Hibiscus Sabdariffa

The hibiscus – you proba Hibiscus Sabdariffa bly know of it as a pretty red or pink flower, but there’s more to it than meets the eye…

Read on to find out.

What is Hibiscus Sabdariffa?

Hibiscus Sabdariffa is a species of hibiscus plant and belongs to the family Malvaceae. Its common name is Roselle, Indian sorrel, Rose of Anthea, African mellow and Flore de Jamaica. The plant is native to almost all warm countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Sudan, Egypt and Mexico.¹

Fleshy red calyxes of Hibiscus Sabdariffa (roselle) are commonly used for the production of soft drinks and tonic without alcohol and also dried and brewed into tea and spice. They are rich in carotene, riboflavin, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, niacin, calcium, iron and Vitamin C.

The young leaves and tender stems of the Hibiscus Sabdariffa are consumed raw, as its seeds are a good source of protein, fat, total sugars and are widely used in the diet of many African countries.¹ ⁴ ⁵

Currently, these seeds are a valuable food resource as they are an excellent source of dietary fibre and are often used in the baking of bread.⁶

What are the Health Benefits of Hibiscus Sabdariffa?

What you may not know, is that the health benefits of Hibiscus Sabdariffa go far beyond nutritional value. In fact, the plant contains multiple phytochemicals known for nutritional and medicinal properties.² It’s most commonly used for treating hypertension, diabetes and liver diseases, and to reduce the cholesterol level of the body. Some scientists even admit Hibiscus Sabdariffa has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory benefits.³

Traditionally in Sudan, Hibiscus Sabdariffa has been used for the relief of sore throats and healing wounds. In African folk medicine, Hibiscus Sabdariffa leaves are used for their, antimicrobial, emollient, antipyretic, diuretic, anthelminthic (anti-parasitic) and sedative properties, and as a soothing cough remedy, whereas in India, leaves are used as a poultice on abscesses.⁵

Modern herbalists, confirm different health benefits of Hibiscus Sabdariffa, proving that the plant may help control blood pressure levels⁸, fight various bacteria¹² and even help lose body weight.¹¹

Let’s look through these benefits in more detail now:

Antioxidants

Hibiscus Sabdariffa is a powerful antioxidant containing compounds such as anthocyanin, flavonoids, organic acids and polysaccharides. Therefore, it makes hibiscus tea a healthy drink for fighting free radicals.⁷

Hibiscus extract also increases the number of antioxidant enzymes and reduces the harmful effects of free radicals by up to 92%.⁷

Blood Pressure Lowering

The plant is quite effective in reducing blood pressure, thus helping fight hypertension. Hibiscus extract was found to be as effective as captopril, however, didn’t show any adverse effect in comparison to prescription medication.⁸

Several studies found that the use of Hibiscus and Hibiscus tea may also help lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.⁹

Bad Cholesterol Lowering

Some studies have found that the use of Hibiscus Sabdariffa may also help lower bad cholesterol – a severe risk factor for heart disease. Another study, showed that taking just 100mg of Hibiscus extract daily, helped decrease total cholesterol and increase HDL (good) cholesterol.¹⁰

Liver Health Promotion

Hibiscus may promote liver health and keep it working efficiently. How? By helping break down fat in the liver to help prevent liver failure¹¹.

Weight Loss

Hibiscus extract may help with weight loss. One study showed that the plant taken for twelve weeks reduced overall body weight and fat.¹¹

Antibacterial Effects

Bacteria are micro-organisms that can cause a variety of infections. The use of Hibiscus Sabdariffa demonstrated its effectiveness in fighting some intestinal infections and reducing symptoms of bloating, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.¹²

Anti-Diabetic Benefits

The polyphenolic components of Hibiscus Sabdariffa can also help to fight type II diabetes by helping reduce insulin resistance.⁵

Is Hibiscus Sabdariffa Safe?

Today people tend to prefer natural products, as they consider such herbal remedies to be safe.

Whilst Hibiscus Sabdariffa is safe, it still may cause some adverse effects in cases of excessive intake, such as lowering blood pressure too much.¹³

So, take the time to discuss any questions or concerns with a health professional, prior to adding any herbal remedies to your health regime.

Properties

Anti-Bacterial¹²
Anti-Haemorrhagic²
Anti-Inflammatory²
Anti-Parasitic¹²
Antimicrobial¹²
Antioxidant⁷
Antispasmodic³
Blood Pressure – Reduction⁸^,⁹
Blood Tonic⁹
Cancer Prevention²
Cholesterol¹⁰^,¹¹
Cooling²
Cough²^,⁵
Cystitis¹²
Demulcent³
Diabetes / Blood Sugar⁵
Diarrhea³
Digestive Restoration³
Diuretic³
Fever Reduction³
High/Good Levels of Calcium²
High/Good Levels of Fibre²
High/Good Levels of Flavonoids²
High/Good Levels of Iron²
High/Good Levels of Niacin²
High/Good Levels of Phytochemicals / Phytocompounds²
High/Good Levels of Polyphenols²
High/Good Levels of Vitamin C²
Hypertension⁹
Immune Booster⁷
Liver Health¹¹
Menstrual Bleeding Increase³^,¹²
Menstrual Bleeding Reduction¹²
Muscle Spasms³
Painful Urination³
Sedative³
Sexually Transmitted Diseases¹²
Skin Issues¹²
Toxin Removal³
Urinary Tract Issues¹²
Weight Loss / Management¹¹
Wound Healing³

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