High blood pressure, known scientific as hypertension , is a chronic medical condition. with pertinent risk of potentially fatal conditions, including heart attack and heart failure, stroke, aneurysm, and kidney failure. Fortunately, there are a number of effective natural treatments for hypertension, including exercise, diet, and herbal remedies. This article focuses on one herbal remedy for naturally lower blood pressure that is safe, inexpensive, and widely available: hibiscus tea.
What is Hibiscus Tea?
Hibiscus tea is a drink made out of the sepals of the roselle plant, Hibiscus sabdariffa This drink is popular as a beverage in a number of countries worldwide, especially in the Caribbean, Africa (where it is called karkade in North Africa, bissap in Senegal). Hibiscus tea is sour, aromatic, and has a deep purplish-red color. Hibiscus tea can be easily brewed at home by steeping the dried sepals in water just as you would any herbal tea.
Studies of Hibiscus Used to Lower Blood Pressure:
Hibiscus has been studied more thoroughly than a number of herbs and has been found effective to lower blood pressure. Both the extract of the plant, and hibiscus tea itself have been directly studied in recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials. the mechanism of action is also started to be understood: it is thought that that hibiscus acts as an ACE inhibitor , a well-known and well-studied class of hypotensive (blood pressure lowering) drugs. Perhaps more importantly, the quantity of hibiscus tea used in one study suggests that the benefits of this treatment are available to people who consume a moderate amount of hibiscus tea daily.
Comparison With Medication:
One study found hibiscus to be roughly comparable in effect to captopril (brand name Capoten), an older drug It was found to have a weaker effect than lisinopril (also known as Prinivil, Tensopril, Zestril, or Hipril), a newer and more powerful drug.
Safety & Side Effects:
It is an ingredient in many herbal teas and is generally considered to be a safe beverage ingredient. In addition, the clinical studies have observed a noticeable absence of strong side effects - in pharmacological language, the tolerability of hibiscus is outstanding. This safety profile stands in stark contrast to the synthetic ACE inhibitors, which have a number of common unpleasant side effects, and some potentially dangerous ones as well, leading to many contraindications for these drug treatments.
In fact, hibiscus is one of the most popular ingredients in herbal tea blends, others are complicated about hibiscus tea is one of taste: the drink is very sour. and is often used primarily to impart a sour flavor and a deep red color: the well-known Celestial Seasonings Zinger teas (Red Zinger, Lemon Zinger, etc.) all have hibiscus as a main ingredient.
Other Benefits and Medicinal Uses:
One advantage of natural remedies over their modern pharmacological counterparts is that natural herbal remedies often have benefits. There is not evidence from these studies, but there is some evidence from animal studies that hibiscus may protect against liver damage , lower cholesterol levels, and have an antipyretic (fever-lowering) effect.
Buying Hibiscus Tea:
Hibiscus tea is widely available everywhere everywhere; Hibiscus is also available in bulk through a number of herbal teas that have hibiscus as one of the main ingredients. of mail order tea and herb companies.
