Hibiscus flower power

Has anyone tried hibiscus flower tea for hypertension? It does not seem to be just hype.

Drinking hibiscus tea lowered blood pressure in a group of pre-hypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults, according to a report being presented today by nutrition scientist Diane McKay at the American Heart Association's annual conference in New Orleans, La. Hypertension is a condition in which blood pressure is chronically high, and it affects one-third of all U.S. adults. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/081110.htm


Hibiscus sabdariffa extract (HSE) was shown to lower the plasma lipid level and reduce the liver damage. In the present study, we investigated if Hibiscus sabdariffa polyphenols (HPE) exerted a hypolipidemic effect and its putative mechanism on liver. HPE exhibited more potency to decrease plasma cholesterol and LDL cholesterol than the crude extract HSE, and increased HDL cholesterol dose-dependently. It decreased the lipid content of hepatocyte through the activation of AMPK and reduction of SREBP-1, thus inhibiting the expression of fatty acid synthase and HMG-CoA reductase. LDLR and LDL binding of HepG2 cells were enhanced when treated with HPE. In conclusion, HPE is worthy of being further investigated and could be developed as an adjunctive for hepatic lipid control and hypolipidemic therapy. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20017484?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubme...


In vitro studies show Hibiscus sabdariffa L., an ingredient found in many herbal tea blends and other beverages, has antioxidant properties, and, in animal models, extracts of its calyces have demonstrated hypocholesterolemic and antihypertensive properties. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20018807?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubme...