Commitment + Clinical Leadership = Better Outcomes

Hibiscus: A Flower with Health Benefits

Hibiscus: A Flower with Health Benefits

Mar. 22nd, 2022

Hibiscus is a flowering plant that is native to India and Malaysia.1 Hibiscus flowers are known for being tropical, bright, and pleasing to the eye.

Hibiscus provides many health benefits and can be consumed in a variety of ways. Here are some of the health benefits of hibiscus and how you can use this flower in different recipes.

Health Benefits of Hibiscus

Hibiscus is calorie and caffeine free, and contains numerous health benefits.2 Here are five health benefits of adding hibiscus to your diet.

Hibiscus May Lower Blood Pressure

Lower blood pressure is just one of the many health benefits of hibiscus. One study looked at people who consumed three 8 ounce servings of hibiscus tea daily for six weeks. Those who drank the tea saw a significant decrease in their blood pressure than those who drank a placebo.3

If you have hypertension, which is high blood pressure, hibiscus tea may be a good option to help you lower your blood pressure levels. Maintaining a healthy blood pressure can reduce your risk of heart disease.4

Hibiscus Contains Vitamin C and Iron

Hibiscus contains vitamins and minerals that work as antioxidants, with two of the most important being vitamin C and iron.5 When comparing tea and antioxidant levels, hibiscus tea was ranked as the best one according to NutritionFacts.org.6

Vitamin C plays many roles in the body including the formation of collagen, boosting the immune system, and aiding in tissue growth.7 Vitamin C also helps prevent damage caused by free radicals, which can reduce your risk of health complications such as heart disease and cancer.

Iron, which is also found in hibiscus, keeps the immune system balanced and helps the body properly maintain red blood cells. Vitamin C helps to increase iron absorption, which makes these two a great addition to any diet.

Hibiscus Can Help With Digestion

Another health benefit of hibiscus is that it can help with digestion. Hibiscus, particularly when in the form of tea, has been found to work as a natural diuretic.8 Diuretics work to increase the amount of water and salt that is disposed by the body.

When hibiscus and other diuretics pull excess salt from the body, it helps to lower blood pressure. Drinking hibiscus water or tea also helps to keep you hydrated while curbing your sweet tooth craving as well.

Hibiscus Might Aid in Liver Health

Hibiscus might be a good option to help your liver stay healthy.

There have been studies to determine a link between hibiscus tea and an increased concentration of detoxifying enzymes, which aids in liver function.9 Furthermore, hibiscus extract has been found to help prevent oxidative stress, which can help prevent liver damage.10

One study found that after the participants had consumed hibiscus tea for 12 weeks, they had a significant improvement in liver steatosis. Liver steatosis is a condition of fat accumulation in the liver that can lead to liver failure if left untreated.11

Hibiscus May Help Prevent Cancer

Cancer prevention is among one of the many possible health benefits of hibiscus. Hibiscus is loaded with polyphenols, which are micronutrients that naturally occur in plants.12 There are thousands of different types of polyphenols, including flavonoids and resveratrol.

Polyphenols work as antioxidants and can reduce your risk of chronic diseases. They have anti-cancer properties that can reduce cell growth.

Studies have shown that hibiscus has helped to stop the spread of prostate cancer up to nearly 50%.9 If you want to increase your intake of polyphenols to stay healthy, try hibiscus water or tea.

How to Consume or Use Hibiscus

Hibiscus typically has a tart flavor that’s similar to cranberries. You can try hibiscus in many different forms, from teas to jams to syrups.13

Here are some ways you can try hibiscus:

  • Hibiscus water. There are different recipes for hibiscus water, but you can make it by boiling hibiscus petals and adding ingredients such as cinnamon and nutmeg.
  • Hibiscus tea. Hibiscus tea is typically made very similar to the water, or you can purchase pre-made bags to steep tea at home.

There are other forms of hibiscus that are available, but not as common such as extracts and powders. Hibiscus is sometimes used in jams and syrups as well.

You can buy these different forms of hibiscus at a grocery or health store depending on what you’re looking for. However, if you’re interested in growing your own hibiscus, they are easy to grow and maintain as a house plant.14

You don’t have to live by a beach to successfully grow hibiscus. As long as you live in a temperate environment, you can typically grow them outdoors in the summer and keep them as house plants in the winter.

Try Hibiscus Today

Who knew a pretty flower could also provide you with so many health benefits? Try some hibiscus today to experience the unique flavor and health benefits!

To learn more about Saber Healthcare and the services we provide, click here.

Saber Healthcare is an organization dedicated to providing consultant services to long term care providers. This article is for informational purposes and is not meant to be seen as professional advice. Please consult with a medical expert before relying on the information provided.

Sources

  1. Streit, Lizzie. “All You Need to Know About Hibiscus.” Healthline Media, healthline.com. January 5th, 2022. Accessed February 16th, 2022. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/all-you-need-to-know-hibiscus.
  2. Ware, Megan. “What’s to know about hibiscus tea.” Healthline Media, Medical News Today. March 19th, 2018. Accessed February 16th, 2022. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318120.
  3. “Hibiscus Sabdariffa L. Tea (Tisane) Lowers Blood Pressure in Prehypertensive and Mildly Hypertensive Adults.” Oxford University Press, The Journal of Nutrition. Accessed February 16th, 2022. https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/140/2/298/4600320.
  4. “Effect of hibiscus sabdariffa on blood pressure in patients with stage 1 hypertension.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, PubMed Central. Accessed February 16th, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6621350/.
  5. Brennan, Dan. “Hibiscus Tea: Is It Good For You?” WebMD, Nourish by WebMD. September 24th, 2020. Accessed February 16th, 2022. https://www.webmd.com/diet/hibiscus-tea-is-it-good-for-you.
  6. “Hibiscus Tea.” NutritionFacts.org, nutritionfacts.org. Accessed February 22nd, 2022. https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/hibiscus-tea/.
  7. “5 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Vitamin C.” Saber Healthcare Group, saberhealth.com. September 4th, 2020. Accessed February 21st, 2022. https://www.saberhealth.com/news/blog/5-vitamin-c-benefits.
  8. Baum, Isadora. “These Hibiscus Tea Health Benefits May Have You Trading in Your Daily Chai.” Oprah Daily, oprahdaily.com. March 11th, 2019. Accessed February 16th, 2022. https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/health/a26785615/health-benefits-of-hibiscus-tea/.
  9. Caron, Matt. “Hibiscus Tea Benefits: 13 Scientific Reasons Your Body Loves It.” Tea Drops, myteadrop.com. January 27th, 2021. Accessed February 16th, 2022. https://www.myteadrop.com/blogs/news/hibiscus-tea-benefits.
  10. “6 Hibiscus Tea Benefits To Know About.” Sencha Tea Bar, senchateabar.com. Accessed February 17th, 2022. https://senchateabar.com/blogs/blog/hibiscus-tea-benefits.
  11. “Hibiscus sabdariffa extract inhibits obesity and fat accumulation, and improves liver steatosis in humans.” National Library of Medicine, pubmed.gov. Accessed February 17th, 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24549255/.
  12. Brennan, Dan. “Healthy Foods High in Polyphenols.” WebMD, Nourish by WebMD. October 26th, 2020. Accessed February 17th, 2022. https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-polyphenols#:~:text=Polyphenols%20are%20micronutrients%20that%20naturally,quercetin%20and%20catechins%20in%20fruits.
  13. Link, Rachael. “8 Benefits of Hibiscus Tea.” Healthline Media, healthline.com. November 25th, 2017. Accessed February 16th, 2022. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/hibiscus-tea-benefits.
  14. “Hibiscus.” Regents of the University of Minnesota, extension.umn.edu. Accessed February 16th, 2022. https://extension.umn.edu/house-plants/hibiscus.