10 AMAZING Hibiscus Tea, Leaves & Juice Benefits & Uses

Hibiscus tea is rich in antioxidants, which are essential for helping our bodies to fight free radicals, unstable atoms that can cause oxidative cell damage.

When free radicals attack the body's cells, they can exacerbate aging, resulting in skin wrinkles. More dangerously, these invaders can also increase a person's risk for certain diseases and illnesses. Multiple studies have found that diabetes, dementia and cardiovascular disease can be caused by free radicals.

One of the best health benefits of hibiscus tea, therefore, is its ability to fight free radicals with its high antioxidant content. Not only can these antioxidants slow the aging process; they can also reduce inflammation in the body, lowering your risk of illness and helping you to maintain youthful, dewy skin.

Studies show that drinking tea made from hibiscus sabdariffa on a daily basis can help to improve heart health, and may even lower blood pressure. One study of adults with high blood pressure found that consuming three servings of 8-ounce cups of hibiscus tea every day for six weeks decreased overall blood pressure. An additional review found that drinking herbal tea could reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Of course, before stocking up on hibiscus tea and using it as an alternative to your doctor's prescribed heart medication, be sure to seek advice from a healthcare expert first. While hibiscus tea might be a natural option to consider if you want to lower your blood pressure, it may interact with certain diuretics used to treat high blood pressure. Additionally, evidence to suggest that hibiscus tea is capable of maintaining heart health as effectively as medications is lacking.

According to one study, hibiscus tea is capable of increasing HDL or "good" cholesterol, while reducing LDL or "bad" cholesterol and triglyceride levels. While this evidence is still relatively new, and more studies are needed to confirm the findings, it's promising news for those who make drinking hibiscus tea a daily habit.

Of course, if you're trying to lose weight, drinking hibiscus tea alone won't provide you with the benefits you're looking for. But hibiscus tea may be effective in aiding weight loss when used in conjunction with a healthy diet and lifestyle. This is largely thanks to the diuretic properties hibiscus tea is said to have.

One study found that drinking hibiscus extract for 12 weeks could reduce body weight, BMI and abdominal fat in obese and overweight participants. However, it's worth noting that hibiscus extract is stronger than hibiscus tea, so you likely wouldn't get the same results from consuming hibiscus tea.

Additionally, because it's an anti-inflammatory, hibiscus tea may be effective in reducing cortisol, the stress response hormone. Hibiscus flowers contain many polyphenols and antioxidants that can be found in fruits and veggies, and can help to prevent inflammation and disease in the body.

Finally, if you drink hibiscus tea when you're craving something sweet, you'll be able to ward off cravings by changing the taste in your mouth. If you do find that the beverage is too tart for your liking, you can make hibiscus tea with some honey to sweeten it up.

The digestive health benefits of hibiscus tea result from its role as a diuretic. A diuretic can increase the amount of salt and water that the body expels in urine. As a natural diuretic, hibiscus tea may be effective in supporting the digestive system's role in directing salt out of the body. Additionally, having lower sodium levels in the blood can reduce blood pressure.

Hibiscus tea is essentially flavored water that's free of both sugar and caffeine, so it'll keep you hydrated without putting anything that's difficult to digest into your body. Hibiscus tea counts towards your daily fluids. Drinking enough fluids every day helps to prevent constipation, a common digestive side-effect.

Most of us have a go-to food or beverage to ward away coughs and colds. But thanks to its immune-boosting benefits, hibiscus tea may help you to get over a winter illness as effectively as the remedies you swear by.

Hibiscus tea contains vitamin C, which is one of the best antioxidants for warding off sickness and maintaining immune system health. Hibiscus tea also has a high iron content. Iron is needed to maintain healthy red blood cells and balance the immune system. The vitamin C in hibiscus flowers can increase iron absorption, offering a two-in-one of health benefits.

One of hibiscus tea's lesser-known health benefits is its ability to support kidney function. In fact, research has found that hibiscus can prevent calcium oxalate crystals from turning into kidney stones. Once again, the evidence we have so far is limited, and more research is needed to conclude that hibiscus tea can be used effectively to prevent kidney stones.

The liver is another organ that can benefit from hibiscus. According to studies, hibiscus tea may help prevent liver damage. In some studies, decreased markers of liver damage were noted, while in others, the liver was found to have an increased concentration of beneficial detoxifying enzymes.

One thing to note is that these studies were largely based on extracts from hibiscus flowers or the wider hibiscus plant, so it's likely that hibiscus tea, being less concentrated, could not quite be so beneficial. Additionally, you should always speak to your doctor before deciding to make hibiscus tea your go-to liver remedy if you're already on medication for an existing liver condition.

The vitamins and minerals, specifically flavonoids, in hibiscus have been found in numerous studies to have antidepressant qualities. Drinking herbal tea made from hibiscus has proven beneficial in calming the nervous system and reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. This is because flavonoids can help the mind and body to relax.

Many people also find the act of drinking a cup of tea almost therapeutic in itself. Try drinking hibiscus hot tea as part of a wind-down routine before bed or early in the morning after waking up.

A final use of hibiscus is in reducing urinary tract infections, as well as bladder and kidney infections. Early research suggests that hibiscus may be able to reduce the risk of UTIs in people with urinary catheters. As with many of the points in this guide, there's insufficient evidence to support this initial study, but emerging findings are promising.