Study Finds Hibiscus Tea Lowers Blood Pressure

Written by Sandra Emmi


A recent study by Diane McKay, a nutrition scientist, showed that participants who drank three cups of hibiscus tea a day significantly lowered their blood pressure.

Participants in the study who drank the tea had blood pressure readings that were reduced by an average of 7.2%, compared to a reduction of only 1.3% in those who drank a placebo.

The results, which McKay revealed at the American Heart Association’s annual conference, indicate that those who are candidates for conditions associated with high blood pressure, such as heart disease, kidney disease or stroke, could benefit from drinking hibiscus tea. (High blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease and is the cause of 60% of all strokes.)

It is thought that antioxidants in the tea, which is made from the hibiscus sabdariffa flower, help to lower blood pressure by destroying harmful free radicals in the body. Many other studies have shown that antioxidants can help
protect against heart disease and cancer.

However, a spokesman for the Blood Pressure Association urged caution, noting that it was a small study, and that further research would be necessary before a firm link between drinking hibiscus tea and sustaining low blood pressure could be established.


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