High blood pressure affects nearly half of all adults in the U.S., leading to serious health problems like heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease.
In clinical trials, drinking hibiscus tea has been shown to lower blood pressure in humans.
However, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health points out that hibiscus and other herbal remedies only slightly lower blood pressure.
They can’t replace medications for those who’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure.
Also known as roselle or sorrel, it’s been used to treat everything from high blood pressure to indigestion.
Modern science also supports the idea that this time-tested remedy offers a variety of health benefits.
But Czerwony cautions that we need more research to know exactly how hibiscus supplements can help treat certain conditions.
It might be time to reconsider the health benefits of hibiscus.
The ingredient is especially popular in Western Africa, Central and South America and the Caribbean.
For centuries, people have used hibiscus seeds, flowers, leaves and stems in food and traditional medicine.
Today, you can find hibiscus-flavored jams, jellies, sauces, syrups and teas throughout the world.