What are the Benefits of Hibiscus? Benefits of Hibiscus Tea

Hibiscus is a tropical plant known for its vibrant red flowers and distinctive sour taste. This plant, which has been used in traditional medicine since ancient times, still stands out with its health benefits. Tea obtained from the hibiscus plant attracts attention especially with its antioxidant properties and rich nutritional content. Having information about the health effects of the hibiscus plant and its tea is of great importance in understanding how this valuable plant can be used and what place it can have in daily life.

What is Hibiscus?

Hibiscus, also known as Hibiscus sabdariffa or roselle, is a species of flowering plant native to warm climates. There are hundreds of species of hibiscus, including herbs, shrubs, and trees. The most commonly grown species is Hibiscus sabdariffa, a shrub with red stems and large yellow flowers that fade to pink and red. It grows in tropical and subtropical regions including China, Thailand, Sudan, Nigeria and Mexico. Flowers, seeds, leaves and stems are all used in culinary, cosmetic and medicinal preparations.

One of the most common preparations is hibiscus tea, a deep red herbal tea made from the flowers. It is consumed hot or cold. Also known as sour tea, this tea has a tart taste similar to cranberries. In addition to teas, you can also purchase hibiscus powders, capsules, and liquid extracts. They can be made from different parts of the plant, depending on the product. Hibiscus in folk medicine and traditional medicine; It is used to lower blood pressure, stimulate diuretic effects, lower high cholesterol, and more. The abundance of bioactive compounds in hibiscus is thought to contribute to its health benefits.

What are the Benefits of Hibiscus?

Hibiscus offers many potential benefits due to its high antioxidant content. It can especially help with weight loss. It can reduce the growth of bacteria and cancer cells. It may also support heart and liver health. Hibiscus benefits can be listed as follows:

• Hibiscus plant is rich in antioxidants such as beta-carotene, vitamin C and anthocyanin. Antioxidants destroy harmful molecules known as free radicals in the body. Free radicals damage cells, contributing to diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
• Hibiscus also shows the ability to fight inflammation. Inflammation; It plays a role in the development of many diseases, including cancer, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Although more research is needed, it appears that hibiscus may offer beneficial anti-inflammatory effects.
• High blood pressure affects almost half of adults. It causes serious health problems such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease. In clinical studies, drinking Hibiscus tea has been shown to lower blood pressure in humans.
• High cholesterol affects millions of adults and can lead to serious diseases such as heart attack and stroke. Although some clinical studies show that hibiscus lowers cholesterol levels, others have shown little effect.
• Several studies have shown a positive effect on weight loss. However, in these studies, Hibiscus extract, which is a more concentrated form than Hibiscus tea, was used.
• In laboratory studies, hibiscus extract has been shown to control certain types of bacteria. While it is clear that hibiscus has antibacterial properties, researchers continue to study its effectiveness in humans.
• According to many studies, hibiscus helps keep the liver healthy. Its extract protects the liver from various toxins, probably due to its strong antioxidant activity. It has even shown some anti-cancer activity in laboratory tests of liver cells.

What is Hibiscus used for?

The amount of nutrients in hibiscus varies depending on what part of the plant is used, growing conditions, how it is prepared, and other variables. In general, one glass of hibiscus contains the following nutrients:

• Calories: 28
• Protein: 0.5 grams
• Fat: 0 grams
• Carbohydrates: 6.5 grams
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Phosphorous
• Potassium
• a vitamin
• vitamin C

What are the Benefits of Hibiscus Tea?

Hibiscus contains certain vitamins and minerals, as well as chemical compounds called phytochemicals that may help prevent disease. A number of studies have examined the possible health benefits of hibiscus tea. All of these benefits come from the properties of the Hibiscus plant.

For centuries, people have used its seeds, flowers, leaves and stems in food and traditional medicine. It has been used to treat everything from high blood pressure to indigestion. Nowadays, you can find hibiscus-flavored jams, jellies, sauces, syrups and teas all over the world.

Modern science also supports the idea that this time-tested remedy offers a variety of health benefits. However, we need more research to know exactly how hibiscus supplements may help treat certain conditions.

How Should Hibiscus Be Consumed?

You can make hibiscus tea by brewing dried hibiscus buds, called calyces, in boiling water. If you’re not interested in the DIY method, you can also purchase dried hibiscus tea bags. In addition, you can also consume hibiscus in the following ways:

• You can also buy hibiscus in powder form, which is made from finely ground dried plant parts. You can make a drink by mixing the powder with water.
• Hibiscus extract is the concentrated liquid form of the supplement. You can purchase it from health food or herbal supplement retailers.
• You can prepare a sauce similar to cranberry sauce by roasting it with sugar.
• You can make jam, jelly or marmalade.
• You can brew hibiscus tea and serve it hot or cold.
• You can freeze hibiscus tea in ice cube trays and add it to soda.
• You can create your own tea blends with other ingredients like lemon or ginger.
• You can prepare it as a syrup to pour over pancakes or ice cream.

How to Prepare Hibiscus Tea?

In addition to potentially offering numerous health benefits, hibiscus tea is delicious. It is also easy to prepare at home. To do this, simply add dried hibiscus flowers to a teapot and pour boiling water over them. After waiting for 5 minutes to brew, you can then strain your tea. If you want, you can sweeten your tea with honey.

Hibiscus tea can be consumed hot or cold. It has a particularly tart taste similar to cranberries. For this reason, it is sweetened by squeezing lemon juice as well as honey to balance the sourness. In addition, it is also available in ready-made tea bags that you can brew in hot water, remove and enjoy.