acid. These 3 acids can be found in many fruits such as grapes. They can help in boosting immunity, promote better skin, lower cholesterol and blood, manage inflammation and help improve digestive issues.
Lastly, hibiscus tea can help lower high triglycerides, cholesterol and blood sugar, as well as helping to manage healthy weight and prevent liver disease.

You can purchase hibiscus tea from Wellness Warehouse, and also Faithful to Nature from their online store.
Wellness Warehouse: https://www.wellnesswarehouse.com/
Faithful to Nature: https://www.faithful-to-nature.co.za/

I thank you all for taking time to read this blog,
I hope that this information has helped you,
Stay fit and healthy!