Have you heard about Hibiscus tea? Hibiscus tea is one popular form of tea that is absolutely delicious. It is very popular in the summer as it helps beat the heat. This is true, especially in Japan. However, a large number of cultures around the world have consumed hibiscus tea for generations. For example, Africans have used hibiscus to treat malaria. The Chinese would mix the flowers into soups and use them as a tonic. Those in Mexico and parts of the United States would also use it during times of sickness in order to help flush toxins from their bodies.
It’s no wonder then that more and more people are using this tea to replace their unhealthy habits of smoking cigarettes or drinking alcoholic beverages to get through stressful situations. In this article, you will learn how to brew hibiscus tea.
If you want tips on how to sweeten your tea, read How To Make Simple Syrup in 2024 and All about Allulose
What is Hibiscus Tea?
Hibiscus tea comes from a hibiscus plant/tree that is majorly used for medicinal benefits as well as food. Its attractive flowers are hard to miss! The pink tinge of hibiscus tea combined with its tart flavor makes it irresistible and has set it apart from other herbal teas. Containing no caffeine, hibiscus tea does not only nourish the body but has other added benefits.
Benefits of Hibiscus Tea
Hibiscus tea has both feel-good and health benefits as we shall see below:
- Contains Antioxidants
Our body cells if exposed to free radicals can get damaged. Antioxidants fight these compounds hence safeguarding our bodies against them and their effect. Being rich in antioxidants, consuming Hibiscus tea therefore assists in the prevention of building up of free radicals. This will subsequently keep diseases and cell damage from free radicals at bay. A person with damaged kidneys will also reap kidney-repairing benefits from proper use of hibiscus tea.
- Lowering Blood Pressure
For persons with high blood pressure, sipping hibiscus tea will help in lowering blood pressure as it reduces systolic blood pressure. When the blood pressure is high, the heart is strained and could be weakened leading to a heart disease. However, persons who may already be using hydrochlorothiazide treatment are advised not to use hibiscus tea to avoid drug interaction.
- Antibacterial properties
Hibiscus tea has compounds that are domineering to bacteria and fungus especially in the urinary tract. Using hibiscus tea thus shields the urinary tract from contamination. If already infected, its consumption will help revamp the urinary tract back to health considering that only a few drugs are effective.
- Cholesterol control
Hibiscus tea increases good cholesterol while simultaneously reducing triglyceride levels and bad cholesterol.
- Blood Sugar Control
Hibiscus extract reduces blood glucose. The tea is favorable for a person with diabetes type 2 as it keeps blood sugar regulated. However, it is advisable to avoid hibiscus tea as the sugar levels may go too low if already under medication. Similarly, if a person has undergone surgery or is about to have one, they should avoid hibiscus tea. This is because sugar levels are uncertain in these situations.
- Weight loss Promotion
Hibiscus will either prevent or assist in reducing weight. As a matter of fact, hibiscus extract has anti-obesity proponents. The AMPK composite constituted in anti-obesity drugs is activated upon consumption of hibiscus tea.
- In weight loss, hibiscus tea will aid in the overall body weight reduction.
- It will also reduce the amount of body fat, especially targeting the waist. This is all because it stimulates fat breakdown.
Prevention of Weight Gain
Lowering blood sugar will obviously prevent weight gain. Due to low blood sugar appetite is reduced with an increase in metabolism. As a result, there is no overeating and hence, control in weight gain. If correctly taken, hibiscus tea is an advantageous thirst-quencher and a super substitution for sweetened and carbonated drinks such as soda. In comparison to water, the elements of hibiscus tea are better for the body.
Some feel Good benefits of Hibiscus Tea
The anthocyanin element in Hibiscus flower has the potential to bring out a vibrant pink shade to other beverages. This aspect of hibiscus tea makes it a favorite for many during the summer season.
Hibiscus tea is also loved for its relaxing and hence, sleep-inducing properties due to an extract called melatonin. You can easily prepare hibiscus tea at home. By adding boiling water in a pot with dried hibiscus flower, you simply come up with a cup of hibiscus tea. To support its tart flavor honey or lemon squeeze will do the trick
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Hibiscus Tea Recipes
Being a versatile drink, Hibiscus tea can be made in various ways and according to your taste.
Winter warm up recipe (Sweetened)
This recipe is the simplest but very handy for the cold winter nights.
- Simply pour boiled water over two teaspoonfuls of dried hibiscus petals in a tea mug.
- Allow the mix to steep in a covered mug for duration of 5 to 10 minutes guided by how strong you prefer your tea.
- The resulting brew will be a thick dark colored velvety texture.
- Add honey to taste.
Latte it Up!
Though a tricky recipe, this latte is eventually worth it. Instead of leaves use hibiscus tea bags.
- Brew half a mug of water with a tea bag for around five minutes while covered.
- When steeped, add honey ½ tsp and a quarter teaspoon of vanilla.
- Wait for the mixture to dissolve and give it a top off with frothed milk (about ¾ of a cup).
- Enjoy your drink.
The kid-friendly Overnight Hibiscus Sangria.
- In a pitcher, add in 5 teaspoons of hibiscus petals (crushed) and some mint leaves.
- Pour out 3 boiled cups of water and allow steeping for five minutes.
- Add a cup of mixed frozen berries and fill up the pitcher using cold water.
- Place the mixture in the fridge overnight.
- At your own time, serve the tea mixed with honey to taste.
Note: There are many other recipes of hibiscus that you can still explore.
Where can one Buy Hibiscus Tea?
It is possible to buy hibiscus tea bags in an organic store locally. It can also be ordered online.
Hibiscus Tea Brands on Amazon
Here are our top picks for Hibiscus Teas:
| HIBISCUS TEA | RATING | PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| Hambleden Teas Organic Hibiscus Tea | 10/10 (Editor's Choice) | |
| Now Real Tea Organically Hip Hibiscus | 9/10 | |
| Buddha Teas Organic Hibiscus Flower Tea | 8/10 | |
| Swanson Hibiscus Flower Tea | 8/10 | |
| Traditional Medicinals Organic Hibiscus Herbal Tea | 7/10 | |
| Hibiscus Cooler | 6/10 |
Hambleden Teas Organic Hibiscus Tea, 20 Tea bags
Now Real Tea Organically Hip Hibiscus 24 tea bags (Pack of 2)
Do you ever imagine yourself sitting across the beach with the sun pouring over you, a cool delicious beverage in your hand? Or maybe sitting around a fireplace in mid-January, a hot cup of aromatic Hibiscus Tea bringing warmth to your entire being?
Well this will be a dream no more! The 24 tea bags in this package can be enjoyed both as a hot and cold beverage. The heath benefits are endless, as we know for sure that this tea is organic. It is USDA certified after all! It won’t even keep you up at night due to the absence of caffeine. How great is that!
Buddha Teas Organic Hibiscus Flower Tea
Buddha’s Tea brings you a hibiscus tea that screams peace even from its name. It is one of the most flavorful Hibiscus Teas that we found on the market. Its color is a captivating crimson, its flavor mouth-watering. 18 delicious tea bags are included in the package.
Whenever you feel stress creeping into your life, just brew yourself this calming drink and relax. It has antioxidants and natural compounds that have been proven to calm the nervous system. Being purely organic, it is great for both your taste buds and your body! It has no GMOs and no caffeine. Trust me, your body will thank you!
Swanson Hibiscus Flower Tea 20 Bag
Another great brand of hibiscus tea is Swanson. their products are not only delicious, but rather their manufacturing process is also GMP-verified. As far as quality goes, this hibiscus tea is hard to beat. It is passed through more than 5 quality tests including those for microbes and heavy metals. Quality is further ensured by 3rd party organizations. When you sip on this tea, the worry of not being provided the best quality won’t even cross your mind even once!
The tea is proven to have medicinal benefits as patients with high blood pressure report feeling much better after its frequent use. Compared to most of its competitors, this tea has a stronger red color and a tangier taste, both of which are proof of its commendable quality. Each tea bag in this package is also packages separately to to ensure that the tea remains unaffected by weather elements even after the box is opened.
Traditional Medicinals Organic Hibiscus Herbal Tea
One of the health benefits of this Hibiscus tea is that it supports the cardiovascular system. It is sourced from some of the favorite hibiscus flowers from organic farms in Egypt, where the heat-loving plant flourishes. Some people use it as a mild herbal medicine with its proven health benefits. It also makes for a great addition to natural beauty products.
Hibiscus Cooler
For all you loose tea lovers, we have the best tea available! This absolutely breathtaking tea will satisfy your thirst with its wonderful taste. Its aroma is so pleasing that we got many non-tea lovers to try it based on just that! It is a fruity and sweet rollercoaster of flavors for your taste buds that ends at a delicious hint of tartiness. Not only that, but it is completely organic and healthy, perfect for gaining all the health benefits that we have gone on and on about in this article.
What makes it so special is that it does not contain only hibiscus (despite this being the star of the show!). It also boasts delicious and healthy ingredients like Guayusa flowers and lemongrass. These ingredients not only amplify the flavor but also add in a lot of benefits. The Guayusa flower is rich in antioxidants and caffeine to give you a quick boost and also help improve blood sugar levels, moods, and weight loss. The lemongrass is an antifungal and antibacterial compound that will prevent you from falling sick. It also contains a lot of antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties.
This tea boasts the most premium ingredients: Organic Hibiscus, Organic Guayusa, Organic Lemongrass, Organic Stevia Leaves, Natural Flavors and comes in 4oz and 1lb sizes which make 60 and 240 cups respectively.
Conclusion
In case you have not heard, the hibiscus plant is incredibly healthy and powerfully medicinal. It’s being used all over the world to cure diseases, and also to improve the overall health of individuals. Hibiscus is packed with Vitamin C and other nutrients which make it beneficial at any time of day. This article is very helpful for you if you’re looking for information about how to make hibiscus tea
Source:
Hibiscus tea (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) lowers blood pressure in pre‐ and mildly hypertensive adults