Let's Get Down Hibiscus!

Get it? Like "to business." Hibiscus. Kinda rhymes. Anyway!

So, Bellingham hasn’t quite gotten the memo yet that it’s springtime, but that’s not stopping us from sippin’ on our iced teas! One of my favorite teas to ice is hibiscus. With a little stevia, it’s bold color and sweet zing are just what I need to attract more sun. Of course, this makes sense as hibiscus is the state flower of Hawaii. Not only is hibiscus tea delicious, but it is also incredibly good for our bodies! Yaaasssss. I love win-wins.

Plant-based eater, health advisor, medical doctor, author, and founder of nutritionfacts.org, Dr. Michael Greger, proves that hibiscus tea is not only the healthiest tea, but the healthiest drink for us! Out of 282 beverages tested, hibiscus tea had the highest antioxidant levels (Link #4). In fact, only an hour after you drink it, the antioxidant levels in your bloodstream have already shot up!

Hibiscus tea is also helpful for blood pressure. In a clinical study of men and women with high blood pressure (see Link #1 for more details), Dr. Greger summarizes, “And a cup of hibiscus tea with each meal didn’t just lower blood pressure by 3, 4 or 5 points, but by 7 points, 129 down to 122. And in fact, tested head-to-head against a leading blood-pressure drug, captopril. Two cups of strong hibiscus tea every morning, using a total of 5 tea bags for those two cups, was as effective in lowering blood pressure as a starting dose of 25mg of captopril taken twice a day.”

We should not, however, exceed a quart of hibiscus tea a day. This is due to what is still unknown about hibiscus’ manganese content. So best to stay on the safe side. See Link #2 for more information. Another small caveat refers to our dental care. To protect your teeth from hibiscus’ acidity, use a straw to drink it and/or rinse your mouth with water when you’re all done! For more information, visit Link #3.

So what are you waiting for?! Read up more about hibiscus tea or ask one of our Spice Girls in the Hut about more amazing benefits of it.