Most of you have probably heard the name before, and perhaps you've even tasted this tangy tea for yourself on occasion, but as it turns out, there's far more to this purple-hued tea than good taste (YMMV).
Remember how green tea has been, and is still touted as one of the absolute best sources of antioxidants in the human diet, providing a whole host of health benefits including decreased fat mass, lower cholesterol, increased blood flow, and what was touted to be the most powerful antioxidant punch amongst all the teas out there?
Well, as it turns out, hibiscus tea actually beats out green tea in this regard by quite a bit. More than that, this particular type of tea appears to be beneficial in ways that go far beyond the realm of antioxidants, and actually rival some pharmaceutical medicines in both power and potency!
The potential for hibiscus to lower blood pressure is on-par with some pharmaceutical medications, while also providing the amazing benefit (for dieters) of interfering with carbohydrate absorption, and thus lowering blood sugar.
Yes, but while this means it can potentially keep some of that pizza from going to your waistline, please don't be one of those people that justifies a large order of fries with the addition of a diet Coke).
As a matter of fact, a double-blind, placebo-controlled (basically, a really well designed) study published in the Journal of Nutrition demonstrated that, "At the end of six weeks, adults who had consumed the hibiscus tea had a lower systolic blood pressure when compared with adults in the placebo group, but the same was not true for diastolic pressure. The authors concluded that 'daily consumption of hibiscus tea lowers BP in pre- and mildly hypertensive adults and may prove an effective component of the dietary changes recommended for people with these conditions.”
Antioxidants? Lower Blood Pressure? Less of my pop-tarts contributing to potential Type II Diabetes?
I don't know about the rest of you, but whether you find the taste pleasurable or not, sign me up for some hibiscus tea!
As a general guideline, one which is admittedly VERY important to follow, be sure to look for teas that are made from 100% hibiscus flowers, rather than one of several, cheaper blends that list hibiscus as one ingredient among a proprietary blend (meaning they don;t disclose the amounts of each ingredient) of many other, less beneficial (and probably much cheaper
to produce) forms of tea.
Oh, and be sure to try it iced, perhaps with some Splenda too. Trust me, it does wonders for the taste.
Remember how green tea has been, and is still touted as one of the absolute best sources of antioxidants in the human diet, providing a whole host of health benefits including decreased fat mass, lower cholesterol, increased blood flow, and what was touted to be the most powerful antioxidant punch amongst all the teas out there?
The potential for hibiscus to lower blood pressure is on-par with some pharmaceutical medications, while also providing the amazing benefit (for dieters) of interfering with carbohydrate absorption, and thus lowering blood sugar.
Yes, but while this means it can potentially keep some of that pizza from going to your waistline, please don't be one of those people that justifies a large order of fries with the addition of a diet Coke).
As a matter of fact, a double-blind, placebo-controlled (basically, a really well designed) study published in the Journal of Nutrition demonstrated that, "At the end of six weeks, adults who had consumed the hibiscus tea had a lower systolic blood pressure when compared with adults in the placebo group, but the same was not true for diastolic pressure. The authors concluded that 'daily consumption of hibiscus tea lowers BP in pre- and mildly hypertensive adults and may prove an effective component of the dietary changes recommended for people with these conditions.”Antioxidants? Lower Blood Pressure? Less of my pop-tarts contributing to potential Type II Diabetes?
I don't know about the rest of you, but whether you find the taste pleasurable or not, sign me up for some hibiscus tea!
As a general guideline, one which is admittedly VERY important to follow, be sure to look for teas that are made from 100% hibiscus flowers, rather than one of several, cheaper blends that list hibiscus as one ingredient among a proprietary blend (meaning they don;t disclose the amounts of each ingredient) of many other, less beneficial (and probably much cheaperto produce) forms of tea.
Oh, and be sure to try it iced, perhaps with some Splenda too. Trust me, it does wonders for the taste.
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