Let’s talk about hibiscus tea benefits and side effects! Hibiscus tea is and will forever be a staple in my house. I have multiple boxes of hibiscus tea in my cupboards and we drink it fairly regularly. Have you ever tasted it? It is so flavorful and floral, but did you know that is actually is good for you? It’s true! So, let’s look into hibiscus tea benefits and side effects as this is a great herbal remedy and great for you health in moderation.
Let me preface this by saying I’m not a doctor and this is in no way medical advice, rather things that I have learned and have done in my life. All medical advice should be from a doctor and be sure to ask your doctor before trying anything, may it be: natural remedies, exercise, supplements, etc.
Hibiscus Tea
I never really thought about hibiscus tea until last year. While I have always been an avid tea drinker, floral teas are not usually my thing. However, last year, and the previous years before, have been hard on my family. Pandemic aside, there have been a number of things that have really put us through the fire, my husband doubly so because of his job.
He went to the doctor’s office for a physical and she let him know, he has high blood pressure. We obviously has some work ahead of us to lower his blood pressure. Because 1. Because high blood pressure is obviously bad and 2. He had to get it down for his job.
My husband is not trusting when it comes to doctors especially after the ordeal I went through, and he hates medication. So after a long talk, we decided to try to get it down naturally through lifestyle changes before he turned to medication.
Our Experience With Hibiscus Tea
We focused on less salt, more veggies, more water, exercise, and hibiscus tea for a few weeks and saw big results. I believe all of it contributed to lowering his blood pressure, but I noticed, even when he fell off the ban wagon (as we all do from time to time) and him only continuing the tea, his blood pressure never spiked up the same.
So I decided to take a look into it a little more. It’s one thing to read “hey this might work” and actually read medical papers and trials to see how it works if at all. Of course I believe it has benefits from the get go or I would not use it, but before I told others, I had to understand and remember the science!
What Is Hibiscus Tea?
Hibiscus tea is not really a tea at all, but rather, it is considered an “herbal infusion.” It is made from the flower of the roselle plant also known as Hibiscus Sabdariffa. It is a plant that is common in India, Asia, and parts of Africa, though you can find it most other countries as well in this day and age.
Hibiscus is also called the Jamaica flower in Mexico. It has also been called red sorrel and in places hibiscus tea is also known as “sour tea.”
How Is Hibiscus Tea Made?
Did you know that to make this tea you don’t actually use the petals? Rather, the part under the petals is what people use to make hibiscus tea, and this part the calyces. The calyces is what gives the hibiscus tea its pinky red hue. Which makes sense since the calyces of the hibiscus flower is dark red.
The calyces are separated and dried where it is used to make the tea. Usually using boiling water for quicker results or steeping in cool water which makes a more flavorful tea.
What Does The Sour Tea Taste Like?
If you’re like me, I’m sure you’re wondering what it tastes like before you try it for any type of medicinal purposes. It actually has a complex flavor.
The tea is floral of course, but it has hints of fruit which helps give it a natural sweetness. But it also has a tartness to it, or a sourness, which is perhaps why another name for it is “sour tea.”
Hibiscus Tea Health Benefits
Now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for! The health benefits of this delicious tea! Believe it or not, it isn’t just blood sugar it effects, but has benefits of other benefits as well.
1. Lowering Blood Pressure
This of course was going to be number one! Yes, drinking hibiscus tea can help lower your blood pressure.
High blood pressure strains your heart and can actually weaken your heart and cause a higher risk of heart disease.
Hibiscus tea actually helps lower diastolic and systolic blood pressure. On average during a 2015 study, researchers found that on average it lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 7.58mmHg and 3.53 mmHg.
There have been some studies showing an even bigger change in blood pressure as well.
2. May Lower Cholesterol
This one has conflicting studies, I’ll be open about it, and the studies have only been on people with certain ailments, but while there are studies saying that it did not significantly reduce blood cholesterol or triglycerides, the keyword I take away is significantly, which means, it still works but not as well.
But there have also been other studies show that after one month of drinking hibiscus tea people had increased good cholesterol and decreased bad cholesterol.
I’m all about honesty here, so you can make the decision whether or not you want to try this to help lower your cholesterol. It may help, but it may not be the be all end all.
3. Full of Antioxidants
Hibiscus tea is full of antioxidants which are super important for us! Why?
Antioxidants are what helps your body find off free radicals and reduce oxidative stress and the damage that oxidative stress can cause. All of this can cause your health to not be so good. Free radicals effect your cells and can cause diseases like cancer, dementia, diabetes, and heart disease. Plus, it speeds up the aging processes.
But hibiscus tea actually has one of antioxidant levels in tea, knocking even green tea off the chart. Which is great for keeping young and getting rid of inflammation.
4. Helps You Poop
This can be good and bad, and I’m not sure if I should put it on the benefits list or the side effects list, but we found this one out by accident. Hibiscus tea works like a natural mild laxative! Which is great if you’re like my husband who deals with IBS-C, but if you already have a healthy bowel, maybe not so much.
5. Aids With Weight Loss
Before you think this is an easy fix, understand that it aids weight loss. It isn’t a fix. But studies have show that hibiscus tea can aid with weight loss and help protect you against obesity.
A study was done and after 12 weeks, people saw reduced body weight, body fat, and BMI as well as hip to waist ration.
Another study done on animals, showed after giving hibiscus tea to obese mice for 60 days it led to weight loss as well.
Another study done on rats showed that is raised the concentration of drug detoxing enzymes in the liver by 65%.
6. Boosts Liver Health
Did you know hibiscus tea can help your liver? Your liver is an essential part of your health, and it turns out hibiscus tea can help your liver working efficiently.
A study was done on overweight participants and were give hibiscus for 12 weeks and it actually improved liver steatosis. Which means they had fatty livers, which can contribute to liver failure.
There was also a study done on hamsters which showed decreased markers for liver damage.
7. Will Help Prevent Cancer
Hibiscus tea is full of good things that will help you prevent cancer. How? Hibiscus tea is high in polyphenols which are show to have powerful anti-cancer properties. Cool, huh!?
There have been a number of test tube studies done, and this was their findings:
- The first study found amazing results regarding the effect of hibiscus had on cancer cells.
- Hibiscus slows down cancer cell growth and reduces the invasiveness of certain cancers (mouth and plasma.)
- Hibiscus prevents prostate cancer from spreading
- The last studies found that hibiscus inhibits stomach cancer cells by 52%
Y’all, those are pretty significant findings!
8. Help Fight Bacterial Infections
You read that right! Hibiscus tea could help fight off bacterial infections. Which is great for people who love using home remedies as a first line of defense before going to the doctor.
So, what kind of home remedies can bacterial infections help fight?
A study showed that hibiscus tea was able to help slow down or stop the activity of E. coli. You know that nasty bacteria that can cause diarrhea, gas, and cramping? Yeah, that’s a game changer especially since we have seen repeated outbreaks on produce in recent years.
Also, a test tube study showed that hibiscus was able to fight 8 types of bacteria as well as some medications.
Side Effects of Hibiscus Tea
Just like everything else, hibiscus tea has benefits and side effects. It is after all medicinal no matter how tasty it can be especially in large amounts. So, here are the side effects of hibiscus tea and how dangerous they can be.
1. Side Effects Of Hibiscus Tea: Pregnancy
Hibiscus tea is NOT recommended while pregnant. A study, done on animals, shows that there are 2 big risks from consuming hibiscus tea when pregnant. Those two risks are: miscarriage and delayed puberty.
Grant it, these studies were done on hibiscus supplements and herbal blends, which means concentrated amounts or a combination could be the problem, but health professionals still discourage large amounts of hibiscus tea while pregnant.
What about hibiscus tea and breastfeeding since we’re on the topic? Hibiscus tea is known as a galactagogue which can help you produce more breast milk, though studies are conflicting, there is a chance this can help, which is good if you’re having a hard time producing enough, but as always talk to your doctor first.
2. Hibiscus Tea Works As A Diuretic
If you’re not familiar with a diuretic, it makes you makes you pee. And though peeing is good, it can be a problem if you’re already taking a diuretic or you’re someone who has a hard time making to the bathroom. Or if you’re just unsuspecting and drink it before a road trip.
3. Allergies- Another Hibiscus Tea Side Effect
Do you have a ragweed allergy? If so, hibiscus tea may not be your friend. If your immune system is already sensitive to the proteins in ragweed, it may react the same with hibiscus considering they are structurally similar. Meaning, you can have an allergic reaction to hibiscus tea. More specifically, an oral allergy reaction which can effect your mouth, lips, tongue, and even your throat.
4. Hibiscus Tea Can Effect Estrogen Levels
Yeah, excessive consumption of hibiscus tea can effect the levels of estrogen in your body. Which is not great for women considering it is important for us. It also means it can interact with your birth control, so keep that in mind if you are over indulging in this delicious tea.
Hibiscus Tea Drug Interactions
Just like every other herbal supplement it can interact with medication, and this is something you need to be mindful of if you’re drinking large amounts of the tea. Medication that hibiscus tea can interact with are:
- Antivirals
- Antihypertensive
- Cholesterol Lowering Drugs
- Blood Sugar Lowering Medications
- Chloroquine
- NSAIDS
- Over the counter pain killers like Tylenol
When Is The Best Time To Drink Hibiscus Tea? Should You Drink Hibiscus Tea At Night Or During The Day?
Well…it depends. If you’re looking for energy and an immunity boost…drink your hibiscus tea in the morning. Want to regulate blood sugar levels? Help reduce stress and anxiety? Drink it mid-day. Need to relax and sleep? Then drink your Hibiscus tea at night.
It has so many benefits and timing can help, but overall it’s gonna help you throughout the day and help you relax! Personally, I enjoy a cup with dinner or after dinner! It’s sweet, nice, warm, really it’s the spot after a nice meal.
Is It Okay To Drink Hibiscus Tea Daily?
Yes! It is safe everyday in moderate amounts. According to EatingWell, moderate amounts of hibiscus tea is 2-4 cups a day. Personally, I would not do more than 1-2 cups a day unless your doctors suggests so.
According to online sources, hibiscus tea can benefit the kidneys significantly by helping them with improved creatine clearance. Hibiscus tea can also help reduce levels of uric acid as well as urea nitrogen. The antioxidants in Hibiscus tea can also help restore and support damaged kidneys as well.
Yes, in very high doses of Hibiscus tea can cause liver damage. Like I’ve said a number of times, if you take too much of anything, it can hurt you. In moderate amounts, Hibiscus tea can reduce liver damage and help with fatty liver disease according to Heathline.
The answer is…yes! Turns out Hibiscus tea makes a fantastic night cap if you have issues sleeping. Hibiscus tea contains melatonin which will help you get sleepy!
Drinking hibiscus tea has a number of effects on the body. It can lower blood pressure, cholesterol, soothe sore throats, and help you lose weight. In moderate doses hibiscus tea can help you be healthier! However, in high doses (4+ cups a day) it can cause toxicity. Hibiscus toxicity can cause: low blood pressure, dermatitis, headache, nausea, ringing ears, liver damage, etc.
Overall Hibiscus Tea Benefits And Side Effects…
Hibiscus tea is a great tasting tea with a lot of good benefits. But in too large of amounts it can make you sick like most other things. Always check with your doctor to see if it will interact with your drugs. Food is medicine, it may taste better than most commercial medicines, but food effects our bodies too!
It is always good to know how food and supplements and herbs can affect our bodies and what they interact with!
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Did you know about these hibiscus tea benefits and side effects? Do you drink hibiscus tea?
