Almost 25% of hibiscus tea comprises of organic acids, which would make you wonder about the various benefits it can have that help make your lifestyle healthier. The medicinal benefits of hibiscus tea have been the sole reason for its demand for centuries. Rooted deep into the Hindu tradition (as the hibiscus plant is considered as an offering to goddess Kali), the therapeutic usage of hibiscus tea has mesmerized the general public since the beginning of time. Let’s take a look at what all it as to offer in a more detailed manner.
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Table of Contents
Health Benefits Of Hibiscus Tea | Hibiscus Tea Benefits
1. Weight Loss
One of the chief advantages of incorporating hibiscus tea into one’s diet is its ability to aid in weight loss. Sufficient consumption of hibiscus tea is said to help in lowering the absorption of starch and glucose that is present in ingested food items (1). These two nutrients are often related to unwanted weight gain, hence by lowering the absorption of these nutrients, drinking a cupful of this healthy beverage can actually help you manage weight.
2. Improves Cardiovascular Health
According to a study, an adequate intake of hibiscus tea is linked with the lowering of overall cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins or LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides. Thus its sufficient consumption can help in maintaining great cardiovascular health, as it can prevent the blood vessels from getting congested, due to the cholesterol sticking to the inner artery walls, and prevent the occurrence of any heart-related issues (2).
3. Works As An Anti-Inflammatory Agent
Known to be rich in vitamin C or ascorbic acid, drinking hibiscus tea regularly can reduce the risk of free-radical induced inflammation in your body’s tissues. Since vitamin C is an anti-oxidant, it is often considered beneficial for its work as a free-radical scavenger. Free-radicals are the free-oxygen atoms in the blood, which when combined with the healthy cell, cause oxidative stress over the cell walls, leading to damage and inflammation. However, the work of an anti-oxidant is to combine with the free-radicals before they get a chance to reach a healthy cell. Thus, by having an antioxidant-rich beverage, such as hibiscus tea, helps in reducing the risk of free-radical induced inflammation.
4. Works As An Anti-Depressant
Regular consumption of hibiscus tea is linked with the reduction of anxiety and depression in the system (3). This is due to the fact that the intake of hibiscus tea stimulates the secretion of two happy chemicals called serotonin and dopamine, which are themselves considered as powerful anti-depressant agents that relieve stress and promote productivity.
5. Good For Liver
We know now that drinking this herbal beverage can actually help in lowering the body’s cholesterol level, so we can further deduce the fact that its consumption also positively affects the liver’s health. Higher blood cholesterol level causes the accumulation of fat around the liver, thus a lower cholesterol level can prevent such as scenario and avoid any long-term liver damage. Moreover, the anti-oxidant nature of hibiscus tea helps in the protection of healthy liver cells from free-radical damage, further resulting in a healthy liver.
6. Works As A Diabetes Deterrant
A cupful of hibiscus tea is among the safest and easily available remedies for type-II diabetes. Its consumption is linked with the decrease in the absorption of starch and glucose that is present in the food (as discussed in the first point). This helps in slowing down the rise of blood glucose levels, which helps in decreasing the insulin resistivity of the digestive system. This gives the pancreas an adequate amount of time to secrete the required amount of insulin, a hormone that breaks down sugar molecules.
Also Read: Diabetes Diet: What To Eat To Manage Blood Sugar And Keep Diabetes In Control
7. Improves Digestive Health
Hibiscus tea, when consumed in the right manner, can actually help in promoting the digestive health of the consumer. This is because it acts as a stimulant for the secretion of digestive juices, which aid in the effective and efficient digestion of food. Furthermore, the antioxidant nature of hibiscus tea is said to reduce the inflammation response of the body caused by the free-radical damage of the tissue. This same reason prevents the intestines from getting inflamed, thus aiding in the prevention of various gastrointestinal issues.
8. Improves Blood Pressure
As drinking hibiscus tea can help in the freeing up of the arteries, because it clears away the cholesterol, it is safe to say that its consumption can help in a smooth flow of blood through the blood vessels. In addition to that, the mineral content present in a cup of this herbal tea exerts a dilating effect on the vessels which contradicts the effect of salt in the vessels. The presence of excessive salt in the blood contracts the blood vessels, hence increasing its pressure. So by dilating the vessels, hibiscus tea helps in maintaining the blood pressure and controlling its flow.
9. Anti-Ageing Agent
Thanks to the high vitamin C content of hibiscus tea, its anti-oxidant nature contributes towards its anti-aging benefits. It helps the skin cells retain their water. Moreover, it helps them in maintaining the skin structure by keeping the cells nourished, thus preventing age-related skin issues such as wrinkles and blemishes.
The health benefits associated with the consumption of hibiscus tea are hard to avoid, since its ability to tackle weight gain, rising sugar, and cholesterol level, and age-related problems are the main problems that concern people for quite a while now. However, to fully benefit from the consumption of this beneficial herbal tea, you must take care of how much quantity it is that you are consuming per day, for it can also have some serious side-effects.
What Makes Hibiscus Tea Beneficial?
Everything happens for a reason, and we are certain that the benefits of hibiscus tea that are listed above have everything to do with its nutritional content. Being rich in anti-oxidant such as vitamin C, and loaded with minerals such as phosphorous and potassium, a cup of this herbal tea is nothing short of an elixir that can prevent various problems at once.
Being a good source of anthocyanin, a pigment that contributes to its anti-bacterial property, this herbal tea is proven to be quite beneficial for the prevention of digestive problems and urinary tract infections, which are all caused by the attack of external pathogens.
How To Make Hibiscus Tea?
Hibiscus tea, just like any other type of herbal infusion, is made by the infusion of the hibiscus flowers in hot water. In order to start with its preparation, let us first take a look at the ingredient that you’ll need.
Ingredients for making Hibiscus Tea:
- 1-2 tbsp of hibiscus flowers
- 1 cup of hot water
- Mint leaves (for a fresh taste, optional)
Gather all the ingredients and start its preparation with wasting any time.
- Heat the water and wait till it starts boiling and bubbling.
- Add 1-2 tbsp of hibiscus flowers to the hot water. The quantity of hibiscus depends on how strong you like your tea to be.
- Add a few mint leaves, which would further increase the aroma and give you a fresh feeling.
- Once infused, pour out the tea in a cup and filter out the remaining petals and seeds of the hibiscus flowers.
Now that your tea is ready, you can indulge yourself in a flavorful cup of this hot and healthy beverage.
Even though its history is rooted in traditional medicine, the demand for hibiscus tea is still as high as ever. It is caffeine-free, and this also gives it an upper hand. There is certainly no doubt that a responsible and planned consumption of hibiscus tea can make one healthier and fitter.